Gold Star for Bravery explained

Gold Star for Bravery
Presenter:the President
Country: South Africa
Type:Military decoration for bravery
Eligibility:Azanian People's Liberation Army cadres
Awarded For:Exceptional bravery in great danger
Campaign:The "struggle"
Status:Discontinued in 2003
Post-Nominals:GSB
Established:1996
Precedence Label:APLA 1996 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Higher:
Lower:

The Gold Star for Bravery, post-nominal letters GSB, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, who had distinguished themselves during the "struggle" by performing acts of exceptional bravery in great danger.[1]

Azanian People's Liberation Army

The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) was the para-military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). It was established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, the Azanian People's Liberation Army was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).[1] [2] [3]

Institution

The Gold Star for Bravery, post-nominal letters GSB, was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 1996. It is the senior award of a set of three decorations for bravery, along with the Bravery Star in Silver and the Star for Conspicuous Leadership.[1] [4]

The Azanian People's Liberation Army's military decorations and medals were modeled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Honoris Crux Gold, the Honoris Crux (1975) and the Pro Virtute Decoration.[1]

Award criteria

The decoration could be awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army who had distinguished themselves during the "struggle" by performing acts of exceptional bravery in great danger.[1]

Order of wear

The position of the Gold Star for Bravery in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged, as it had been until 26 April 2003.[5] [6]

Azanian People's Liberation Army:
South African National Defence Force:

Description

ObverseThe Gold Star for Bravery is a pair of silver-gilt five-pointed stars, superimposed one on the other, to fit inside a circle with a diameter of 38 millimetres and displaying a gold lion on a white enameled centre roundel.[1] [7]
RibbonThe ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and red, with a 12 millimetres wide white band in the centre.[1] [7]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Gold Star for Bravery was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of military honours on 27 April 2003.[6]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.geocities.ws/militaf/lib.htm South African Medals Website - Liberation armies
  2. Web site: Manifesto of Umkhonto we Sizwe . . 16 December 1961 . 2006-12-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061217090228/http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/manifesto-mk.html . 17 December 2006 . dead . dmy .
  3. Warrant of the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of the "UNITAS MEDAL-UNITAS-MEDALJE", Gazette no. 16087 dated 25 November 1994.
  4. http://www.geocities.ws/militaf/sapnls.htm#STU South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters
  5. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005,
  6. Presidential Warrant by the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of Honours for Bravery in the South African National Defence Force, Gazette no. 25213 dated 25 July 2003.
  7. Web site: Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Azanian Peoples Liberation Army (APLA) . 28 June 2014 . 16 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130916182839/http://www.army.mil.za/aboutus/uniform/formerforcesmedals/apla.htm . dead .