Meritorious Conduct Medal

The Meritorious Conduct Medal was a Rhodesian military decoration for brave and gallant conduct.

Meritorious Conduct Medal
Ribbon of the medal
TypeMedal
Awarded forBrave and gallant conduct over and above the call of duty in a non-combatant capacity.
DescriptionBronze medal bearing a portrait of Cecil Rhodes.
EligibilityMembers of the Rhodesian police, security forces and civilians.
Post-nominalsM.C.M.
Campaign(s)Rhodesian Bush War.
ClaspsBronze clasp awarded for second award. No clasp ever awarded.
StatusAbolished in 1981.
Established1970
First awarded1970
Last awarded1979
Total93
Total awarded posthumously13
Total recipients92 + City of Umtali (now Mutare)
Precedence
Next (higher)Bronze Cross of Rhodesia
Next (lower)Rhodesia Prison Medal 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 December 1979.

Medal

The medal was a medal whose obverse was identical to the relief portrait of Cecil Rhodes on the Rhodesian General Service Medal but struck in bronze rather than cupro-nickel, with a blank reverse. The ribbon was purple.Meritorious Conduct Medal MCM The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the rim, and was awarded with a case of issue and miniature medal for wear.

Recipients

A total of 93 awards of the Meritorious Conduct Medal were made, thirteen posthumously.[1]: 48–50  Notable recipients included

  • The city of Umtali (now Mutare).
  • The crew members of Air Rhodesia Flight 825.
  • A police officer and three NCOs from the Rhodesian SAS killed when the explosive device they were transporting blew up prematurely.[2]
  • John M Harvey British South Africa Police

Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal letters M.C.M.

Zimbabwe

The Meritorious Conduct Medal was abolished in September 1981.[3] Its status as the most junior of the Republic of Zimbabwe's awards for gallantry was taken by the Bronze Cross of Zimbabwe, which is also awarded to civilians and members of the Zimbabwean armed forces and police officers, and has an identical plain purple ribbon.

References
  1. Saffery, David, ed. (2006). The Rhodesia Medal Roll. Chris Eason (Designer). United Kingdom: Jeppestown Press. ISBN 978-0955393600.
  2. "A rare posthumous Rhodesian Meritorious Conduct Medal pair awarded to Colour-Sergeant J. "Geordie" Wright, 'C' Squadron, Rhodesian Special Air Service Regiment". Dix Noonan Webb web site. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. Zimbabwe Government Statutory Instrument No. 677 of 1981, 14 September 1981.
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