Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst
Encyclopedia
The Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst ("Decoration for Devoted Service") was a South African military decoration
. It was authorised on 21 December 1920, as a retrospective award for Boer
veterans of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). The DTD was granted, on application, to veterans who had rendered distinguished and especially meritorious service as officers in the Boer forces, and was equivalent to the British Distinguished Service Order
.
Neither of the Boer republics (the Orange Free State
and the South African Republic
) had had official honours systems of their own. The DTD was created to give the Boer veterans parity with their fellow-South Africans who had fought on the British side in the war.
The DTD is a silver medal. Both sides depict a cross, encircled by the words "Voor Trouwe Dienst 1899-1902". One side has the arms of the SAR in the centre of the cross, and the other side has the OFS arms. This enabled each recipient to wear the medal so as to display the arms of the state for which he had fought.
The ribbon, as worn by an SAR veteran, is red, green, blue, yellow, and white. An OFS veteran would have reversed the ribbon so that the white stripe was on the left.
Nearly 600 decorations were awarded.
South African military decorations
An overview of South African military decorations and medals, which form part of the South African honours system.-1894–1913:The colonial military forces received British military decorations in wartime. From 1894, the colonial governments awarded medals for distinguished conduct and for long...
. It was authorised on 21 December 1920, as a retrospective award for Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
veterans of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). The DTD was granted, on application, to veterans who had rendered distinguished and especially meritorious service as officers in the Boer forces, and was equivalent to the British Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
Neither of the Boer republics (the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
and the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
) had had official honours systems of their own. The DTD was created to give the Boer veterans parity with their fellow-South Africans who had fought on the British side in the war.
The DTD is a silver medal. Both sides depict a cross, encircled by the words "Voor Trouwe Dienst 1899-1902". One side has the arms of the SAR in the centre of the cross, and the other side has the OFS arms. This enabled each recipient to wear the medal so as to display the arms of the state for which he had fought.
The ribbon, as worn by an SAR veteran, is red, green, blue, yellow, and white. An OFS veteran would have reversed the ribbon so that the white stripe was on the left.
Nearly 600 decorations were awarded.
See also
- Medalje vir Troue DiensMedalje vir Troue DiensThe Medalje vir Troue Diens is a South African military medal. It was instituted with effect from 27 April 2003, and is awarded to members of the South African National Defence Force who complete ten years qualifying service and whose character and conduct have been irreproachable...
- British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
- South African military decorationsSouth African military decorationsAn overview of South African military decorations and medals, which form part of the South African honours system.-1894–1913:The colonial military forces received British military decorations in wartime. From 1894, the colonial governments awarded medals for distinguished conduct and for long...