The Efficiency Decoration was a distinctive award to recognise long and meritorious service of at least twenty years as an officer

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

 in the volunteer Army

South African Army

The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...

 and Air Force

South African Air Force

The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...

 Citizen Force

Citizen Force

The Citizen Force was the name of the general military reserve force of several British Commonwealth countries.-Australian:Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and,...

 of the Union of South Africa

Union of South Africa

The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...

. It was instituted by a Royal Warrant

Royal sign-manual

The royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive actfor example, an...

 dated 29 December 1939, and was extended to the South African Naval Forces from 1942.

Description

The medal consisted of a silver oak wreath, tied with gold, with the Royal Crown and Cypher

Royal Cypher

In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...

 in the centre suspended from a silver bar-brooch by a 38 mm dark green ribbon with a 8 cm central yellow stripe. The bar-brooch bears the words UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA – UNIE VAN SUID-AFRIKA.

Wearing of ED and EM

An officer was permitted to wear both the ED and the EM

Efficiency Medal (South Africa)

The Efficiency Medal was approved by a Royal Warrant dated 29 December 1939, for award to men who had completed twelve years' qualifying service in the volunteer Army and Air Force Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa It was extended to the South African Naval Forces from 1942.Officers were...

, providing he had completed the service periods prescribed for both awards, ie a total of 32 years' service. War service, subject to certain conditions, was counted as double time.

Further service

Further awards of this decoration were denoted by a silver rose emblem.

This decoration was replaced in 1952 by the John Chard Decoration

John Chard Decoration

The John Chard Decoration was a South African military medal that was in use from 1952 to 2003. It was awarded to members of the Citizen Force who completed twenty years qualifying service, provided they had already earned the John Chard Medal...

which was awarded to both officers and men alike.

Further reading

• Monick, S, (1988). South African Military Awards 1912-1987. South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg.