Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces the Security Forces. The first King's Medal Competition in the Union of South Africa was held in 1924 and the first medal to a South African was won by G.W. Church of the 7th Infantry (Kimberley Regiment). The competition did not take place in 1926 and was interrupted from 1940 to 1947 by the Second World War. The last medal was awarded in 1961, the year that South Africa became a republic. From 1962, the British medal was replaced by the Commandant General's Medal (), which could be awarded to champions from any of the three Arms of the Service.
Silver Medal for Merit Silver Medal for Merit The Silver Medal for Merit, post-nominal letters SMM, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty during the "struggle". The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) was the para-military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). It was established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, the Azanian People's Liberation Army