Jump to content

Military Cross (MC)


stratasfan

Recommended Posts

The Military Cross was instituted on December 31st, 1914 as a recognition of distinguished and meritorious service in battle in situations not sufficient to merit the Victoria Cross. The Military Cross can be awarded to commissioned officers of the substantive rank of Captain or below or Warrant Officers. In 1920, the terms were altered to clearly state the award was for gallant and distinguished services in action and that RAF officers could be awarded the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished services on the ground as opposed to flying. On performing a second or subsequent action, the recipient will be awarded a bar to the Military Cross to be worn on the ribbon.

 

After the Second World War, most Commonwealth countries created their own honours system and no longer recommended British awards. The last Military Cross awards for the Canadian Army were for Korea. The last four Australian Army Military Cross awards were promulgated in The London Gazette on 1 September 1972 for Vietnam as was the last New Zealand Army Military Cross award, which was promulgated on 25 September 1970. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have now created their own gallantry awards under their own honours systems.

 

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 all ranks of the British Armed Forces for gallantry on land, not to the standard required to receive the Victoria Cross or the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

 

In 1979, it was approved that the Military Cross may be awarded posthumously.

 

image.png

Description: On each arm of the silver-coloured Military Cross is an Imperial Crown and in the centre of the award is the ‘Imperial’ and ‘Royal Cypher’ of the reigning sovereign, GV, GVI or EIIR. The reverse of the award is plain with the year of the award engraved on the lower arm. The white ribbon is 1.375 inches wide with a central vertical purple stripe (0.5 inches wide). The bar is made of silver with a crown in the centre. The Military Cross was designed by Henry Farnham Burke, while its ribbon was created by Victoria Ponsonby, Baroness Sysonby.

 

Issued unnamed, but frequently encountered unofficially engraved in various styles with the recipients details.

 

MC from the George V era (WWI/The Great War) (Courtesy of North East Medals):

https://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/military_cross/military_cross_obverse.jpg

 

MC from Georges VI era (WWII):

image.png

 

MC from Elizabeth II era:

image.png 

 

 

If you have one of these medals to show, a picture of a soldier wearing it, or a story about this medal being awarded/earned . . . please feel free to share it here! This is one of my favorite British medals . . . really classic elegance. 

 

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Below is the MC awarded to Major Oliver 'Stewpot' Stewart, Royal Flying Corps, 1917. (Courtesy of the National Army Museum) 

 

Stewart served with 2/9th Battalion The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, receiving his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate on a Maurice Farman biplane at Military School, Thetford, in March 1916. Serving with 54 Squadron, flying the Sopwith Pup in 1917, he was credited with despatching five German aircraft, qualifying him as an ace.

 

image.png

 

Air combat was a truly cold-blooded affair and Stewart’s advice for staying alive was relatively simple: stay high, avoid flying straight, watch the sun and the clouds for surprise attacks.

 

He noted that ‘fighting in the air has a closer affinity to the back-street brawl, the night club affray, the pub fight, than to jousting of knights in armour.’

 

The popular image may have been of gentlemen engaged in honourable combat but, according to Stewart, there ‘was nothing chivalrous or fine about the form of air fighting. I had to learn to keep alive.’

 

MILITARY CROSS

 

Citation from the Suppletment to the London Gazzette, 17 Sept 1917:

 

"Lt. Oliver Stewart, Midd'x R. & R.F.C.
   For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has done consistent good work for six months, both on escorts and offensive patrols, and has displayed great fearlessness and skill during severe fighting at close range with enemy machines, successfully holding his own, although on several occasions outnumbered by them."

 

image.png

 

(And finally a view of the back!)

image.png

 

Link to comment
  • 9 months later...

Hi Elisabeth,

this is the only MC I have in my collection, a 1944 issue attributed to Lt SE Lipin of the Canadian Carelton and York Regt.

best wishes

Rob

 

70 obverse.JPG

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...