The Union Medal was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1952. It was awarded to Permanent Force members of the South African Defence Force for eighteen years of service and good conduct. The South African military The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994, it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Institution The Union Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 April 1952, during the Tercentenary Van Riebeeck Festival. Award criteria The medal could be awarded to Permanent Force members of the South African Defence Force for eighteen years of good service. A clasp could be awarded after thirty years of service. Order of wear With effect from 6 April 1952, when the Union Medal and several other new decorations and medals were instituted, these new awards took precedence before all earlier British orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans, with the exception of the Victoria Cross, which still took precedence before all other awards. The other older British awards continued to be worn in the order prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. The position of the Union 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 when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003. South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994 Official SADF order of precedence: Preceded by the Good Service Medal, Silver. Succeeded by the Permanent Force Good Service Medal. Official national order of precedence. This national precedence was in error in respect of the next lower medal as determined according to their dates of institution. It was corrected by 1994. Preceded by the Railways and Harbours Police Medal for Faithful Service. Succeeded by the Permanent Force Good Service Medal of 1961. (This is an error and should be the Railway Police Good Service Medal of 1960.) South African National Defence Force from 27