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During the Blitz of 1940, King George VI created an award to honour men & women of the commonwealth who, as civilians, had carried out acts of bravery. It was felt that there was a need for such a medal, as previous medals & decorations were largely awarded to men & women of the armed forces & not civilians. Thus, in 1940, the George Cross became the prime award for non-operational recipients & would be awarded for acts of heroism or conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. The medal is equal in the Honours System to the Victoria Cross, the highest military gallantry award.
The Medal consists of a plain silver cross 50mm wide, with the royal cypher ‘GVI’ within the angle of each limb. The centre contains a round medallion depicting St George & the Dragon, along with the inscription ‘For Gallantry’. The reverse is blank & will give the name of the recipient as well as the date of the award. The suspension bar is decorated with laurel leaves & is suspended from a garter blue (dark blue) ribbon which is 38mm wide, but had originally been 32mm wide. The medal is worn before all other medals decorations with the exception of the Victoria Cross.
Women not in uniform would wear the cross suspended from a wide bow of dark blue below their left shoulder. Awards have always been announced in ‘The Gazette’ with the first investiture taking place in May 1941. Recipients are permitted to use the Initials ‘GC’ after their names. The award is recommended by the Prime Minister but bestowed by the Sovereign.
In 1965 an amendment to the Warrant provided an annual pension for living recipients to receive an annual pension of £100 a year for life, over the years this has been increased to take into account inflation.
You might wonder why we are covering this medal in an Air Force themed website especially as it was awarded to non-operational recipients. There is however a term within the Warrant that states that although the cross is intended primarily for civilians & award in Our military services is to be confined to actions for which purely military Honours are not normally granted. In the case of the military, recommendations are made by the First Lord of the Admiralty, The Secretary of State for War or The Secretary of State for Air.
Here are some citations that I think you may find of interest:-
Andree de Jongh (Founder of the Comet Line) at 20 years old she appeared at Bilbao with an escaped airman & 2 Belgian Assistants & asked for permission to set up the Comet Escape Line. She formed the organisation & ran it until she was arrested by the Germans in 1943. Having survived several concentration camps, she was awarded the George Cross in 1944.
Nancy Wake (SOE) was awarded the George Cross in 1945 for brave conduct in hazardous circumstances. Whilst living in Marseille with her French Husband when the war began, she later joined the ‘PAT’ Escape Line where she organised the escape of Allied Airmen. When she was forced to leave for England in 1943, she joined the SOE (Special Operations Executive) & parachuted back into France in 1944 where she became an organiser for the Marquis Resistance Group.
Thomas Henry Dennis (Flight Sergeant, RAAF) The Navigator of a Douglas Aircraft that was forced to land over water, he swam for 2 hours along with non-swimming passengers through treacherous & shark-ridden waters, saving many lives. He was awarded the George Cross in 1944.
George Graham Layton (Aircraftman 2nd Class, RAF) Layton rescued an airman from a burning aircraft that still had bombs onboard, stripped him of his burning clothes & wrapped him in his own shirt. He was awarded the George Cross in 1943.
Freeman Kilpatrick (Staff Sergeant, United States Air Force, 47th Bombardment Wing) whilst stationed at RAF Sculthorpe in Norfolk, he rescued 18 people from floods in East Anglia. He was awarded the George Cross in 1953.
I hope these citations give you an example of some of the people who have been honoured to receive this medal for their heroism. The citations do make for interesting reading.
To look for George Medal Citations check ‘The Gazette’ online or Newspaper Archives.
Search the card catalogues of any subscription websites you have to see if they have listings.
The Complete George Cross by Kevin Brazier is another good source & is readily available via Pen & Sword Books.
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