Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Rhodesia, Meritorious Conduct Medal (Sen. D/O M. J. Shalovsky (Posthumous)) good very fine £260-£300

Medal for Meritorious Service, Civil [sic] Rhodesia Gazette 12 December 1979.

The above award was gazetted posthumously for Senior District Officer M. J. Shalovsky. "Mike" Shalovshy worked for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was serving as an Assistant District Commissioner at Mudzi. He was killed in a vehicle accident during Operation Hurricane on 4 November 1979. Shalovsky was driving a Puma in the dark when he hit another Puma that had been damaged by a land mine. The four passengers in Shalovsky’s vehicle survived, whilst he was killed on impact.

Despite the M.S.M. (Civil) being the gazetted award, Shalovsky’s family were issued with the Meritorious Conduct Medal (M.C.M.). Whether this was a case of the listing in the gazette being erroneous, or the issuance of the medal itself it is only possible to speculate. The medal appears, however, entirely as issued.

The Meritorious Conduct Medal was given for brave and gallant conduct over and above the call of duty in a non-combatant capacity. The award was open to civilians and members of the Security Forces.