Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver is the lesser of two classes of a South African civil decoration for acts of bravery. It replaced the [Union of South Africa Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver|King's Medal for Bravery|King's Medal for Bravery, Silver] and the Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver, the award of which was discontinued in South Africa in 1961.
Institution
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1970, by Warrant of 20 May 1970, published in Government Gazette no. 2718 dated 29 May 1970. The Warrant was amended twice, on 11 November 1971 and 30 May 1973, to expand the eligibility for the award.It is the lesser of two classes of South Africa's highest civilian decoration for bravery and it replaced and ranked on par with the King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver, the award of which was discontinued upon the establishment of the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961.
The decoration was named in memory of Wolraad Woltemade, an elderly servant of the Dutch East India Company, who gave his life while rescuing shipwrecked sailors in Table Bay on 1 June 1773. The ship De Jonge Thomas broke anchor in a gale force Northwestern and was driven ashore in the Salt River Mouth. Woltemade rode his horse into the sea seven times and brought surviving sailors ashore each time, but on the eighth excursion Woltemade and his exhausted horse were overladen by panic-stricken sailors and drowned.
Award criteria
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver could be awarded to South African citizens who performed acts of conspicuous bravery within or beyond the borders of the Republic of South Africa. The eligibility for award was subsequently expanded to non-citizens who have distinguished themselves in this manner in the Republic or in territories belonging to or administered by the Republic, or who elsewhere and in the face of extreme danger have saved the lives of South African citizens or protected property belonging to the Republic or endeavoured to do so.The decoration was, like the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver, mainly intended for civilians and its award to members of the uniformed services was restricted to acts of gallantry for which the decorations of the services are not normally awarded.
Order of wear
The position of the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver in the official national order of precedence was revised three times after 1990 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration process of 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory para-military forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again with the institution of new sets of awards in 2002 and 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.- Preceded by the Louw Wepener Decoration.
- Succeeded by the South African Police Cross for Bravery.
Description
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Discontinuation
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was discontinued in 1988, when it was replaced by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery, Silver.Recipients
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was awarded 44 times.1973
- Le Roux, Johannes Lodewikus — died helping two fellow schoolchildren to escape from a bus trapped in the path of an oncoming train at Henley on Klip
- Kolver, Johannes Petrus — rescued a man from the jaws of a crocodile in the Kruger National Park
- Olivier, Louis Pieter — rescued a man from the jaws of a crocodile in the Kruger National Park
- Marais, Andries Josephus — saved someone from a shark attack
- Taylor, Wendy Lorraine — saved two children from drowning in the sea at Glenmore Beach
- Cooke, James Edward — laid demolition charges on the burning oil tanker Castillo de Bellver
- De Beer, Frederick Coenrad — laid demolition charges on the burning oil tanker Castillo de Bellver
- Gardner, Michael John Andrew — landed a helicopter on the burning oil tanker Castillo de Bellver to rescue a trapped seaman
- Labuschagne, Casper Jeremiah — landed a helicopter on the burning oil tanker Castillo de Bellver to rescue a trapped seaman
- Winson, Alan Robert — landed a helicopter on the burning oil tanker Castillo de Bellver to rescue a trapped seaman
- Alexander, William Robert — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Botha, Johannes Jurgens — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Bouwer, Izak Zierk — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Brodie, James McKenzie — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- De Kooker, Bernadus Theodorus — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Gordon, John James — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen, Ockert Machiel — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Lourens, Dirk Johannes — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Nell, Kenneth Roy — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Roelofse, Adriaan Christiaan — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Schuman, Lucas — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Steyn, Petrus Jacobus — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Swanepoel, Christiaan Jacobus — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Van Aswegen, Willem Herklaas — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Van der Walt, Gert Albertus — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
- Van Deventer, Catrina Jacoba — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Van Lelyveld, Martin Ernest — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Van Wyk, Stephanus Johannes — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Viljoen, Coenraad Rudolf — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Waldeck, Petrus Gerhardus — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- Wehmeyer, Matthys Louis — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
- McDonald, Victoria Petronella Martina — saved a friend from an attacker with a knife at Temba
- April, James
- Du Plessis, Andrew John — saved a woman from drowning in the sea at Llandudno
- Hutchison, Jonathan Roger — saved a child from drowning in the sea at Ballito bay
- Anthony, James John Rodger — died trying to save Rene and Karin Idas from drowning at Silwerstroom Beach
- Idas, Rene Edwina — saved her sister Karin, and tried to save Rodger Anthony, from drowning at Silwerstroom Beach
- Idas Karin Belinda — saved her sister Rene, and tried to save Rodger Anthony, from drowning at Silwerstroom Beach
- Canfield, Shahied — rescued a baby from a burning house in Bonteheuwel
- Klein, Yolande Anushka — saved her younger brother from electrocution
- Nkabinde, Goodwill — rescued four handicapped children from a burning bus in Johannesburg
- Oelofse, Nicolaas Jacobus — rescued two children from a burning car near Ventersdorp
- Crous, Derek — rescued two children from a burning car near Ventersdorp
- Hattingh, Barry Arnold — rescued a woman from a burning car seconds before it exploded