List of living recipients of the George Cross
As of 2015, there are 20 living recipients of the George Cross, including four former recipients of the Albert Medal for Lifesaving and one former recipient of the Edward Medal, who voluntarily exchanged their medals for the George Cross in 1971 when it replaced both.
The George Cross (GC) is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom and other member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is the highest gallantry award for civilians of any rank or profession, and is primarily intended to be a civil award. Military personnel may be awarded the George Cross for actions not in the face of the enemy or for actions not normally meriting a purely military award.[1] The George Cross was officially constituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI as a way to recognise civilian courage. It recognises "acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger".[1]
Initially, the Empire Gallantry Medal recognised acts of the highest bravery. The George Cross succeeded the Empire Gallantry Medal and all those living that had been awarded the medal, and all posthumous awards from the outbreak of World War II, were obliged to exchange their medal for the George Cross. In 1971, the living recipients of the Albert Medal and Edward Medal were invited to exchange their medals for the George Cross; 24 recipients elected not to exchange their medal.
In recent years, the George Cross has often served as the highest-level military decoration for recognition of peacetime heroism, or for wartime actions of gallantry not in the face of the enemy. As of 2015, no civilian awards of the GC have been made since 1978, when it was awarded to Victoria Police constable Michael Pratt. The last civilian award of the GC in the UK was made posthumously to schoolmaster John Clements in 1976 for his efforts in rescuing others during a hotel fire; the last civilian award in the UK to a living recipient was to Metropolitan Police inspector Jim Beaton in 1974 for his efforts in protecting Anne, Princess Royal from a mentally ill man attempting to kidnap her.
Certain Commonwealth realms have replaced the GC with their own equivalent awards. The Cross of Valour has been awarded to Canadian citizens since its establishment in 1972,[2] and the identically named Cross of Valour has been awarded to Australian citizens since 1975.[3] Both allow the wearer to use the postnominal letters CV.[2][3] Since 1999, the New Zealand Cross has been awarded to New Zealand citizens, which allows the wearer the postnominal NZC.[4] Awards of the George Cross made prior to the establishment of their replacements in each nation are not exchanged.
Until 26 January 1950, when India became a republic within the Commonwealth, the George Cross and its precursors were awarded to Indian civilians and military personnel in the government and princely states forces.[1] All British awards were discontinued after 26 January 1950. In 1952, the Ashoka Chakra replaced the George Cross.[5]
Living recipients
| Name | Year of award | Location of gallantry | Original award (if replaced with GC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Sedgwick Gregson | 1943 | Atlantic Ocean | AM |
| Henry Flintoff | 1944 | EM | |
| Ernest Wooding | 1945 | AM | |
| Alf Lowe | 1949 | Portland Harbour | AM |
| Margaret Purves nee Vaughan | 1949 | Near Sully Island | AM |
| Awang anak Raweng | 1951 | Johor, Malaysia | |
| Jack Bamford | 1952 | Newthorpe, Nottinghamshire | |
| Derek Kinne | 1954 | Korea | |
| Henry Stevens | 1958 | Bickley, London Borough of Bromley | |
| Tony Gledhill | 1967 | Deptford, London | |
| Carl Walker | 1972 | Blackpool | |
| Jim Beaton | 1974 | London | |
| Michael Pratt | 1978 | Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia | |
| Barry Johnson | 1990 | Derry, Northern Ireland | |
| Christopher Finney | 2003 | Iraq | |
| Peter Norton | 2005 | Iraq | |
| Kevin Haberfield | 2005 | Unknown | |
| Matthew Croucher | 2008 | Helmand Province, Afghanistan | |
| Kim Hughes | 2010 | Afghanistan | |
| Samuel Shephard | 2014 | Egypt |
Recently deceased
Recipients who died within the last five years are listed below.
| Name | Year of award |
Location of gallantry | Original award (if replaced with GC) | Deceased | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Butson | 1948 | Antarctica | AM | 24 March 2015 | [9] |
| Stuart Archer | 1941 | South Wales | 2 May 2015 | [10] |
References
- ^ a b c "No. 35060". The London Gazette. 31 January 1941.
- ^ a b "Letters patent repealing the Canadian Bravery Decorations Regulations, 1997 and making the Canadian Bravery Decorations Regulations, 2005". 9 June 2005. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ a b "It's an Honour:Cross of Valour". 29 September 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ "New Zealand Gallantry and Bravery Awards – The New Zealand Cross (NZC)". Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ Peacetime Military Awards
- ^ "Bay war hero honoured for valour after torpedo holes ship". Bay of Plenty Times. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
- ^ "Prince Harry Attends The Service Of Remembrance And Re-Dedication For Members Of The Victoria Cross And George Cross Association". GettyImages. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
- ^ "George Cross Recipients". Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ "Richard Butson, GC – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 2015-03-24. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
- ^ "Colonel Stuart Archer, GC - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2015-05-03.