Louw Wepener Decoration

• Name — Louw Wepener Decoration • 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 — Acts of the most conspicuous courage or greatest heroism • Status — Discontinued in 1975 • Clasps — Bar for subsequent award • Post Nominals — LWD • Established — 1952 • Firstawarded — 1961 • Lastawarded — 1974 • Total Awarded — 7 • Total Awarded Posthumously — 2 • Precedence Label — SADF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear • Higher — * SADF precedence: • Star of South Africa • SANDF precedence: • Star of South Africa • Lower — * SADF succession: • Honoris Crux (1952) • SANDF succession: • Distinguished Gallantry Cross • 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 Louw Wepener Decoration, post-nominal letters LWD, was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 April 1952, during the Tercentenary Van Riebeeck Festival. From 1967, it was the senior of a set of two decorations for bravery, along with the Louw Wepener Medal which was instituted in that year.

With effect from 6 April 1952, when the Louw Wepener Decoration and several other new decorations and medals were instituted, these new awards took precedence before all earlier British 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 Louw Wepener Decoration in the official order of precedence was revised to accommodate the inclusion of the decorations and medals of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei, upon their integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994. • South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994: • Illustration — Star of South Africa (1952) (SSA) • Illustration — Louw Wepener Decoration (LWD) • Illustration — Honoris Crux (1952) (HC) • Official SADF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Star of South Africa (SSA). • Succeeded by the Honoris Crux (1952) (HC). • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Decoration for Distinguished Leadership (OD). • Succeeded by the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver (WDS). • South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: • Illustration — Star of South Africa (1952) (SSA) • Illustration — Louw Wepener Decoration (LWD) • Illustration — Distinguished Gallantry Cross • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Star of South Africa (SSA) of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Distinguished Gallantry Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Department of Correctional Services Star of Excellence (SPA) of the KwaZulu Homeland. • Succeeded by the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver (WDS) of the Republic of South Africa. The position of the Louw Wepener Decoration in the order of wear remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were instituted for Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army in April 1996, and 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 a new set of decorations and medals was instituted.

• LWD no. — Name — Rank — Service Arm — Unit — Date awarded • Nel, D.vZ. — data-sort-value="10"|2 Lt — SA Army — SSB • van Aswegen, W.A.G. (Willem) — data-sort-value="15"|Sgt — SA Army — SSB • Stephens, F.P. — data-sort-value="15"|Sgt — SA Army — SACMP • van Wyk, H.H. — data-sort-value="18"|Rfn — SA Army — 1 SAI • van Heerden, J.H. — data-sort-value="6"|Cmdt — SA Army — Middle Karoo Commando • Britz, J.P. — data-sort-value="7"|Maj — SAAF — 1 Sqn • Zeelie, F.J. — data-sort-value="9"|Lt — SA Army — 1 RR Note 1: denotes a posthumous award.