Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal)
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In May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military medals and to award them to their local military forces. The
Colony of Natal The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Natalia Republic, Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three o ...
introduced this system in August 1895 and, in 1897, instituted the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal).South African Medal Website – Colonial Military Forces
(Accessed 6 May 2015)


Origin

The United Kingdom's Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was instituted by King
William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...
in 1830. The original version had the Royal Coat of Arms with the badge of
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
on the obverse, while on the
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
version, introduced upon her succession to the throne in 1837, the Hanover emblem was replaced by a Trophy of Arms which incorporated a central shield bearing the Royal Coat of Arms. Upon the succession of King
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
to the throne in 1901, his effigy was placed on the medal's obverse. The medal's ribbon was plain crimson from 1830 until 1917, when white bands were added to the edges.Stephen Stratford Medals site - British Military & Criminal History - 1900 to 1999 - Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal
(Accessed 26 May 2015)
The medal was originally awarded to soldiers of good conduct who had completed 21 years of service in the infantry or 24 years in the cavalry. From 1870, the qualifying period was reduced and the medal was awarded to soldiers of good conduct who had completed 18 years of service.


Natal Colonial Forces

In the late 19th century, the military forces of the Colony of Natal consisted of the para-military Natal Police and a Volunteer Force, which was reorganised as the Natal Militia in 1904. The Natal Police and Natal Militia were amalgamated to form the Natal Colonial Forces in 1908.


Institution

On 31 May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Dominion and Colonial governments to adopt various military medals and to award them to their local military forces. The Colony of Natal introduced this system in August 1895. In 1897, one of three known medals which were instituted by Natal in terms of this authority was the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal). The Natal medal ranks on par with its British counterpart in the order of wear. Other territories which took advantage of the authorisation include Canada, Cape of Good Hope, India, New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and, from 1901, the
Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. (Accessed 26 May 2015) A second version of the medal, with the effigy of King Edward VII on the obverse, was awarded from 1901. The reverse of the medal remained the same, while the obverse of both versions is the same as that of their respective British counterparts.


Award criteria

The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal) was awarded to non-commissioned officers and men who had completed eighteen years of irreproachable service in the ranks of the Natal Police or the Permanent Force of the Natal Colonial Forces. A recipient who was subsequently awarded the
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...
, had to stop wearing the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.


Order of wear

In the order of wear prescribed by the British
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, or simply the Central Chancery, is an office of the Lord Chamberlain’s department within the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the administration of ...
, the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal) ranks on par with the United Kingdom's Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and the
Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) is a medal awarded to regular members of the armed forces. It was instituted by King George V in 1930 and replaced the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal as well as the Permanent For ...
. It takes precedence after the
Accumulated Campaign Service Medal The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 are medals awarded by King Charles III to members of his Armed Forces to recognise long campaign service. The original Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, inst ...
and before the
Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1830) The Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1830) of the United Kingdom was introduced in 1830 and ratified by King William IV of the United Kingdom, William IV in 1831. It could only be awarded to selected Navy ratings after altogether 21 y ...
.


South Africa

With effect from 6 April 1952, when a new South African set of decorations and medals was instituted to replace the British awards used to date, the older British decorations and medals applicable to South Africa continued to be worn in the same order of precedence but, with the exception of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, took precedence after all South African orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans on or after that date. Of the official British medals which were applicable to South Africans, the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal) takes precedence as shown.Government Notice no. 1982 of 1 October 1954 - ''Order of Precedence of Orders, Decorations and Medals'', published in the Government Gazette of 1 October 1954.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, * Preceded by the
Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Cape of Good Hope) In May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military medals and to award them to their local military forces. The Cape of Good Hope introduced this system in September 1895 and, in 1896, instituted the ...
. * Succeeded by the
Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal The Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal is a long service and good conduct medal, instituted for award to other ranks of the Permanent Forces of the Dominions and Colonies of the British Empire. The medal, also known as the Perm ...
.


Description

The medal was struck in silver and is a disk, in diameter and thick. The suspender is an ornamented scroll pattern swivelling type, affixed to the medal by means of a claw and a horizontal pin through the upper edge of the medal. On the Queen Victoria version, the suspender mount is a double-toe claw, while the King Edward VII version has a single-toe claw. ;Obverse The obverse of the Queen Victoria version of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal) is identical to that of the Queen Victoria version of the
Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
and shows a Trophy of Arms, incorporating a central shield bearing the Royal Coat of Arms, without any inscription. The King Edward VII version has the effigy of the King and is inscribed "EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR" around the perimeter. Both versions have a raised rim. ;Reverse The reverse of both versions is smooth with a raised rim and bears the inscriptions "NATAL" in a curved line at the top and "FOR LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT" in four straight lines in the centre. The inscriptions are underlined by three dots between two spear blades at the bottom. ;Ribbon While the ribbon of the British Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was plain crimson until mid-1916, the ribbon of the Natal medal is 32 millimetres wide and crimson, with a 4 millimetres wide light yellow band in the centre.


Discontinuation

Of the four Colonies which were to form the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Cape of Good Hope and the Colony of Natal adopted their own territorial versions of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The award of these medals was discontinued when the Union of South Africa was established in 1910 and began to award the
Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal The Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal is a long service and good conduct medal, instituted for award to other ranks of the Permanent Forces of the Dominions and Colonies of the British Empire. The medal, also known as the Perm ...
, instituted in that same year as a single common award for long service and good conduct in the Permanent Forces of the Dominions and Colonies.South African Medal Website – Union Defence Forces (1913–1939)
(Accessed 9 May 2015)


References

{{Efficiency and long service decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa Military decorations and medals of South Africa pre-1952 Long and Meritorious Service Medals of Britain and the Commonwealth Awards established in 1897 Colony of Natal