Honoris Crux

• Name — Honoris Crux (1952) • Presenter — the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms and, from 1961, the State President • Country — South Africa • Type — Military decoration for bravery • Eligibility — All Ranks • Awarded For — Gallantry in action against the enemy • Campaign — 1966-1989 Border War • Status — Discontinued in 1975 • Clasps — Bar for subsequent award • Post Nominals — HC • Established — 1952 • Firstawarded — 1973 • Lastawarded — 1975 • Total Awarded — 5 • Precedence Label — SADF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear • Higher — * SADF precedence: • Louw Wepener Decoration • SANDF precedence: • Gallantry Cross, Gold • Lower — * SADF succession: • Honoris Crux Silver • SANDF succession: • Honoris Crux Silver • Image2 — * Illustration — x29px • Caption2 — Ribbon bar

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).

The Honoris Crux of 1952, post-nominal letters HC, was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 April 1952, during the Tercentenary Van Riebeeck Festival.

With effect from 6 April 1952, when the Honoris Crux and several other new decorations and medals were instituted, these new awards took precedence before all earlier British orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans, with the exception of the Victoria Cross, which still took precedence before all other awards. The other older British awards continued to be worn in the order prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. The position of the Honoris Crux of 1952 in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals. These revisions took place upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994, and upon the institution of a new set of awards in 2003. • South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994: • Illustration — Louw Wepener Decoration (LWD) • Illustration — Honoris Crux (1952) (HC) • Illustration — Honoris Crux Silver (HCS) • Official SADF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Louw Wepener Decoration (LWD). • Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS). • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Railways Police Cross for Valour. • Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS). • South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: • Illustration — Gallantry Cross, Gold • Illustration — Honoris Crux (1952) (HC) • Illustration — Honoris Crux Silver (HCS) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Gallantry Cross, Gold of the Republic of Venda. • Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS) of the Republic of South Africa. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Railways Police Cross for Valour of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS) of the Republic of South Africa. The position of the Honoris Crux of 1952 in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted on 27 April 2003.

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 1 July 1975, when the Honoris Crux of 1952 was replaced by a new set of four Honoris Crux decorations, in four classes.

• Name — Rank — Year awarded — HC no. — Date of action — Unit — Service Arm • Möller, A.P. (Aap) — Capt — 1973 — 1 — 26-Jan-73 — 19 Sqn — South Africa • Heim, G.L. (Geoff) — Capt — 1974 — 2 — 18-Feb-74 — 16 Sqn — South Africa • Beukes, R.J. — Sgt — 1974 — 3 — 18-Feb-74 — 17 Sqn — South Africa • White, D.S. (Denzil) — Capt — 1975 — 4 — 7-Dec-74 — 19 Sqn — South Africa • Burger, J.A.C. — F Sgt — 1975 — 5 — 7-Dec-74 — 16 Sqn — South Africa