The Van Riebeeck Medal, post-nominal letters VRM, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tran ...

in 1952. It was awarded to other ranks for distinguished service in the field.

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)

Institution

The Van Riebeeck Medal, post-nominal letters VRM, was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 April 1952, during the

Tercentenary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

Van Riebeeck Festival.South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters
(Accessed 28 April 2015)CometoCapeTown.com Blast from the past – Van Riebeeck festival in 1952
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
/ref>
(Accessed 1 May 2015)

Award criteria

The medal could be awarded to other ranks of the South African Defence Force for distinguished service against an enemy in the field. The medal is the other ranks' equivalent of the Van Riebeeck Decoration (DVR) for officers and is identical in design. Only five decorations were ever awarded. A silver bar was authorised to denote a second award, but was never awarded.

Order of wear

With effect from 6 April 1952, when the Van Riebeeck Medal and several other new decorations and medals were instituted, these new awards took precedence before all British decorations and medals which had earlier been awarded to South Africans, 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 ...

, which still took precedence before all other awards. The other older British awards continued to be worn in the order 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 ...

. (Access date 14 April 2015)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. The position of the Van Riebeeck 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 in April 1996, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted 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 finally upon the institution of a new set of awards on 27 April 2003. ;South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994: PMDlint

*Official SADF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the

Pro Merito Decoration The Pro Merito Decoration, post-nominal letters PMD, is a military decoration for merit 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 outstanding servi ...

(PMD). ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM). *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Medal for Distinguished Service, Gold (OO). ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM).Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993 ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: Ribbon - Sandile Decoration

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the

Sandile Decoration The Sandile Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for meritorious service.Republic of Ciskei. ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM) of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Service Star for Distinction (PSD) of the Republic of Ciskei. ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM) of the Republic of South Africa.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, ;South African National Defence Force from April 1996: Ribbon - Gold Decoration for Merit

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Gold Decoration for Merit (GDM) of the

. ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM) of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Service Star for Distinction (PSD) of the Republic of Ciskei. ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM) of the Republic of South Africa. ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003: *Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM) of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Service Star for Distinction (PSD) of the Republic of Ciskei. ** Succeeded by the Louw Wepener Medal (LWM) of the Republic of South Africa.

Description

;Obverse The Van Riebeeck Medal was struck in silver and is in the shape of the five-pointed outline of the

Castle of Good Hope The Castle of Good Hope ( nl, Kasteel de Goede Hoop; af, Kasteel die Goeie Hoop) known locally as the Castle or Cape Town Castle is a bastion fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of T ...

, to fit in a circle 38 millimetres in diameter. The suspension consists of a cluster of eight protea leaves. The statue of Jan van Riebeeck, which stands in the Heerengracht in Cape Town, is depicted in relief against a background of three rings, representing Van Riebeeck's three ships, with the outer ring inscribed "UITNEMENDE DIENS" at left and "DISTINGUISHED SERVICE" at right.Monick, S, (1988). ''South African Military Awards 1912-1987''. South African National Museum of Military History. ;Reverse The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. Specimens which were struck before 31 May 1961, had Queen Elizabeth II's royal cipher (E II R) above the coat of arms. The royal cypher was removed when these medals were first awarded in 1974, but a ghost image is still visible on some, such as on the reverse of the miniature medal depicted. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and sky blue, with a 6 millimetres wide white band in the centre. ;Bar A silver bar was authorised to denote a second award of the Van Riebeeck Medal, but was never awarded. The bar displayed an embossed field cannon in its centre. When ribbons alone are worn, a button displaying a field cannon would have been worn on the ribbon bar.

Discontinuation

The Van Riebeeck Medal was discontinued in July 1975, when the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised and some of the 1952 series of decorations and medals were replaced with new awards.

Recipients

The Van Riebeeck Medal was only awarded to five individuals, all to Navy and Special Forces personnel for an operation in Tanzania in 1974. Note 1: ♠ Conradie was also awarded the HC in 1975.
Note 2: On 1 November 1993, WO1 J.J. Moorcroft was appointed

Sergeant Major of the Army The Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) is a unique non-commissioned rank and position of office in the United States Army. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted soldier in the Army, unless an enlisted soldier is servi ...

, a post he held until 30 May 2001.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa 1952 establishments in South Africa Awards established in 1952