| Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver | |
| Presenter: | the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India |
| Country: |  South Africa |
| Type: | Civil decoration for bravery |
| Eligibility: | South African citizens |
| Awarded For: | Acts of conspicuous bravery |
| Status: | Discontinued in 1952 |
| Established: | 1939 |
| Total Awarded: | 34 |
| Precedence Label: | British & South African orders of wear |
| Higher: | |
| Same: | Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver |
| Lower: | |
The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver is the lesser of two classes of a South African civil decoration for acts of bravery that was in use from 1939 to 1952, when the country was a constitutional monarchy in the British Commonwealth. The medal was instituted by King George VI on 23 June 1939.[1] [2]
The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver, the lesser of two classes of South Africa's highest civilian decoration for bravery, was instituted by Royal Warrant of 23 June 1939, published in Government Gazette no. 2671 dated 25 August 1939, and amended by Royal Warrants of 18 February 1947, 24 October 1949 and 17 October 1950.[1]
The medal was awarded to recognise gallantry performed in the face of imminent and obvious peril by those residents of the Union of South Africa or its dependent territories who endangered their own lives in the act of saving, or endeavouring to save, the lives of others.[1]
Although it was primarily a civilian award, it was also granted to military personnel for non-combatant acts of gallantry during the Second World War.[2] [3]
In the British order of precedence, the Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver ranks as a third level decoration, equivalent to the Queen's Gallantry Medal. It is preceded by the Indian Distinguished Service Medal and succeeded by the Distinguished Service Medal.
In South Africa, the medal is ranked as a second level decoration and, despite its status, it has no post-nominal letters. It is preceded by the Louw Wepener Decoration and succeeded by the South African Police Cross for Bravery.[4]
Upon the accession to the British Throne of Queen Elizabeth II on 15 December 1952, the Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver was discontinued and replaced by the Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver.[1]
The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver was awarded to altogether thirty-four individuals, of whom eighteen were military personnel.[1] [2]
| Title/ Rank | Name | Gazette date | Action cited for | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr | Dalling, William Tweeddale | Tried to save a black man in a rock-burst, Rose Deep Mine | ||
| 2 | Mr | Nourse, Dennis | Saved a man from being savaged by a shark, Warner Beach, Natal | ||
| 3 | Mr | Moubray, Robert John | Jumped down a 50 feet waterfall near Tzaneen to save a friend, who had fallen and struck his head, from drowning in the pool below | ||
| 4 | Mr | Van den Berg, Michael Adriaan | Saved an injured miner despite ignited dynamite fuses, Venterspost Gold Mine | ||
| 5 | Mr | Givana, son of Siqwayini | Assisted Mr. M.A. van den Berg in the aforementioned rescue, Venterspost Gold Mine | ||
| 6 | Mr | Snell, Hendrik | Tried to save the pilot in a crashed and burning aircraft, Landsdowne Road, Cape Town | ||
| 7 | data-sort-value="09" | Lt | Rabe, Arnold (SAAF) | Saved a pilot from a burning aircraft | |
| 8 | data-sort-value="14" | T/F Sgt | Brady, Martin Wilson Taylor Bellingham (SAAF) | Saved a pilot from a burning aircraft, Youngsfield Base, Cape Town | |
| 9 | data-sort-value="11" | Pupil Pilot | De Jong, Daniel Nicholaas (SAAF) | Saved his instructor from a burning aircraft, Standerton | |
| 10 | data-sort-value="10" | T/2 Lt | Fowles, Geoffrey Turner (SAAF) | Saved a pilot from a burning aircraft, Pietersburg | |
| 11 | data-sort-value="18" | A/M | Botes, Rudolph Daniel (SAAF) | Attempted to save the crew of a burning aircraft, Wingfield, Cape Town | |
| 12 | Mr | Mpotu | Saved a miner in the face of exploding dynamite, Venterspost Gold Mine | ||
| 13 | data-sort-value="16" | A/Cpl | Faul, Joseph Piek (SAAF) | Tried to save a man overcome by fumes in the fuel tank of a Catalina aircraft | |
| 14 | data-sort-value="08" | T/Capt | Fisher, H.S. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 at the Grand Magazine, Pretoria | |
| 15 | data-sort-value="08" | T/Capt | Warner, A.L.H. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 16 | data-sort-value="09" | T/Lt | Solomon, H.I. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 17 | data-sort-value="13" | T/WO2 | Bruyns, H.C. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 18 | data-sort-value="13" | WO2 | Murcia, L. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 19 | data-sort-value="14" | T/S Sgt | Du Plessis, P.F. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 20 | data-sort-value="15" | Sgt | Pentz, C. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 21 | data-sort-value="17" | L Cpl | Seholi, Peter (UDF) | Rescued two men, gassed in a sewer, Maitland, Cape Town | |
| 22 | data-sort-value="15" | Sgt | Ferreira, I.M. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 23 | data-sort-value="15" | Sgt | Bronkhost, N.J. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 24 | data-sort-value="16" | T/Cpl | Breet, W.S. (UDF) | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | |
| 25 | Mr | Theron, Marthinus Jacobus | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 26 | Mr | Hall, John Bassett | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 27 | Mr | Sehlogo, Andries | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 28 | Mr | Nel, Frederick | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 29 | Mr | Clark, Edward George | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 30 | Mr | Snyder, Erle Snider | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 31 | Mr | Mpye, Amos | Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 | ||
| 32 | data-sort-value="17" | AB | Adlam, H.S.J. (SANF (V)) | Saved a black man from the sea and sharks, Durban | |
| 33 | Mr | Lewis, Peter Thomas | Saved a child from the path of a railway locomotive, Pretoria | ||
| 34 | Master | Hart, Jack Jacobus | At age 14, rescued a child from a burning garden hut, Johannesburg | ||