The George Medal is awarded by the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations for acts of great bravery; over 2,000 medals have been awarded since its inception in September 1940. Below is set out a selection of recipients of the award, since 1990. A person's presence in this list does not suggest their award was more notable than any other award of the George Medal.
Where a recipient has received a second GM, a picture of the ribbon bearing the bar symbol is shown. In December 1977 the provisions for the medal were altered, allowing it to be awarded posthumously, [1] in which case the "†" symbol appears next to the recipient's name.
Name | Rank and Unit | Action/Citation | Year awarded |
---|---|---|---|
Jack Crawshaw† | Civilian | For trying to rescue a girl from an ice covered lake at Hemsworth, West Yorkshire. [2] [3] | 1996 |
Eva Helen Dickson | Civilian, Aramoana, New Zealand. | Dickson was an elderly woman who had recently had a hip replacement and was unable to walk unassisted, but after being shot at during the Aramoana massacre, she crawled on her hands and knees into her house to telephone for help, then crawled back out to assist a neighbour who had been shot, then crawled back inside to call emergency services a second time. [4] | 1990 |
Timothy Charles Rohan Goggs† | Operations Officer, The HALO Trust | While engaged in mine clearing operations in Afghanistan, though injured himself, he re-entered a mine clearing tank that was on fire, to rescue colleagues. He died later in hospital from additional injuries sustained in the rescue. [5] | 1992 |
Royd Philip Kennedy | Senior Fire Fighter, New Zealand Fire Service | For rescuing a girl who was trapped underneath an overturned trailer loaded with petrol. [4] | 1992 |
Alan James Knapp | Detective Sergeant, Metropolitan Police | With Detective Sergeant Stephen Thomas, Knapp was involved in an operation to arrest armed men attempting to rob a post office. Both were shot and seriously wounded, but continued their endeavours to arrest the culprits. [6] [7] | 1992 |
Michael Clive Mee† | Station Officer, South Yorkshire Fire Service | For trying to rescue a girl from an ice covered lake at Hemsworth, West Yorkshire. [2] [3] | 1996 |
Lisa Potts | Nursery Nurse, St. Luke's Church of England School, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton | For protecting children in her care from a machete attack. [8] [9] | 1997 |
Stephen Thomas | Detective Sergeant, Metropolitan Police | With Detective Sergeant Alan Knapp, Thomas was involved in an operation to arrest armed men attempting to rob a post office. Both were shot and seriously wounded, but continued their endeavours to arrest the culprits. [6] [7] | 1992 |
Name | Rank and Unit | Action/Citation | Year awarded |
---|---|---|---|
Andrew Lee Barlow | Fusilier, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2006 to 31 March 2007." [10] | 2007 |
Vance Willis | Staff Sergeant, 1st Battalion Scots Guards | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2001 to 31 March 2002." [11] | 2005 |
Mark Davies | Officer with 29 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Search Group | Awarded GM after he neutralised numerous explosive devices in Northern Ireland where the risk to his own life was extremely high. [12] | 2003 |
Adam Modd | Warrant Officer with 321 EOD | Awarded GM after he neutralised numerous improvised explosive devices in Northern Ireland where the risk to his own life was extremely high. [13] | 2002 |
Stuart Walter Dickson | Staff Sergeant, Royal Logistic Corps | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2008." [14] | 2009 |
Paul Hartley | Lance Corporal, Royal Army Medical Corps | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2006." [15] | 2006 |
Michael Liam Brady Miller† | Firefighter, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service | In February 2005 a fire broke out in a 14th floor flat in Stevenage. Miller and Jeffrey Wornham went up first to assess the situation while their colleagues prepared equipment and water. When cries were heard from inside Miller and Wornham entered the flat and rescued a man, who indicated that his girlfriend was still inside. Both firefighters then re-entered the flat despite intense heat and zero visibility, but were killed. Both firefighters were awarded the GM posthumously. [16] [17] | 2007 |
Gary O'Donnell † | Warrant Officer Class 2, Royal Logistic Corps | Bomb disposal expert who received the GM and Bar, and was killed in Afghanistan in 2008. | 2006 [18] 2009 [14] |
Andrew Pennington † | Councillor, Gloucestershire County Council | Died saving the life of Cheltenham MP Nigel Jones when they were attacked by a man with a samurai sword. [19] | 2001 |
Justin Michael Priestley | Captain, Royal Logistic Corps | For "conspicuous gallantry whilst engaged on explosive ordnance disposal work in the United Kingdom". [20] [21] [22] | 2000 |
Mark Jonathan Skipp | Colour Sergeant, Parachute Regiment | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2001 to 31 March 2002". [11] | 2005 |
Kevin Ivison | Captain, Royal Logistic Corps | Awarded a George Medal for risking his life in Al Amarah, Maysaan Province, Iraq on 28 February. His MoD citation said: "Aware that his actions would probably result in his death, Captain Ivison donned his specialist protective equipment. He passed what he feared would be his last messages to his loved ones, to his number two operator." [23] | 2006 |
Eliza Ward† | Cafe Manager, Belfast | Aged 18, she was fatally stabbed in the chest after she confronted a kitchen porter who was attacking the female owner of a city centre restaurant in July 1997. [24] [25] | 2000 |
William Deacon† | Winchman, HM Coastguard | Awarded posthumously for actions during the rescue of crew from a shipwrecked vessel, MV Green Lily off the coast of Shetland on 19 November 1997. Deacon was lowered onto the deck of the vessel from a rescue helicopter and ten crew were winched off the vessel. Deacon was the last person on board when he was swept overboard and killed. [26] [27] | 2000 |
Anthony John Doherty† | Boatman, Fast Rescue Craft | Awarded posthumously for attempts made to rescue a man who had fallen into the sea from a North Sea gas rig. [27] [28] | 2000 |
Name | Rank and Unit | Action/Citation | Year awarded |
---|---|---|---|
Martin Simon George Bell † | Private, Parachute Regiment | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011. [29] | 2011 |
Ian Andrew Dibell† | Constable, Essex Police | Killed while attempting to disarm an armed and dangerous assailant whilst off duty. [30] | 2013 |
Ignacio Echeverría † | Lawyer; Banker | "For confronting armed terrorists to protect others" during the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. Mr Echeverria confronted multiple armed terrorists with only his skateboard as a weapon. He succeeded in diverting the terrorists' attention to himself and was fatally wounded. [31] | 2018 |
Martin G. Finney | Firearms Officer, National Crime Agency | For tackling an armed assailant in Tottenham, London in May 2014. [32] | 2017 |
Charlie Guenigault | Constable, Metropolitan Police | "For confronting armed terrorists to protect others" during the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. PC Guenigault was off duty, unarmed and had no personal protective equipment. [31] | 2018 |
Paul Raymond Jacobs | Rifleman, The Rifles | Awarded "in recognition of gallant services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2009. [34] | 2010 |
Bernard Carter Kenny | Civilian | Injured while intervening in the murder of Jo Cox [35] | 2017 |
Karl Ley | Staff Sergeant, Royal Logistic Corps | Made safe 139 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the Taliban during a tour of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. [36] | 2010 [37] |
Brett George Linley † | Staff Sergeant, Royal Logistic Corps | Awarded "in recognition of gallant services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2010". [38] | 2011 |
Wayne Marques | Constable, British Transport Police | "For confronting armed terrorists to protect others" during the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. [39] | 2018 |
Ian Thomas Molyneux† | Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy Submarine Service | With complete disregard for his own safety, he deliberately made an effort to tackle a gunman on board HMS Astute. The shooting happened while Southampton's mayor, Royston Smith, and other dignitaries were touring the Royal Navy's hunter-killer nuclear submarine. He was shot in the head at very close range and died. [40] | 2012 [41] |
Alistair Klaas Neill | Chief Executive, Southampton City Council | For tackling and subduing a gunman on HMS Astute. [42] | 2012 |
Keith Palmer † | Constable, Metropolitan Police | Killed trying to stop a terrorist attacking Parliament during the 2017 Westminster attack. [35] | 2017 |
Andreas Oliver Peat | Warrant Officer Class One, Royal Logistic Corps, 33 EOD Regiment | In January 2013 Peat was supporting a patrol of Danish Jaegerkorpset and Afghan National Police. After entering a compound in the Upper Gereshk Valley an IED was triggered, severely injuring a Danish soldier. Peat began to provide medical assistance, but then realized that the injured soldier was lying on another IED, and had to tunnel beneath the injured man to disarm the device. Peat then evacuated the compound which was littered with IEDs rendering safe another IED found under another team of soldiers [43] [44] | 2013 [45] |
Anthony Russell | Sergeant, Royal Marines, 771 Naval Air Squadron | For the rescue of two men from a capsized liferaft, of the yacht Andriette, 7 July 2011. [46] | 2013 [47] |
Ryan Shelley | Marine, Royal Marines | Awarded "in recognition of gallant services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2010". [38] | 2011 |
Daniel Marc Shepherd † | Captain, Royal Logistic Corps | Ammunition Technical Officer posthumously awarded the GM for clearing 13 IEDs by hand with no protective suit over a 36-hour period. [48] Captain Shepherd was killed in Nad-e-Ali in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan on 20 July 2009. | 2010 [34] |
Royston Smith | Leader, Southampton City Council | With Alistair Neill, he helped disarm a gunman during the 2011 shooting incident on board HMS Astute. [42] | 2011 |
Richard Stanton and John Volanthen | Civilians; volunteer cave divers | For their role in the Tham Luang cave rescue. Awarded as part of the 2019 New Year Honours, announced on 29 December 2018. [49] Three other members of their team were made MBEs and two were awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. [49] | 2018 |
Paul Hassan Zubier | Civilian, Paramedic | "For going to the assistance of a woman being attacked by a man with a knife" during the terrorist attack in Turku, Finland on 18 August 2017. Mr Zubier chased the attacker away and rendered first aid to the victim. The attacker returned twice and Mr Zubier fought him off sustaining further injuries himself while continuing treatment and shielding the victim and others from attack. [39] | 2018 |
The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers, and since 1993 to other ranks, of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".
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 George Medal (GM), instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI, is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, awarded for gallantry, typically by civilians, or in circumstances where military honours are not appropriate.
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) is a second level military decoration of the British Armed Forces. Created in 1993 and first awarded in 1995, it was instituted after a review of the British honours system to remove distinctions of rank in the awarding of gallantry decorations. The Victoria Cross is the only higher combat gallantry award presented by the United Kingdom.
The British Empire Medal is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to replace the original medal, which had been established in 1917 as part of the Order of the British Empire.
The Edward Medal was a British civilian decoration which was instituted by royal warrant on 13 July 1907 to recognise acts of bravery of miners and quarrymen in endangering their lives to rescue their fellow workers. The medal was named in honour of King Edward VII. The original royal warrant was amended by a further royal warrant on 1 December 1909 to encompass acts of bravery by all industrial workers in factory accidents and disasters, creating two versions of the Edward Medal: Mines and Industry.
The King's Gallantry Medal (KGM), formerly the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM), is a United Kingdom decoration awarded for exemplary acts of bravery where the services were not so outstanding as to merit the George Medal, but above the level required for the King's Commendation for Bravery.
771 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm was formed on 24 May 1939 at HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent as a Fleet Requirements Unit with 14 Fairey Swordfish TSR biplanes. The squadron carried out various exercises with ships and provided towed targets for naval air gunners, and was decommissioned on 22 March 2016.
The PDSA Gold Medal is an animal bravery award that acknowledges the bravery and devotion to duty of animals. It was created by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) in 2001, and is now recognised as the animal equivalent of the George Cross. The Gold Medal is considered as the civilian equivalent to PDSA's Dickin Medal for military animals. An animal can be awarded the PDSA Gold Medal if it assists in saving human or non-human life when its own life is in danger or through exceptional devotion to duty. The medal can also be awarded to animals in public service, such as police or rescue dogs, if the animal dies or suffers serious injury while carrying out its official duties in the face of armed and violent opposition.
The Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct, formerly the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct, acknowledged brave acts by both civilians and members of the armed services in both war and peace, for gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. Established by King George VI in 1939, the award was discontinued in 1994 on the institution of the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.
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The Special Honours Lists for Australia are announced by the Sovereign and Governor-General at any time.
2013