Distinguished Gallantry Cross | |
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Awarded by the State President | |
Country | Bophuthatswana |
Type | Military decoration for bravery |
Eligibility | All Ranks |
Awarded for | Hair-raising deeds of distinguished heroism |
Status | Discontinued in 1994 |
Statistics | |
Established | 1982 |
BDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear | |
Next (higher) |
SANDF precedence:
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Next (lower) |
BDF succession:
SANDF succession:
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Ribbon bar |
The Distinguished Gallantry Cross was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982, for award to all ranks for hair-raising deeds of distinguished heroism.
The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The Distinguished Gallantry Cross was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It is the senior award of a set of two decorations for bravery, along with the Distinguished Gallantry Medal.
Bophuthatswana's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these two decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Louw Wepener Decoration and Louw Wepener Medal.
The decoration could be awarded to all ranks for hair-raising deeds of distinguished heroism.
Since the Distinguished Gallantry Cross was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date.