Navy Cross (South Africa)

The Navy Cross, post-nominal letters CN (Crux Navalis) is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to members of the South African Navy for bravery. It was discontinued in 2003, but backdated awards can still be made for acts of bravery during this period.[1]

Navy Cross
TypeMilitary decoration for bravery
Awarded forExceptional courage, leadership, or skill in dangerous or critical situations
Country  South Africa
Presented bythe State President and, from 1994, the President
EligibilitySouth African Navy members
Post-nominalsCN
StatusDiscontinued in 2003
Established1987
First awarded1991
Ribbon bar
SADF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
SADF precedence:
SANDF precedence:
Next (lower)
SADF succession:
SANDF succession:

The first award was made by the then Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral Robert Simpson-Anderson on 15 August 1994.[2]

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).[3][4][5]

Institution

The Navy Cross, post-nominal letters CN (Crux Navalis), was instituted by the State President in 1987.[3][6]

Award criteria

The cross was initially awarded for exceptional ingenuity, resourcefulness and skill, and extraordinary leadership, dedication, sense of duty and personal example and courage in mortal danger in non-combatant situations. After 1993 it was awarded for exceptional courage, leadership, skill, ingenuity or tenacity in dangerous or critical situations. A Bar, instituted in 1993, could be awarded in recognition of further similar displays of courage, leadership, skill, ingenuity or tenacity in danger.[5]

Order of wear
Main article: South African military decorations order of wear § Order of wear

The position of the Navy Cross 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 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.[7][8]

Official SANDF order of precedence
Official national order of precedence

Description
Obverse

The Navy Cross is a pointed cross, struck in silver, to fit in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with the South African Navy emblem in the centre on a navy blue roundel, 18 millimetres in diameter.[5]

Reverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number impressed underneath.[5]

Navy Cross and Bar
Bar

The Bar was struck in silver and has a Protea emblem embossed in the centre. The same Bar was used to indicate multiple awards of the Pro Virtute Medal, Army Cross, Air Force Cross, Navy Cross, Medical Service Cross, Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975).[9]

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and white, with a 12 millimetres wide Navy blue centre band.[5]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003.[4]

Recipients

Since inclusion in the table itself is impractical, the actions cited for follow below the table. The Ranks reflected are the final rank held by the recipient.

CN no. Name Rank Unit Date awarded
Barnard, LJ[2]WO222 Apr 1994
Doult, A[2]LS22 Apr 1994
Minnaar, S[lower-alpha 1][2]LT CDR18 Jun 1996
Wooding, L[2]S LT18 Jun 1996
Tancrel, CD[2]WO118 Jun 1996
Norman, DJH[2]CDR20 Sep 2000
Motsoenyane, F[2]PO20 Sep 2000
Swart, WP[2]LS20 Sep 2000
Palmer, JR[2]LT CDR29 Sep 2000
Stephenson, JD[2]WO229 Sep 2000
Hicks, NM[2]CPO29 Sep 2000
Jacobs, PL[2]CPO29 Sep 2000
Marnitz, RB[2]CPO29 Sep 2000
Nel, MFJ[2]CPO29 Sep 2000
Zarry, WS[2]CPO29 Sep 2000
Buys, AC[2]LS29 Sep 2000
Ferguson, SC[2]LS29 Sep 2000
Price, L[2]LS29 Sep 2000
Henderson, RW[2]CdrOC Diving School26 Oct 2001
Uys, JCI[2]S LT26 Oct 2001
Engelbrecht, JH[2]WO126 Oct 2001
Smith, NC[2]CPODiving School26 Oct 2001
Schoultz, CF[2]LS31 Dec 2001
Van wyk, H[2]LS31 Dec 2001
0013Schoeman, MF[lower-alpha 2][2]LT CDRSAS Galeshewe12 Jun 2003
Stander, A[2]WO113 Apr 2004
Prinsloo, A[2]WO213 Apr 2004
Jaffar, MN[2]CPO11 Aug 2004
Pronk, TP[2]CPO8 Jul 2006
Mahlwele, MD[2]PO8 Jul 2006
Hughes, RP[2]WO216 Feb 2007
Combrink, WW [lower-alpha 3]Cdr27 Dec 2007
Lewis, GSM[lower-alpha 4][2]WO2SAS Protea27 Dec 2007
-Frieslaar, J.M[lower-alpha 5]CPO27 Dec 2007
Williams, DC[lower-alpha 5][2]CPO27 Dec 2007

Actions cited for
  1. Minnaar, S. – Rescued two Reconnaissance Commando members in full kit, who fell overboard from their rubberduck when it capsized in 3 metre swells during a night exercise.[10]
  2. Schoeman, M. – Rescued a Zambian general, who fell overboard off the Navy's strike craft, SAS Galeshewe, at Seal Island near Cape Point in 2001. Lieutenant Schoeman, without hesitation, removed his shoes, jumped into the water and helped save the general who had knocked his head against the bulk of the ship and lost consciousness when he fell overboard.[11][12]
  3. Combrink, W. – Negotiated with an armed murderer, who had shot and killed two of his men, to hand himself over to Police.[13][14]
  4. Lewis, G.S. – Navigated a launch 40 kilometres to safety through rough seas in stormy weather.[13][14]
  5. Frieslaar and Williams – For exceptional duties performed during the fires of 2000.[15]

References
  1. South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters (Accessed 28 April 2015)
  2. Steyn, L (10 April 2019). "BRAVERY REWARDED – THE NAVY CROSS & NKWE YA BORONSE". SA Navy Museum. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975 (Accessed 30 April 2015)
  4. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
  5. South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1975-2003 (Accessed 30 April 2015)
  6. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
  7. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  8. Mussell, John W.; Editorial Team of Medal News (2004). Mackay, James (ed.). The Medal Yearbook 2004. Devon, UK: Token Publishing Ltd. p. 380. ISBN 978-1-870192-62-0.
  9. Harmse, J.J. (19 November 2006). "Navy honours reluctant hero". Die Burger. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013.
  10. News 24Archives - Navy bestows honours
  11. "Navy rewards bravery". Die Burger. 6 October 2003. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
  12. "Navy's 5 bravest honoured". Die Burger. 28 November 2008. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013.
  13. "Media Release". SA Navy Media Release. 26 November 2008.
  14. Janse van Rensburg, AB Phillip (2008). "Flag Officer Fleet's Medal Parade". Navy News. XVII (4): 12.
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