Bravery Star in Silver
TypeMilitary decoration for bravery
Awarded forBravery
Country  South Africa
Presented bythe President
EligibilityAzanian People's Liberation Army cadres
Post-nominalsBSS
Campaign(s)The "struggle"
StatusDiscontinued in 2003
Established1996
Ribbon bar
APLA 1996 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
APLA precedence:
SANDF precedence:
Next (lower)
APLA succession:
SANDF succession:

The Bravery Star in Silver, post-nominal letters BSS, 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 bravery.[1][2]

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).[3][4]

Institution

The Bravery Star in Silver, post-nominal letters BSS, was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 1996. It is the middle award of a set of three decorations for bravery, along with the Gold Star for Bravery and the Star for Conspicuous Leadership.[1][2]

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][5]

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 bravery.[1]

Order of wear

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

The position of the Bravery Star in Silver 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.[5][6]

Azanian People's Liberation Army

Gold Star for Bravery (GSB) Bravery Star in Silver (BSS) Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL)

South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003

Cross for Bravery Bravery Star in Silver (BSS) Star for Bravery in Silver (SBS)

Description

Obverse

The Bravery Star in Silver is a pair of five-pointed stars, superimposed one on the other and struck in silver to fit inside a circle with a diameter of 38 millimetres, displaying a silver lion on a ruby red enameled centre roundel.[1][7]

Reverse

The reverse is smooth and displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and red, with a 12 millimetres wide gold band in the centre.[7]

Discontinuation

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

References

  1. ^ a b c d e South African Medals Website - Liberation armies (Accessed 30 April 2015)
  2. ^ a b South African Medals Website - Post-nominal Letters (Accessed 28 April 2015)
  3. ^ "Manifesto of Umkhonto we Sizwe". African National Congress. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original on 17 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b c d e Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Azanian Peoples Liberation Army (APLA)
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