Bronze Cross of Rhodesia
Encyclopedia
The Bronze Cross of Rhodesia was a Rhodesia
n military decoration
for gallantry.
's head, suspended from a ribbon. The ribbons of the Bronze Cross differed in colour according to the service in which the recipient was enlisted; thus Army awards had a red ribbon with three white stripes; Air Force awards a purple ribbon with stripes and Guard Force awards a brown ribbon with stripes. 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.
B.C.R.
, which is awarded for conspicuous bravery, and which is open for award to civilians as well as military personnel.
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
n military decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
for gallantry.
Institution
The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made the same year. The last awards were made in June 1980.Medal
The medal was a bronze cross with an enamelled roundel in the centre bearing a lionLion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
's head, suspended from a ribbon. The ribbons of the Bronze Cross differed in colour according to the service in which the recipient was enlisted; thus Army awards had a red ribbon with three white stripes; Air Force awards a purple ribbon with stripes and Guard Force awards a brown ribbon with stripes. 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.
Recipients
A total of 131 awards of the Bronze Cross of Rhodesia were made, seven posthumously. Notable recipients included the author Alan Thrush and air force officer Norman Walsh. Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal lettersPost-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
B.C.R.
Zimbabwe
The Bronze Cross of Rhodesia was superseded in October 1980 by the Bronze Cross of ZimbabweBronze Cross of Zimbabwe
The Bronze Cross of Zimbabwe is a gallantry decoration that was instituted in 1980 to replace the Bronze Cross of Rhodesia. It forms part of the Zimbabwean honours system. Recipients of the Bronze Cross of Zimbabwe are entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters BCZ after their name. The...
, which is awarded for conspicuous bravery, and which is open for award to civilians as well as military personnel.