Conspicuous Gallantry Cross

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Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Obverse of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, white with blue edges and a red central stripe.
Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type	Military decoration.
Eligibility	British and allied forces.
Awarded for	... an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy.^[1]
Status	Currently awarded.
Description	36mm max width; silver cross patée imposed on a wreath of laurel, with the Royal Crown in a circular panel in the centre. Suspended by a ring from a plain suspension bar.
Statistics
Established	October 1993
First awarded	1995
Last awarded	2008
Total awarded	28 individuals, 1 collective award.
Posthumous awards	1
Precedence
Next (higher)	Victoria Cross
Same	Distinguished Service Order
Next (lower)	Distinguished Service Cross (Navy), Military Cross (Army), Distinguished Flying Cross (Air Force)

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) is a second level military decoration of the United Kingdom armed forces.

The CGC was instituted in the aftermath of the 1993 review of the honours system. As part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery, the CGC replaced both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (Army) and the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Air and Naval) as second level awards to Other Ranks and ratings. The CGC also replaced the Distinguished Service Order, in its role as an award to officers for gallantry (although the DSO was retained as an award for outstanding leadership). The CGC now serves as the second level award for gallantry for all ranks across the whole armed forces.

The CGC, which may be awarded posthumously, is awarded "in recognition of an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy".

Bars are awarded to the CGC in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award. Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters CGC.

[edit] Recipients

The following is a full list of recipients to date.

Name	Rank	Unit	Gazetted	Conflict
Mills, Wayne	Corporal	Duke of Wellington's Regiment	9 May 1995	Former Republic of Yugoslavia
Humphreys, Peter	Colour Sergeant	Royal Welch Fusiliers	9 May 1996	Former Republic of Yugoslavia
Baycroft, John David, MBE	Colour Sergeant	Parachute Regiment	6 Apr 2001	Sierra Leone (Operation Barras)
MacFarlane, Iain James McKechnie	Squadron Leader	Royal Air Force	6 Apr 2001	Sierra Leone (Operation Barras)
Day, Tony Kenneth	Corporal	Royal Marines	29 Oct 2002	Afghanistan
Merchant, Jeremy Mark	Captain	Royal Marines	29 Oct 2002	Afghanistan
Hearne, Karl Anthony	Corporal	Parachute Regiment	29 Oct 2002	Afghanistan
Sanders, Edward Lawrence	Private	Parachute Regiment	29 Oct 2002	Afghanistan
Thomas, Justin Royston	Marine	Royal Marines	31 Oct 2003	Iraq
Flynn, Michael John	Lance Corporal of Horse	Blues and Royals	31 Oct 2003	Iraq
Jardine, Shaun Garry	Corporal	King's Own Scottish Borderers	23 Apr 2004	Iraq
Robertson, Gordon	Sergeant	Parachute Regiment	23 Apr 2004	Iraq
Greensmith, Benjamin Paul	Corporal	Parachute Regiment	7 Mar 2008 (dated 7 Sep 2004)	Iraq
Broome, Christopher Mark	Sergeant	Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	15 Mar 2005	Iraq
Bryan, Terry	Sergeant	Royal Artillery	15 Mar 2005	Iraq
Thomson, Terence Alan	Corporal	Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	15 Mar 2005	Iraq
Tomlinson, Matthew Robert	Colour Sergeant	Royal Marines	24 Mar 2006	Iraq
Radford, Andrew	Lance Corporal of Horse	Life Guards	14 Dec 2006	Afghanistan
Harkess, James Royce	Colour Sergeant	Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment	14 Dec 2006	Iraq
Farmer, Hugo	Lieutenant	Parachute Regiment	14 Dec 2006	Afghanistan
Illingworth, Timothy	Acting Captain	The Light Infantry	14 Dec 2006	Afghanistan
Collective Award^[2]		Royal Irish Regiment/Ulster Defence Regiment		Northern Ireland
Thompson, John Thomas	Corporal	Royal Marines	19 Jul 2007	Afghanistan
Hollingsworth, Jonathan Stuart, QGM	Sergeant	Parachute Regiment	19 Jul 2007	Iraq (posthumous)
Campbell, Donald Peter	Acting Corporal	Royal Engineers	7 Mar 2008	Afghanistan
Cupples, Simon Timothy	Lieutenant	Mercian Regiment	7 Mar 2008	Afghanistan
Willmott, Paul Darren	Private	Mercian Regiment	7 Mar 2008	Afghanistan
Miller, Adam William	Corporal	Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers	7 Mar 2008	Iraq
Wadsworth, James Anthony	Staff Sergeant	Royal Logistic Corps	7 Mar 2008	Iraq

[edit] Notes

^ Defence Internet | Fact Sheets | Guide to Honours
^ It is the first time this medal has been collectively awarded to a military unit, and only the third occasion, since the start of World War 2, that such a collective award has been bestowed (the others being the 1942 George Cross to Malta and the 1999 George Cross to the Royal Ulster Constabulary)