Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Military Cross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Military Cross | |
|---|---|
  Obverse of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, three equal parts of white, purple, and white. |
|
| Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | |
| Type | Military decoration. |
| Eligibility | British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces. |
| Awarded for | ... gallantry during active operations against the enemy.[1] |
| Status | Currently awarded. |
| Description | 46mm max height, 44mm max width; ornamental silver cross with straight arms terminating in broad dinials decorated with imperial crowns, suspended from plain suspension bar. (Obverse) Royal cypher in centre; (reverse) plain, but from 1938 year of issue has been engraved on lower limb of cross. |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 28 December 1914 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Conspicuous Gallantry Cross |
| Same | 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 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. 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.
- ^ Defence FactSheet Accessed December 15, 2006.
- Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - Medals Yearbook - 2005, (2004), Token Publishing.
John Henry Busby, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry was the 1st to be awarded the Military Cross in 1914 in his regiment.
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 21, 2007 as the result of her actions in Iraq on June 11, 2006.
The character played by Richard Burton in the 1968 movie Where Eagles Dare, had apparently been awarded the Military Cross, as he was listed as "Maj. John Smith, MC."
- British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
- List of British gallantry awards for the Iraq War
- Category:Recipients of the Military Cross
- Database of Australian Awardees at the Australian Government Honours website