George Cross Database

In 1940, King George VI felt the need to formally recognise individual acts of outstanding bravery by the civilian population during the Blitz - Nazi Germany's bombing campaign against British cities. He decided to create an award for the men and women of the Commonwealth whose courage could not be marked by any other honour.

There existed many decorations and medals instituted by the King's predecessors for the reward of gallantry and/or meritorious conduct, but these, by their terms of reference, were largely restricted to members of the armed forces. It was to meet this evident need that the King instigated the George Cross and George Medal, the result of long deliberation and much careful study, both as to eligibility and design.

The decoration consists of a plain silver cross, with the Royal cipher "GVI" in the angle of each limb. In the centre is a circular medallion showing St. George and the Dragon, and surrounded by the inscription, "For Gallantry". The reverse is plain and bears the name of the recipient and the date of the award. The George Cross, which is worn before all other decorations except the Victoria Cross, is suspended from a dark blue ribbon threaded through a bar adorned with laurel leaves.

Ladies not in uniform wear the George Cross, suspended from a wide bow of dark blue ribbon, below the left shoulder. Recipients are permitted to use the post-nominal letters "GC" after their name. Although it’s award is recommended by the Prime Minister, the decoration is bestowed by the Sovereign.

The King announced the creation of the George Cross in a broadcast to Britain and the Empire on the 23rd September 1940. In his speech the King said:

"In order that they should be worthily 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." The formal announcement of the new award appeared the following day. The Royal Warrent (see below) was published in the London Gazette on 31st January 1941.

The decoration is only awarded "for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger". It has been awarded directly to 154 people, 84 posthumously, and was bestowed on over 100 recipients during the Second World War. As in the case of Island of Malta in 1942 and the award to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999, the decoration may be awarded collectively.

During World War Two there were instances when it was not easy to decide whether a Victoria Cross or a George Cross was the more appropriate award. The George Cross and George Medal were intended primarily to reward civilian bravery, but as many members of the armed forces were unavoidably engaged in work not appropriate for strictly military awards, they became eligible for the GC and GM. Consequently, 78 of the first 100 awards were made to members of the armed forces. Of the 156 direct awards of the George Cross made to the present day, only 49 have actually gone to civilians. The George Cross and a Commendation for Bravery were the only posthumous civilian awards until November 1977.

In addition to the direct awards of the George Cross there have been 245 exchanges from existing gallantry awards to the George Cross. At the time of its inception, 108 living recipients and the next-of-kin of a further 4 posthumous recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal exchanged their decoration for the GC, at which point the EGM became obsolete. In 1971 surviving holders of the Albert Medal (65) and Edward Medal (68) were also invited to exchange their decoration for the George Cross.

Some recent awards:

Air Stewardess Barbara Harrison who was posthumously honoured in 1969 who helped many passengers escape after a fire crippled a BOAC jet at Heathrow airport before perishing in the wreck.

Several soldiers serving in Northern Ireland have received the George Cross, including in 1979, Captain Robert Nairac for exceptional courage and acts of the greatest heroism.

In 1990, bomb disposal expert Warrant Officer Barry Johnson was recognised for an attempt to defuse a mortar bomb in Londonderry which left him seriously injured.

A posthumous award was made in 1992 to Sergeant Stewart Guthrie of the New Zealand Police, who displayed bravery and courage attempting to apprehend a gunman in the town of Aramoana.

On 31st October 2003, 19 year-old Trooper Christopher Finney of the Blues and Royals was awarded the GC for outstanding bravery after a 'friendly-fire' incident near Basrah in Iraq. The award was published in the London Gazette on 31st October 2003

The George Cross Warrants

The George Cross was instituted by a Royal Warrant dated 24th September 1940, and published in the London Gazette of 31st January 1941 as follows :

"GEORGE R.I.

WHEREAS We have taken into Our Royal consideration the many acts of heroism performed both by male and female persons, especially during the present war:

And whereas We are desirous of honouring those who perform such deeds:

We do by these presents for Us, Our Heirs and Successors institute and create a new Decoration which We desire should be highly prized and eagerly sought after.

First: It is ordained that the Decoration shall be designated and styled "The George Cross".

Secondly: It is ordained that the Decoration shall consist of a plain cross with four equal limbs, the cross having in the centre a circular medallion bearing a design showing St. George and the Dragon, that the inscription "For Gallantry" shall appear round this medallion, and in the angle of each limb of the cross the Royal cypher "G.VI" forming a circle concentric with the medallion, that the reverse of the Cross shall be plain and bear the name of the recipient and the date of the award, that the Cross shall be suspended by a ring from a bar adorned with laurel leaves, and that the whole shall be in silver.

Thirdly: It is ordained that the persons eligible for the Decoration of the Cross shall be

(1) Our faithful subjects and persons under Our protection in civil life, male and female, of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India, Burma, Our Colonies, and of Territories under Our Suzerainty, Protection or Jurisdiction,

(2) Persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of India, of Burma, of Our Colonies, and of Territories under Our Suzerainty, Protection or Jurisdiction, including the Home Guard and in India members of Frontier Corps and Military Police and members of Indian States' Forces and in Burma members of the Burma Frontier Force and Military Police, and including also the military Nursing Services and Women's Auxiliary Services,

(3) Our faithful subjects and persons under Our protection in civil life, male and female, within, and members of the Naval, Military or Air Forces belonging to, any other part of Our Dominions, Our Government whereof has signified its desire that the Cross should be awarded under the provisions of this Our Warrant, and any Territory being administered by Us in such Government.

The Cross is intended primarily for civilians and award in Our military services is to be confined to actions for which purely military Honours are not normally granted.

Fourthly: It is ordained that awards shall be made only on a recommendation to Us, for civilians by Our Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, and for Officers and members of Our Naval, Military or Air Forces, as described in the previous Clause of this Our Warrant, only on a recommendation by Our First Lord of the Admiralty, Our Secretary of State for War or Our Secretary of State for Air, as the case may be.

Fifthly: It is ordained that the Cross shall be awarded only for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger, and that the Cross may be awarded posthumously.

Sixthly: It is ordained that every recommendation for the award of the Cross shall be submitted with such description and conclusive proof as the circumstances of the case will allow, and attestation of the act as the Minister or Ministers concerned may think requisite.

Seventhly: It is ordained that the Cross shall be worn by recipients on the left breast suspended from a ribbon one and a quarter inches in width, of dark blue, that it shall be worn immediately after the Victoria Cross and in front of the Insignia of all British Orders of Chivalry, and that on those occasions when only the ribbon is worn, a replica in silver of the Cross in miniature shall be affixed to the centre of the ribbon.

Provided that when the Cross is worn by a woman, it may be worn on the left shoulder, suspended from a ribbon of the same width and colour, fashioned into a bow.

Eighthly: It is ordained that the award of the George Cross shall entitle the recipient on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary, to have placed after his or her names the letters "G.C.".

Ninthly: It is ordained that an action which is worthy of recognition by the award of the Cross, but is performed by one upon whom the Decoration has been conferred, may be recorded by the award of a Bar to be attached to the ribbon by which the Cross is suspended, that for each such additional award an additional Bar shall be added, and that for each Bar awarded a replica in silver of the Cross in miniature, in addition to the emblem already worn, shall be added to the ribbon when worn alone.

Tenthly: It is ordained that the names of all those upon or on account of whom We may be pleased to confer or present the Cross, or a Bar to the Cross, shall be published in the London Gazette, and that a Register of such names shall be kept in the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.

Eleventhly: It is ordained that from the date of this Our Warrant, the grant of the Medal of the Order of the British Empire, for Gallantry, which was instituted and created by His late Majesty King George the Fifth, shall cease, and a recipient of that Medal, living at the date of this Our Warrant, shall return it to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood and become instead a holder of the George Cross: provided that there shall be a similar change in relation to any posthumous grant of the Medal of the Order of the British Empire, for Gallantry, made since the commencement of the present war.

Twelfthly: It is ordained that reproductions of the Cross, known as a Miniature Cross, which may be worn on certain occasions by those to whom the Decoration is awarded shall be half the size of the George Cross.

Thirteenthly: It is ordained that it shall be competent for Us, our Heirs and Successors by an Order under Our Sign Manual and on a recommendation to that effect by or through Our Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, Our First Lord of the Admiralty, Our Secretary of State for War, or Our Secretary of State for Air, as the case may be, to cancel and annul the award to any person of the George Cross and that thereupon the name of such person in the Register shall be erased: provided that it shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors to restore the Decoration so forfeited when such recommendation has been withdrawn.

Lastly: We reserve to Ourself, our Heirs Successors, full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting, interpreting, or dispensing with these rules and ordinances, or any part thereof, by a notification under Our Sign Manual.

Given at Our Court at St. James's, the twenty-fourth of September, one thousand nine hundred and forty, in the fourth year of Our Reign. .

By His Majesty's Command,

Winston S. Churchill."

By a Royal Warrant dated 8th May 1941, and published in the London Gazette of 24th June 1941, the 7th Clause was amended so that the width of the ribbon was now to be 1½ inches wide and not 1¼ inches as formerly.

There have been three further Royal Warrants. The first, dated 17th October 1942, and published in the London Gazette of 3rd November 1942, amended the 3rd, 4th and 13th Clauses so that condominium awards, and direct submissions in the case of any of the Dominions, were now permitted. The second, dated 9th April 1964 and published in the London Gazette of 26th May 1964, amended these same three Clauses. In Clause 3 the words "India" and "Burma" were omitted, and the words "or under Our Jurisdiction jointly with another power" were added. Also in the same Clause further references to India, Indian States and Burma were omitted. In Clause 4, recommendations in the case of a member of the Commonwealth, other than the United Kingdom, were to be made by the appropriate Minister of State for the particular Commonwealth country. And in Clause 13, provision was made for the cancelling and annulling of any award in Commonwealth countries, other than the United Kingdom, on the recommendation of the appropriate Minister of State of that country. The third, dated 19th May 1965, and published in the London Gazette of 15th June 1965, added the following Clauses :

"Fourteenthly : It is ordained that every living recipient of the George Cross, who falls to be in this matter a responsibility of the United Kingdom Government, shall from the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-five, be entitled to a special pension of one hundred pounds a year, for life, and that subsequently such recipients of the George Cross shall be entitled to the special pension from the date of the act by which the Decoration has been gained, and for life.

Fifteenthly: It is ordained that should a recipient of the George Cross die before he has received a total of fifty pounds in respect of the special pension of one hundred pounds a year which is payable to holders of the George Cross by the United Kingdom Government, there should be credited to his estate a sum equal to the balance needed to complete fifty pounds. It is also ordained that when the George Cross is awarded posthumously and the matter is a responsibility of the United Kingdom Government, the sum of fifty pounds should be credited to the estate of the deceased recipient of the award*.

Sixteenthly: It is ordained that, subject to such exceptions as We, Our Heirs and Successors may ordain, a citizen of a Member Country of the Commonwealth Overseas to whom the George Cross may be awarded, shall receive such special pension as may be provided from the revenues of that Country under regulations made by the said Country."

*Note: The annuity paid to British holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross was increased on 1st April 2002 to £1,495.

Annuity for Australian holders of the GC as at Jan. 2005

From ADF Pay and Conditions

11A.1.2 Victoria Cross or George Cross - annuity

1. This clause applies to a member who is awarded the Victoria Cross or the George Cross.

2. The member is entitled to an annuity of $250 a year from the day of the act that led to the medal being awarded.

3. If the medal is awarded after the member's death, an amount of $125 is payable under clause 1.2.9.

4. A member who forfeits a medal mentioned in subclause 1 also forfeits any entitlement under this clause.

5. However, if a medal that has been forfeited is subsequently restored, any amount of annuity not paid is payable from the date of restoration.

Annuity under the Canadian Gallantry Awards Order as at Jan. 2005

In this Order, "member of the armed services of Canada" includes a member of the British forces who enlisted before March 31, 1949 while domiciled in Canada or Newfoundland.

(a) holders of the Victoria Cross or the George Cross shall receive an annuity of $3,000;