Military Cross
| Military Cross | |
|---|---|
File:Militarycross.jpg Obverse of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, three equal parts of white, purple, and white. | |
| Type | Military decoration. |
| Description | silver cross with straight arms. (Obverse) Royal Cypher in centre (reverse) plain |
| Eligibility | British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces. |
| Status | Currently awarded. |
| Established | 28 December1914 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Conspicuous Gallantry Cross |
| Equivalent | Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Next (lower) | Mention in Despatches |
The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC, which may not be awarded posthumously, is granted to army personnel in recognition of '... gallantry during active operations against the enemy.'
The award was created in 1914 for commissioned officers of the substantive rank of Captain or below and for Warrant Officers. In 1931, the award was extended to Majors and also to members of the Royal Air Force for actions on the ground. Since the 1993 review of the honours system, as part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery, the Military Medal, formerly the third level decoration for other ranks, has been discontinued. The MC now serves as the third level award for gallantry for all ranks of the British Army.
Bars are awarded to the MC in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award. Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters MC.
Description
- 46mm max height, 44mm max width
- Ornamental silver cross with straight arms terminating in broad finials decorated with imperial crowns, suspended from plain suspension bar. The Obverse has a Royal Cypher in centre;
- The reverse is plain, but from 1938 the name of the recipient and year of issue has been engraved on lower limb of cross.
Notable awards
The first woman to be awarded the Military Cross was Private Michelle Norris of the Royal Army Medical Corps, while attached to The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in Iraq. Norris was awarded her medal personally by Queen Elizabeth II on March 212007 as the result of her actions in Iraq on June 112006.
Notes
- ^ Defence FactSheet Accessed 28 June 2007.
Bibliography
- Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - Medals Yearbook - 2005, (2004), Token Publishing.
See also
- British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
- List of British gallantry awards for the Iraq War
- Category:Recipients of the Military Cross
External links
- Database of Australian Awardees at the Australian Government Honours website