The Independence Decoration was a
Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...
n
civil decoration awarded to persons who played a notable and significant part in the
Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965.
Institution
The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made the same year.
Medal
The medal was a
sterling silver circular medal worn on the breast. The obverse bore the arms of Rhodesia and the legend RHODESIA INDEPENDENCE ELEVENTH NOVEMBER 1965, while the reverse was blank. The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the rim, and was awarded with a case of issue, miniature medal for wear, and an illuminated certificate. The ribbon consisted of five equal stripes, green, white, gold, white, green. When the ribbon alone was worn, it bore a green rosette to distinguish it from the
Independence Commemorative Decoration.
Recipients
29 awards of the Independence Decoration were made between 1970 and 1979.
Twenty-eight awards were made in November 1970 to
Rhodesian Front
The Rhodesian Front was a right-wing conservative political party in Southern Rhodesia, subsequently known as Rhodesia. It was the last ruling party of Southern Rhodesia prior to that country's unilateral declaration of independence, and the rul ...
politicians including
P. K. van der Byl
Pieter Kenyon Fleming-Voltelyn van der Byl (11 November 1923 – 15 November 1999) was a Rhodesian politician who served as his country's Foreign Minister from 1974 to 1979 as a member of the Rhodesian Front (RF). A close associate of Pr ...
,
Des Lardner-Burke
Desmond William Lardner-Burke ID (17 October 1909 – 1984) was a politician in Rhodesia.
Early years
Desmond Lardner-Burke was born in Kimberley in the Cape of Good Hope on 17 October 1909, and was educated at St. Andrew's College, Grahamsto ...
and the other ten signatories of the
Unilateral Declaration of Independence. No further medals were given out until April 1979, when an award was made to
Ken Flower Kenneth Flower, GLM (1914 - 2 September 1987) was a Rhodesian police officer and intelligence chief.
Biography
Flower was born in Cornwall, England. After war service in British Somaliland and Ethiopia he returned to Rhodesia in 1948, rapidly r ...
, the Head of the Rhodesian
Central Intelligence Organization
The Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) is the national intelligence agency of Zimbabwe. It was conceived as the external intelligence-gathering arm of the British South Africa Police Special Branch in the early 1960s, under the Southern Rh ...
.
Recipients were entitled to the
post-nominal letters: ID.
Zimbabwe
The Independence Decoration fell into abeyance following
Zimbabwe Rhodesia'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 Mozam ...
a year later.
References
*Saffery, D., 2006. ''The Rhodesia Medal Roll''
Jeppestown Press United Kingdom, {{ISBN, 0-9553936-0-4
External links
Orders, decorations, and medals of Rhodesia