Southern Cross Decoration

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).^[3][6][7]

The Southern Cross Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, was instituted by the State President on 1 July 1975.^[1][3]

The decoration could be awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for outstanding service of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty. A Bar was instituted in 1993, to be awarded in recognition of further similar displays of outstanding service of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty. The equivalent award for other ranks was the Pro Merito Decoration (PMD).^[1][3][4][5]

Although not prescribed, the practice was generally that recipients must already have received the Southern Cross Medal (SM).^[3]

The first recipient was Admiral Hugo Biermann SSA OBE GCIH, who received the decoration upon his retirement as Chief of the South African Defence Force in 1976.^[3]

The position of the Southern Cross Decoration 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 in 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 upon the institution of a new set of awards in 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.^[8][9]

Official SANDF order of precedence

• Preceded by the Pro Virtute Decoration (PVD).
• Succeeded by the Pro Merito Decoration (PMD).^[8][9]

Official national order of precedence

• Preceded by the Pro Virtute Decoration (PVD).
• Succeeded by the Pro Merito Decoration (PMD).^[8][9]