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The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been equal in stature to the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for valour. It is awarded "for acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger", not in the presence of the enemy, to members of the British armed forces and to British civilians. Posthumous awards have been allowed since it was instituted. It was previously awarded to residents of Commonwealth countries, most of which have since established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians including police, emergency services and merchant seamen. Many of the awards have been personally presented by the British monarch to recipients or, in the case of posthumous awards, to next of kin. The investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace.
The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, is the special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It was formed on 7 July 1955. It traces its origins to the Second World War and the famous Long Range Desert Group that New Zealanders served with.
An ammunition technician (AT) is a British Army soldier, formerly of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps but since 1993 of the Royal Logistic Corps, trained to inspect, repair, test, store, and modify all ammunition, guided missiles, and explosives used by the British Army. These technicians are also trained to use demolition to safely dispose of individual items of ammunition and explosives (EODs) or to conduct logistics disposal of bulk stocks of multi items. After gaining sufficient experience, those who show the appropriate qualities are given extra training to render safe improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by a process called improvised explosive device disposal. Experienced ATs may be called to give evidence as expert witnesses in criminal or coroner's courts in relation to ammunition or explosives or to EOD and IEDD duties.
Michael Willetts, GC was one of the first British soldiers to be killed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the recipient of a posthumous George Cross for his heroism in saving lives during the Provisional Irish Republican Army bombing which claimed his own. The Harvey Andrews song "Soldier" commemorates Willetts.
Colonel Bertram Stuart Trevelyan Archer,, known as Stuart Archer, was a recipient of the George Cross, the highest British and Commonwealth award for gallantry not in the face of the enemy. On 3 February 2015 Archer became the first recipient of the Victoria Cross or the George Cross to reach 100 years of age.
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen George Styles, GC, usually known as George Styles, was a British Army officer and a bomb disposal expert in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC). He received the George Cross for his service in defusing terrorist bombs in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.
Robert Selby Armitage,, sometimes known as Robert Selby, won both the George Cross and George Medal for his bomb disposal work during the Second World War, one of only eight people to have been awarded both.
Alexander Fraser Campbell, GC, known as Sandy Campbell, was a British Army officer of the Royal Engineers who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for conspicuous gallantry in defusing a bomb in October 1940.
Michael Gibson, GC was a British Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the conspicuous gallantry he displayed in Coventry on 14 September 1940 in defusing a large unexploded bomb.
Arthur Douglas Merriman, was a government scientist with the Ministry of Supply, a British Army officer, and a recipient of the George Cross.
Roger Philip Goad, was an explosives officer with London's Metropolitan Police Service who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the heroism he displayed on 29 August 1975. He had previously been awarded the British Empire Medal in 1958 for gallantry whilst serving with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Cyprus, for repeated acts of deliberate courage in the disarming of bombs and booby traps set by terrorists.
Robert John Davies, GC was a Royal Engineers officer who was awarded the George Cross (GC) for the heroism he displayed in defusing a bomb which threatened to destroy St Paul's Cathedral on 12 September 1940.
Brigadier William Marsden Eastman, GC was a British Army officer who was awarded the George Cross for bomb disposal work between June and November 1940 on the island of Malta.
Major Cyril Arthur Joseph Martin, GC, MC was a British Army officer who was awarded the George Cross (GC) for the courage he showed in defusing a device while serving with the Corps of Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Squad on 17/18 January 1943 in Battersea, London.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary John O'Donnell, was a British Army bomb disposal expert who was awarded the George Medal twice. The George Medal is the second highest decoration, after the George Cross, for "acts of great bravery" not "in the face of the enemy". His second George Medal was the first such award in 26 years and the first ever posthumous bar. O'Donnell was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Afghanistan.
Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid, GC was a British Army bomb disposal expert who was killed in action in the Afghanistan conflict. Schmid was posthumously awarded the George Cross after he made safe 70 devices before his death in October 2009. The citation was presented to Schmid's widow, Christina Schmid, by the Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Jock Stirrup on 18 March 2010 in a ceremony in the City of London. The announcement of the award of the GC to Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes was made at the same time.
Karl John Fairfax Ley, GM is a British Army soldier and a bomb disposal expert. As a staff sergeant in the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment RLC, he was awarded the George Medal for bomb disposal duties in Afghanistan, where he defused more roadside IEDs than anyone else during his six-month tour of duty.
Buster, an English Springer Spaniel, was a military detection dog who was active during the Iraq War. Because of his actions in discovering a hidden weapons cache, the dog was credited with saving service personnel from insurgents operating in the southern Iraqi town of Safwan. He was awarded the Dickin Medal, referred to as being the animals' Victoria Cross.
William John Button was a British soldier and one of the last recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal before this award was superseded by the George Cross.
References
- ↑ "George Cross for Army Afghanistan bomb heroes". BBC. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- 1 2 "No. 59365". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 March 2010. pp. 4831–4832.
- ↑ Shropshire Star, 19 March 2010
- ↑ "Former school honours George Cross hero, WO Kim Hughes". BBC News. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ↑ Hughes, Kim (17 May 2018). Painting the Sand. ISBN 9781471156724.
- ↑ Andrews, Mark (18 January 2021). "Shropshire George Cross bomb disposal hero uses experiences to pen new novel". The Shropshire Star. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ↑ "THE VICTORIA CROSS AND GEORGE CROSS ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022". www.register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2024.