South African Medal for War Services

• Name — South African Medal for War Services • Presenter — the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India • Country — South Africa Union of South Africa • Type — Service medal • Eligibility — Whether British subjects or not • Awarded For — Voluntary & unremunerated service • Campaign — Second World War 1939–1945 • Established — 1945 • Total Awarded — 17,500 • Precedence Label — Order of wear • Higher — Women's Royal Voluntary Service Medal • Lower — Colonial Special Constabulary Medal • Image2 — * Illustration — x29px • Caption2 — Ribbon bar

In addition to British war medals awarded to combatants from all members of the British Commonwealth, several Commonwealth nations augmented the British awards by establishing their own service medals, all distinctive in design, purpose and criteria. The South African Medal for War Services was instituted by a Royal Warrant dated 29 December 1945, countersigned and sealed at Cape Town on 6 February 1946.

In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the South African Medal for War Services takes precedence after the Women's Royal Voluntary Service Medal and before the Colonial Special Constabulary Medal.

On 6 April 1952 the Union of South Africa instituted its own range of decorations and medals. These new awards were worn 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. Of the official British medals applicable to South Africans, the South African Medal for War Services takes precedence as shown. • Illustration — Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal • Illustration — South African Medal for War Services • Preceded by the Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal.