Good Service Medal, Gold

The Good Service Medal, Gold, originally named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Gold, is the senior member of a set of three military medals that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was initially awarded to members of all elements of the South African Defence Force for thirty years of exemplary service, but was restricted to Permanent Force personnel from 1993.

The South African military
The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Orders, decorations and medals
In April 1952 a series of military decorations and medals was instituted, consisting of substitutes for many of the British and Commonwealth awards which had earlier been used. More decorations and medals, as well as an emblem for being mentioned in dispatches, were added between 1953 and 1970. In July 1975 the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised. Some decorations and medals were carried over from the earlier series of 1952-1975 and new awards were instituted, followed by more between 1987 and 1991. Finally, all but one of these earlier awards were discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when a new set of nine decorations and medals was instituted to replace them.

Fount of Honour
Until 1958 the top three awards were reserved for conferment by the Queen while the rest were awarded by the Governor-General, but in 1958 the Governor-General was authorised to also award the top three. In 1961 the State President became the Fount of Honour, and in 1994 the President.

Minting
Initially all South African military orders, decorations and medals were minted by the South African Mint, but with effect from c. 1980 the manufacturing of all new awards as well as the further production of older awards were put out to tender by private enterprises. Since the tooling of the older awards was retained by the Mint, private manufacturers had to manufacture their own tooling, which resulted in several variations in appearance and quality.

Award criteria for the Good Service Medal, Gold
The Good Service Medal, Gold was instituted in 1975 and was named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Gold until 1993. It was initially awarded to Permanent Force, Citizen Force and Commando members of the South African Defence Force for thirty years of good service, but was restricted to Permanent Force personnel from 1993. The medal is the senior member of a set of three military medals for good service, along with the Good Service Medal, Silver for twenty years of good service and the Good Service Medal, Bronze for ten.

Order of precedence
The position of the Good Service Medal, Gold in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1975 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2003.


 * South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
 * Official SADF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Medal for Distinguished Conduct and Loyal Service.
 * Succeeded by the John Chard Decoration (JCD).


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Medal for Faithful Service in the Prisons Service, 30 Years.
 * Succeeded by the Department of Correctional Services Medal for Faithful Service, 30 Years.


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Medal for Distinguished Conduct and Loyal Service of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Police Medal for Faithful Service, Silver of the Republic of Transkei.
 * Succeeded by the Police Star for Merit of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Medalje vir Troue Diens and Bar, 40 years of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Police Medal for Faithful Service, Silver of the Republic of Transkei.
 * Succeeded by the Police Star for Merit of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.

Description
The Good Service Medal, Gold is a medallion struck in silver-gilt with a scalloped edge and a raised rim, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, depicting the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. The ribbon hanger is decorated with proteas and leaves. The obverse is identical to that of the Permanent Force Good Service Medal of 1961.
 * Obverse

The reverse is inscribed "VIR TROUE DIENS" and "FOR GOOD SERVICE" and the original medals, minted by the South African Mint, have a raised rim and decorated ribbon hanger similar to those of the obverse. The medals and ribbon hangers were minted separately and soldered together. The medal number was stamped at the bottom on the rim.
 * Reverse

With effect from c. 1980 further production of the medal was put out to tender by private enterprises. Poor quality control and cost cutting by manufacturers resulted in the acceptance and award of a large number of medals that were only 2 millimetres thick with no raised rim and an undecorated ribbon hanger on the reverse.

Medals minted from 1991 were once again compliant with the description in the warrant in terms of which the medal was instituted, but they were struck in one piece with the ribbon hangers. The hangers were shaped slightly different than before and the bottom arms of the hanger met the medal inside two of the scalloped valleys on the rim, instead of on two of the apexes as before. An example is the one depicted.

When it was instituted as the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Gold for award to all elements of the South African Defence Force, three separate ribbons were used for the three elements of the Force. They were all 32 millimetres wide and green, with three 1 millimetre wide bands, 2 millimetres from each side and spaced 1 millimetre apart, in white to indicate Permanent Force service, in dark blue to indicate Citizen Force service or in orange to indicate Commando service. Orange, white and blue are the colours of the pre-1994 national flag.
 * Ribbons

These three ribbons were replaced by a single new ribbon in 1993, when the award of the medal was restricted to Permanent Force personnel and it was renamed the Good Service Medal, Gold. The new ribbon was 32 millimetres wide and green, with two yellow bands, each 7 millimetres wide and spaced 6 millimetres apart.

Discontinuation
Conferment of the Good Service Medal, Gold was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003.