The SADF Champion Shot Medal is a military medal which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1975. It was awarded to the champion shots of the annual South African Defence Force Shooting Championships in the categories of full-bore, small-bore, service shooting and pistol. The medal could be won multiple times, with each subsequent award indicated by a bar.South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1975-2003 (Accessed 30 April 2015)
Institution The SADF Champion Shot Medal, which replaced the Commandant General's Medal, was instituted by the State President by Warrant dated 1 October 1975, published in Government Gazette no. 4874 dated 17 October 1975.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 4874, Pretoria, 17 October 1975.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour (Accessed 1 May 2015)
Award criteria From 1976, four medals were awarded annually to the champion shots of the South African Defence Force Shooting Championships in the categories of full-bore, small-bore, service shooting and pistol respectively. The medal could be won multiple times and each subsequent award was indicated by the addition of a Bar. Champions who had already been awarded the defunct Commandant General's Medal were awarded Bars to add to their existing medal.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - South Africa - South African Defence Force - The SADF Champion Shot Medal (Retrieved 11 February 2015)
Order of wear
The position of the SADF Champion Shot Medal in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, again in April 1996 when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again upon the institution of a new set of awards on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005.
Official SANDF order of precedence Preceded by the Commandant General's Medal of the Republic of South Africa. Succeeded by the National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal of the Republic of South Africa.
Official national order of precedence Preceded by the Commandant General's Medal of the Republic of South Africa. Succeeded by the National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal of the Republic of South Africa.
Description Obverse The SADF Champion Shot Medal is a medallion struck in silver, 3 millimetres thick at the centre and 38 millimetres in diameter, depicting the five-pointed outline of the Castle of Good Hope, with a laurel between the two points at the bottom and proteas between the others. A roundel in the centre has two crossed rifles over a shooting target, with a shooting range in the background. It is inscribed "SAW KAMPIOENSKUT-MEDALJE" and "SADF CHAMPION SHOT MEDAL" below the target, each language in two lines. The suspender is decorated with protea leaves.South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975 (Accessed 30 April 2015)
Reverse The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms and the medal number is impressed at the bottom of the medal on the rim.SADF Champion Shot Medal picture
Ribbon The ribbon is the same as for the Commandant General's Medal, 32 millimetres wide, with a 6 millimetres wide light blue band and a 7 millimetres wide dark orange band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide navy blue band in the centre. Dark orange, light blue and navy blue are the colours of the three Arms of the Service, the South African Army, the South African Air Force and the South African Navy.
Bar The Bar is of silver and has a shooting target embossed in the centre. When ribbons alone are worn, separate circular buttons are worn on the ribbon bar to denote each subsequent award of the medal.
Discontinuation Conferment of the medal was discontinued in respect of championships on or after 27 April 2003.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 26778, Pretoria, 17 September 2004 No new medal was instituted to replace it.
Recipients The champions from 1976 to 1986 are listed in the table. An award of a bar to a recipient of the defunct Commandant General's Medal is denoted by "(CGM)" after his surname. YearRankInitialsSurnameServiceArm1976MajA.L.van Graan (CGM)SA Army1976CaptS.D.van NiekerkSA Army1976S SgtJ.A.van RhynSA Army1976CmdtD.BadenhorstSAAF1977CaptL.A.TerblancheSA Army1977S SgtJ.A.van RhynSA Army1977CplJ.D.BerrySA Army1977CmdtD.BadenhorstSAAF1978MajC.F.SchoemanSA Army1978MajS.P.BezuidenhoutSA Army1978SeaW.BoschSAN1978S LtG.de VriesSAN1979CaptL.A.TerblancheSA Army1979ColC.H.le RouxSA Army1979CplH.F.P.RautenbachSA Army1979F SgtP.WeepnerSAAF1980MajE.M.MaloneSA Army19802 LtG.S.PotgieterSA Army1980COP.BothaSA Army1980CplJ.H.J.WesselsSA Army1981S SgtA.P.van NiekerkSA Army1981COP.BothaSA Army1981MajE.M.MaloneSA Army19812 LtG.S.PotgieterSA Army1983BrigA.P.MollerSA Army1983PteL.J.DriskelSA Army1983CaptG.S.PotgieterSA Army1983CmdtE.M.MaloneSA Army1984ColG.A.van ZylSA Army1984CplP.J.KorkleSA Army1984RfnB.G.EnslinSA Army1984WO2P.WeepnerSAAF1985CaptG.J.P.BurgerSAN1985RfnI.CookSA Army1985COG.C.O.LandmanSA Army1985WO1P.WeepnerSAAF1986PteM.J.van WykSA Army1986SgtF.A.WoodrupSAAF1986WO2N.M.B.van DeventerSA Army1986ColC.H.le RouxSA Army
References