The Defence Cross for Distinguished Service was a Rhodesian military decoration awarded for distinguished service to Rhodesia's armed forces.

Institution

The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made in 1975.

Medal

The medal was a

sterling silver Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. '' Fine silver'', which is 99.9% pure silver, i ...

cross worn on the breast, with at its centre a roundel containing a device of a lion's head and the legend FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE, while the reverse was blank. The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the reverse, and was awarded with a case of issue, miniature medal for wear, and an illuminated certificate. The ribbon was half scarlet, half Cambridge blue, with a central silver stripe and green edges.

Recipients

19 awards of the Defence Cross for Distinguished Service were made between 1970 and 1979.''Rhodesia Medal Roll'', p46 Recipients included Army Generals

Peter Walls Lieutenant General George Peter Walls GLM DCD MBE (1927-201Walls: "We will make it work" Time magazine and CNN – 20 July 2010) was a Rhodesian soldier. He served as the Head of the Armed Forces of Rhodesia during the Rhodesian Bush War from ...

, Derry McIntyre, and Bruce Campling. Recipients were entitled to the

post-nominal Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

letters D.C.D.

Zimbabwe

The Defence Cross for Distinguished Service fell into abeyance following

Zimbabwe Rhodesia Zimbabwe Rhodesia (), alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, and sometimes as Rhobabwe, was a short-lived sovereign state that existed from 1 June to 12 December 1979. Zimbabwe Rhodesia was p ...

's adoption of majority rule in 1979, and the country's transformation into

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

a year later. It has been partially replaced by the military division of the Zimbabwean Medal for Meritorious Service.

References

*Saffery, D., 2006. ''The Rhodesia Medal Roll''
Jeppestown Press
United Kingdom.

External links