The Navy Cross, post-nominal letters CN (Crux Navalis) is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to members of the South African Navy for bravery. It was discontinued in 2003, but backdated awards can still be made for acts of bravery during this period.South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters
(Accessed 28 April 2015) The first award was made by the then Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral

Robert Simpson-Anderson Vice-Admiral Robert Claude Simpson-Anderson (born July 1942 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a former Chief of the South African Navy (1 September 199231 October 2000) He joined the Navy in 1964 and completed a BMil. In 1977 he commanded the Navy ...

on 15 August 1994.

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).South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
/ref>
(Accessed 30 April 2015)

Institution

The Navy Cross, post-nominal letters CN (Crux Navalis), was instituted by the State President in 1987.
(Accessed 1 May 2015)

Award criteria

The cross was initially awarded for exceptional ingenuity, resourcefulness and skill, and extraordinary leadership, dedication, sense of duty and personal example and courage in mortal danger in non-combatant situations. After 1993 it was awarded for exceptional courage, leadership, skill, ingenuity or tenacity in dangerous or critical situations. A Bar, instituted in 1993, could be awarded in recognition of further similar displays of courage, leadership, skill, ingenuity or tenacity in danger.

Order of wear

The position of the Navy Cross in the official order of precedence was revised three times, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the

Azanian People's Liberation Army The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), formerly known as Poqo, was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, an African nationalist movement in South Africa. In the Xhosa language, the word 'Poqo' means 'pure'. After attacks on ...

and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, CAlint

;Official SANDF order of precedence: * Preceded by the Air Force Cross (CA) of the Republic of South Africa. * Succeeded by the

Medical Service Cross The Medical Service Cross, post-nominal letters CC (Crux Curationis), is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to members of the South African Medical Service for bravery. The Medi ...

(CC) of the Republic of South Africa. ;Official national order of precedence: * Preceded by the Air Force Cross (CA) of the Republic of South Africa. * Succeeded by the

(CC) of the Republic of South Africa.

Description

;Obverse The Navy Cross is a pointed cross, struck in silver, to fit in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with the South African Navy emblem in the centre on a navy blue roundel, 18 millimetres in diameter. ;Reverse The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number impressed underneath. Ribbon - Navy Cross & Bar

;Bar The Bar was struck in silver and has a

Protea ''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form a ...

emblem embossed in the centre. The same Bar was used to indicate multiple awards of the

Pro Virtute Medal The Pro Virtute Medal, post-nominal letters PVM, was a military decoration for bravery that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987, but never awarded. The decoration was intended for award to other ranks of the South African D ...

Army Cross The Army Cross, post-nominal letters CM (Crux Militaria), is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to members of the South African Army for bravery. The Army Cross was discontinued ...

, Air Force Cross, Navy Cross,

Southern Cross Medal (1975) The Southern Cross Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters SM, is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for exceptionally meritorious ...

and

Pro Merito Medal (1975) The Pro Merito Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters PMM, is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the South African Defence Force for exceptionally meritorious ...

. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and white, with a 12 millimetres wide Navy blue centre band.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003.

Recipients

Since inclusion in the table itself is impractical, the actions cited for follow below the table. The Ranks reflected are the final rank held by the recipient.

Actions cited for

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa Courage awards 1987 establishments in South Africa Awards established in 1987