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 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 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).
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 30 April 2015) Suid-Afrikaanse militêre dekorasies: 1952-1975 Suid-Afrikaanse militêre dekorasies: 1975-2003Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
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Institution

The Army Cross, post-nominal letters CM (Crux Militaria), 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. It was first awarded in 1992, to Corporal D.H. Maritz and Private H.B. Smit, who recovered a disabled tank during a battle in Angola.

Order of wear

The position of the Army Cross in the official order of precedence was revised three times, to accommodate the institution or addition 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,

;Official SANDF order of precedence: * Preceded by the Ad Astra Decoration (AAD). * Succeeded by the Air Force Cross (CA). ;Official national order of precedence: * Preceded by the Ad Astra Decoration (AAD). * Succeeded by the Air Force Cross (CA).

Description

;Obverse The Army Cross is a pointed cross, struck in silver, to fit in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with the South African Army springbok emblem in the centre on a red roundel, 18 millimetres in diameter. ;Reverse The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number impressed underneath. ;Bar The Bar was struck in silver and has an emblem, depicting 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 ...

, 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, Air Force Cross,

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

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 ...

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 Army orange 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 list of recipients is not complete.

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 2003 disestablishments in South Africa Awards disestablished in 2003