Silver Cross of Rhodesia
Encyclopedia
The Silver Cross of Rhodesia was Rhodesia
's second-highest military decoration
for conspicuous gallantry.
cross with an enamelled roundel in the centre bearing a lion
's head, suspended from a ribbon woven half-red and half blue, with green edges and narrow white stripes at the inner edge of the green. The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the reverse, and was awarded with a case of issue, miniature medal for wear, and an illuminated certificate.
in 1979 during the attempted assassination by the Rhodesian SAS
of the ZAPU insurgent leader Joshua Nkomo
. Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal letters
SCR.
, which is also awarded for conspicuous bravery, but which is open for award to civilians as well as military personnel.
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
's second-highest military decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
for conspicuous gallantry.
Institution
The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made in 1974. The last awards were made in June 1980.Medal
The medal was a sterling silverSterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
cross with an enamelled roundel in the centre bearing a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
's head, suspended from a ribbon woven half-red and half blue, with green edges and narrow white stripes at the inner edge of the green. The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the reverse, and was awarded with a case of issue, miniature medal for wear, and an illuminated certificate.
Recipients
A total of 34 awards of the Silver Cross of Rhodesia were made, two posthumously. Notable recipients included Martin Pearse, who was killed in LusakaLusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
in 1979 during the attempted assassination by the Rhodesian SAS
C Squadron 22 (Rhodesian) SAS
The Rhodesian Special Air Service or Rhodesian SAS refers to:*C Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment *"C" Squadron Special Air Service *1 Special Air Service Regiment...
of the ZAPU insurgent leader Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo was the leader and founder of the Zimbabwe African People's Union and a member of the Kalanga tribe...
. Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
SCR.
Zimbabwe
The Silver Cross of Rhodesia was superseded in October 1980 by the Silver Cross of ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, which is also awarded for conspicuous bravery, but which is open for award to civilians as well as military personnel.