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The Korea Medal is a military campaign medal which was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1953. It was awarded to volunteers of the Union Defence Forces for service in Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
Section "Check for Pre-1999 Messages" - Unit members - From: "J. Bolitho" Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996
(Accessed 3 May 2015)
(Accessed 1 May 2015)
The position of the Korea Medal in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975, 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 and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003. Its position remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, upon the latter two occasions.
;South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
*Official SADF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Military Merit Medal (MMM).
** Succeeded by the Pro Patria Medal.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Decoration, Bronze.
** Succeeded by the South African Police Medal for Combating Terrorism.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.
** Succeeded by the Pro Patria Medal of the
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)
Korean War
The Flying Cheetahs, 2 Squadron of the South African Air Force, was South Africa's primary contribution to the United Nations Command during the Korean War, where it operated under American command. More than 200 officers and some 545 other ranks saw action in Korea between 1950 and 1953, along with some members from other branches of the Union Defence Forces. During the Korean War, South African pilots flew altogether 2,890 operational missions, during which 34 pilots and two ground crew were killed in action or listed as missing in action. Eight pilots were either shot down by Communist forces, or forced to land behind enemy lines and taken prisoner.(Accessed 3 May 2015)
Institution
The Korea Medal is a military campaign medal which was instituted byQueen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
in 1953.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour(Accessed 1 May 2015)
Award criteria
The Korea Medal was awarded to volunteers of all ranks of the Union Defence Forces who served in the Korean theatre of operations for one day or more, between 19 September 1950 and 27 July 1953 inclusive.Alexander, E.G.M., Barron, G.K.B. and Bateman, A.J. (1986). ''South African Orders, Decorations and Medals''. Human and Rousseau.Monick, S, (1988). ''South African Military Awards 1912-1987''. South African National Museum of Military History.Order of wear
The position of the Korea Medal in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975, 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 and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003. Its position remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, upon the latter two occasions.
;South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
*Official SADF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Military Merit Medal (MMM).
** Succeeded by the Pro Patria Medal.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Decoration, Bronze.
** Succeeded by the South African Police Medal for Combating Terrorism.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.
** Succeeded by the Pro Patria Medal of the Republic of South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.
** Succeeded by the Police Medal for Combating Terrorism of the Republic of South Africa.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005. In the document, the printed identification number is 9771682584003.
Description
;Obverse The Korea Medal was struck in silver, to fit in a circle 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick. Around the edge is a laurel wreath, the left branch spreading from the bottom of the medal to the top, while the right branch is shorter to allow space for the inscription "KOREA". The center has the words "VRYWILLIGERS" and "VOLUNTEERS", with outlines of the maps of the Korean Peninsula and South Africa, includingSouth-West Africa
South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...
. The maps are connected by a line with an arrowhead at each end and five wavy lines. Superimposed on the map of South Africa are the inscriptions "U. van S-A." and "U. of S.A.".
;Reverse
The reverse has the pre-1994 South African coat of arms and Queen Elizabeth II's royal cipher (E II R) above the coat of arms. The medal number is impressed at the bottom of the medal on the rim.
;Ribbon
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 6 millimetres wide orange band and a 5 millimetres wide dark blue band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 10 millimetres wide light blue band in the centre.
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Mentioned in dispatches
A recipient of the Korea Medal who wasmentioned in dispatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
during the Korean War, was entitled to wear a bronze oak leaf on the medal ribbon and ribbon bar.
References
{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa South Africa Awards established in 1953 Campaign medals South Africa–South Korea relations 1953 establishments in South Africa