The Cadet Corps Medal is a

military medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1966. It could be awarded to officers in the School Cadet Corps for twenty years efficient service. A clasp could be awarded after 30 years qualifying service.

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)
(Accessed 30 April 2015)

Institution

Prior to 1966, uniformed members serving in the Cadet Corps of the

South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...

were not rewarded for long and loyal service by means of a medal. The only existing medals for long service until then were the

Permanent Force Good Service Medal The Permanent Force Good Service Medal was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1961, when South Africa became a republic, to replace the Union Medal. It was awarded to Permanent Force members of the South African Defence Force for eig ...

and, for the Citizen Force, the

John Chard Decoration The John Chard Decoration, post-nominal letters JCD, was a military long service decoration which was instituted by the Union of South Africa on 6 April 1952. It was awarded to members of the Citizen Force of the South African Defence Force for ...

and John Chard Medal. The

De Wet Decoration The De Wet Decoration, post-nominal letters DWD, is a military long service decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1965. It could be awarded to members of the Commandos, the rural civil defence component of the South ...

for the Commandos was only instituted a year earlier, in 1965.Alexander, E.G.M., Barron, G.K.B. and Bateman, A.J. (1986). ''South African Orders, Decorations and Medals''. Human and Rousseau.Mackay, J., Mussel, J.W. (Editors). (2005). ''Medal Yearbook 2006'', Token Publishing Ltd., Devon.Monick, Dr S. (1995). ''Medal Publications Part III: A Study of South African Awards 1910–1994'', South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg.Monick, S. (1988). ''South African Military Awards 1912-1987''. South African National Museum of Military History. This was corrected on 19 August 1966, upon the institution of the Cadet Corps Medal by the State President. It was one of a few new decorations and medals which were introduced during the mid-1960s, in addition to the ten awards which had been instituted in 1952, to increase the range of possible awards for serving members.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour
(Accessed 1 May 2015)

Award criteria

The Cadet Corps Medal could be awarded to officers in the School Cadet Corps for twenty years efficient service, which did not have to be continuous. A clasp could be awarded after 30 years qualifying service. The first awards of the Cadet Corps Medal were promulgated in South African Defence Force Order 134/67 on 24 November 1967. After 1967, it was awarded to deserving officers in the Cadet Corps annually. In August 1976, the SADF transferred all serving officers in the Cadet Corps to either the Citizen Force or the Commandos. Since they now became eligible for the long service awards of either of these two elements of the Force, depending on which one they were integrated into, the requirement for the Cadet Corps Medal lapsed and it became obsolete. The award of the medal was consequently discontinued in respect of Cadet Corps officers who reached the qualifying period of service after August 1976. The final award of the Cadet Corps Medal was promulgated in 1978 in South African Defence Force General Order 60/78. Between 1967 and 1978, the Cadet Corps Medal was awarded to 95 officers. Three clasps to the Cadet Corps Medal were awarded, two in 1968 and one in 1971.

Order of wear

The position of the Cadet Corps Medal 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, DWDlint

;Official SANDF order of precedence: * Preceded by the

(DWD) of the Republic of South Africa. * Succeeded by the

Good Service Medal, Silver The Good Service Medal, Silver, originally named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Silver, is the middle member of a set of three South African military decorations, military medals which was instituted by the South Africa, Rep ...

of the Republic of South Africa. ;Official national order of precedence: * Preceded by the De Wet Decoration (DWD) of the Republic of South Africa. * Succeeded by the Good Service Medal, Silver of the Republic of South Africa.

Description

;Obverse The Cadet Corps Medal is a medallion struck in silver, 3 millimetres thick and 38 millimetres in diameter, with a raised rim, depicting the prancing springbok emblem of the School Cadet Corps of the South African Defence Force, surrounded by a wreath of proteas and inscribed "CADET CORPS MEDAL" at left and "KADETKORPSMEDALJE" at right. ;Reverse The reverse has a raised rim and displays the pre-2000 South African Coat of Arms. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with an 8 millimetres wide dark blue band and a 1½ millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 13 millimetres wide orange band. Orange, white and dark blue were the colours of the pre-1994 South African flag. ;Clasp The clasp was struck in silver and had the prancing springbok emblem embossed in the centre.

Status

The Cadet Corps Medal became obsolete in August 1976, when the Cadet Corps was absorbed into the Citizen Force and the Commandos. The medal was officially discontinued ten years later in 1986.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa 1966 establishments in South Africa Awards established in 1966 1986 disestablishments in South Africa Awards disestablished in 1986