George Cross, A Medal for Hero's
The Highest Award For Civilian Bravery
The George Cross was originally intended to be the civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross. The George Cross was instituted on Sept. 24, 1940 by King George V in recognition of the many acts of civilian bravery.
King George VI Institutes the George Cross
The King said, 'in order that they should be worthy and promptly recognised I have decided to create, at once, a new mark of honour for men and women in all walks of civilian life. I propose to give my name to this new distinction which will consist of the George Cross, which will rank next to the Victoria Cross and the George Medal for wider distribution.'
While the George Cross was originally intended as the equivalent to the Victoria Cross, the medal was later awarded to military personnel who carried out acts of bravery where direct enemy force was not involved.
The George Cross ranks second to the Victoria Cross in the wearing of medals and replaced the Empire Gallantry medal. All holders of the Empire Gallantry medal were instructed to exchange their medals for the George Cross. This was the first time that one award had been substituted with another. However, in 1971 holders of the Albert Medal and the Edward medal were invited to exchange their awards for the George Cross.
The Design of the George Cross
The medal was designed by Percy Metcalfe. The ribbon is dark blue and 1.5 inches (4cm) in width. The ribbon bar is distinguished by a small replica cross at the centre. In addition, bars are awarded to the holder of the George Cross in recognition to further acts of bravery, but to date no additional bars have been awarded.
The George Cross is made of silver with the words 'For Gallantry' engraved as described in the warrant and is struck by the Royal Mint. It is worn on the left breast in front of all other medals and orders with the exception of the Victoria Cross. Holders of the medal, not in uniform, wear the cross suspended from a blue bow below the left shoulder.
Institutional Recipients of the George Cross
The George Cross has also been awarded to 2 'institutes'. The Island of Malta was awarded the George Cross on April 15, 1942. The King wrote 'To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.'
On the advice of Government Ministers the Queen awarded the George Cross to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999 to honour the courage and dedication of police officers and their families during the troubles in Northern Ireland.
Sources
- GC-database.co.uk
- Imperial War Museum online
- BBC History on line
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
George Cross
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