Silver Cross of Rhodesia
The Silver Cross of Rhodesia was Rhodesia's second-highest military decoration for conspicuous gallantry. It was the equivalent of the Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Conduct Medal and Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, with all ranks eligible.
Silver Cross of Rhodesia
- Name
- Silver Cross of Rhodesia
- Period
- 1970
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
The Silver Cross of Rhodesia was Rhodesia's second-highest military decoration for conspicuous gallantry. It was the equivalent of the Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Conduct Medal and Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, with all ranks eligible.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Silver Cross of Rhodesia. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q7515993 · wikipedia · Silver Cross of Rhodesia
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Silver Cross of Rhodesia • Country — Rhodesia • Type — Military decoration • Awarded For — Conspicuous Gallantry • Status — Discontinued • Post Nominals — SCR • Established — 1970 • Firstawarded — 1974 • Lastawarded — 1980 • Total Awarded — 34 • Total Awarded Posthumously — 3 (Martin Pearse SAS, Bruce Thompson 2RAR and Bruce Snelgar 1RLI) • Higher — Conspicuous Gallantry Decoration • Lower — Bronze Cross of Rhodesia • Image2 Size — 100px • Caption2 — Ribbon of the Silver Cross
Institution
Institution
The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made in 1974. The last awards were made in June 1980.
Recipients
Recipients
A total of 34 awards of the Silver Cross of Rhodesia were made, three posthumously. Notable recipients included Martin Pearse, who was killed in Lusaka in 1979 during the attempted assassination by the Rhodesian SAS of the ZAPU insurgent leader Joshua Nkomo. Robert C. MacKenzie was awarded the medal in 1979 for his role in commanding the Beira fuel depot attack. Recipients were entitled to the post-nominal letters SCR.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
The Silver Cross of Rhodesia was superseded in October 1980 by the Silver Cross of Zimbabwe, which is also awarded for conspicuous bravery, but which is open for award to civilians as well as military personnel.
Medal
The medal was a sterling silver cross with an enamelled roundel in the centre bearing a lion's head, suspended from a ribbon woven half-red and half blue, with green edges and narrow white stripes at the inner edge of the green. The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the reverse, and was awarded with a case of issue, miniature medal for wear, and an illuminated certificate.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Rhodesia Medal Roll, p28
- 2.Africa Policy Information Centre. Invisible Crimes.
- 3.Zimbabwe Government Statutory Instrument No. 677 of 1981, 14 September 1981.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Medals
1,069 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- shoulder markTerminology
- Siachen Glacier MedalTerminology
- Sijil KemuliaanTerminology
- Silesian EagleTerminology
- silver medalTerminology
- Silver Medal for MeritTerminology
- Silver Medal of Military ValourTerminology
- Silver Service MedalTerminology
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with Silver Cross of Rhodesia?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.