Legion of Merit (Rhodesia)


The Legion of Merit was a Rhodesian order of merit awarded to both civilian and military recipients for service to Rhodesia.

Institution

The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made the same year. The last awards were made in June 1980. The civil class was suspended from a green and gold ribbon. The military class differed by featuring a red stripe on the green and gold ribbon.

Classes

There were five classes of the order:
The incumbent President of Rhodesia served as Grand Master of the Legion of Merit. Recipients of the order were entitled to the post-nominal letters indicated above. It was retained by the government of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia as well, the President of that state also serving as Grand Master.

Zimbabwe

The Legion of Merit was superseded in April 1981 by the Zimbabwe Order of Merit, which is awarded to civilians as well as military personnel for eminent achievement and services to Zimbabwe.

Notable recipients

While the higher grades of the order were used almost exclusively by Ian Smith's Rhodesian Front government to reward political service, recipients of the lower and middle grades included a number of notable military leaders, community leaders and civil servants.

Grand Commanders

There were only 5 GCLMs:
RecipientOfficeNote
Ian SmithPrime Minister of Rhodesia
Clifford DupontPresident of RhodesiaAutomatically awarded GCLM on retirement from office.
John WrathallPresident of RhodesiaAutomatically awarded GCLM on retirement from office.
Gerald ClarkePrincipal Secretary to the Cabinet of Rhodesia
Josiah GumedePresident of Zimbabwe RhodesiaAutomatically awarded GCLM on retirement from office.

No GCLMs were ever awarded in the Military Division.

Grand Officers

There were 28 GLMs :

Commanders

There were 32 CLMs and 4 CLMs.

Others

There were 126 OLMs.
There were 35 OLMs and 10 OLMs .
There were 300 MLMs, 55 MLMs and 10 MLMs .