Efficiency Medal (South Africa)

Efficiency Medal (South Africa)
King George VI version
Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India
Country	Union of South Africa
Type	Military long service medal
Eligibility	Part-time other ranks and some officers
Awarded for	Twelve years of efficient service
Status	Discontinued in 1952
Clasps	For further periods of 6 years service
Statistics
Established	1930
Last awarded	1952
South African order of wear
Next (higher)	Efficiency Decoration (South Africa)
Equivalent	Efficiency Medal Efficiency Medal (New Zealand)
Next (lower)	Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Ribbon Bar

The Efficiency Medal (South Africa) was instituted in 1930 for award to part-time warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men after twelve years of efficient service on the active list of the Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa. At the same time, a clasp was instituted for award to holders of the medal upon completion of further periods of six years of efficient service. The medal superseded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal.

The Efficiency Medal (South Africa) was superseded by the John Chard Medal in 1952.

In 1896, the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies was instituted by Queen Victoria. It was superseded by the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal in 1899.

The Efficiency Medal (South Africa) was instituted by Royal Warrant on 23 September 1930, as a long service award for part-time warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Citizen Force of the Union Defence Forces. At the same time, a clasp was instituted, for award to recipients of the medal upon completion of further periods of efficient service.

The medal bears a subsidiary title to denote that the recipient qualified for its award while serving in the Citizen Force in South Africa. The subsidiary title, in English and Afrikaans, is inscribed on a scroll bar attached to the medal suspender.

The similar award for officers was the Efficiency Decoration (South Africa).

The medal could be awarded to part-time warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men after twelve years of continuous efficient service as a volunteer on the active list of the Citizen Force. Service in West Africa, natives of West Africa and periods spent on leave excluded, and war service were reckoned two-fold as qualifying service for the medal. Service during the period from 3 September 1939 to 1 March 1950 inclusive need not have been continuous, while breaks in service under certain specified conditions, though not counting as qualifying service, were not considered as a break in the twelve years of continuous qualifying service for the medal.

Clasps could initially be awarded to holders of the medal upon completion of eighteen and twenty-four reckoned years of efficient service. This was amended on 26 August 1944 to authorise the award of additional clasps for each additional completed period of six years of efficient service after twenty-four years. When medals are not worn, recipients of clasps would wear a silver rosette on the ribbon bar to donate each clasp.