Talk:George Cross

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Contents 1 Not the highest award for civilians 2 Nancy Wake 3 another female red cross recipient? 4 George Cross awards to military recipients 5 Posthumous awards 6 Licensing issues 7 Victoria Cross vs George Cross 8 George Cross Backdated ?

[edit] Not the highest award for civilians

I modified slightly the sentence "...and also the highest decoration awardable to civilians". The Victoria Cross is available to civilians serving under military command, as well as to soldiers. (Although it is very very rarely awarded to civilians.)Richard75 21:52, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nancy Wake

A Google search for Nancy Wake produces a lot of website about her, none of which mention her receiving the George Cross. (Example.) Also there are a lot of sites about the George Cross which say that only THREE women won the GC during the War. I am going to delete the reference to her getting the Goerge croos as it seems to be an obvious mistake. If anyone can find any evidence that she really did get a GC then please undo my edit, but cite your source.Richard75 23:11, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] another female red cross recipient?

I'm pretty sure that at the end of Out of the Blue (2006 film), they claim that the George Cross has been awarded to the old lady who crawled from the wounded man near the phone booth to her house and back. Or am I mistaken? I just wonder if a) I incorrectly remember this, b) the film lies, c) this woman is missing in the list of female recipients of this award, or d) I just don't understand what "directly awarded" means. --Yogi de 07:49, 12 November 2006 (UTC)

See the "creation" section of the article. Some people exchanged earlier awards for the GC, directly means that the recipient recived the GC not an earlier award. --Philip Baird Shearer 19:44, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

I believe she was awarded the George Medal. Kiwi Ace 09:53, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] George Cross awards to military recipients

I read that Privates Benjamin Hardy and Ralph Jones were awarded the George Cross for their part in the Cowra Breakout in Australia, which is fantastic, especially for the locking of the machine gun - but I read the George Cross is only awarded to civilians, or to soldiers for acts of bravery not in the face of an enemy. Does being a POW, despite being somewhat armed and intent on killing, not count as "enemy"? Just wondering if anyone had any more information on this? Wampusaust 01:49, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Posthumous awards

I have corrected the number of posthumous awards from 71 to 86, as per [1], the source of much information on this page, which gives 71 as the number of surviving (i.e. non-posthumous) awards, excluding the two collective awards. There is, though, a minor problem over the figures on this site: it says there have been "158 direct awards [i.e. not by substitution] of the GC", a figure which agrees with the same site's alphabetical listing; however, 86 posthumous plus 73 surviving/collective awards totals 159; so there seems to be an error somewhere, and this figure of 86 may have to be revised down to 85. I have emailed the keeper of the site, and will alter the figures if need be. Vilĉjo 18:55, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

In response to my email, the website has now been updated and I am incorporating the new info into the article. Vilĉjo 18:09, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Licensing issues

The main image might have a licence problem. See Image talk:GeorgeCrossObv.png. ButterStick (talk) 22:54, 2 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Victoria Cross vs George Cross

I've removed the following text from the article to here, pending discussion. Please do not re-insert this until this is agreed or not. This is not my text - an anon's.

"Contrary to popular belief, the George Cross does not hold the same rank as the Victoria Cross. The seventh article of the letters patent creating the George Cross directs that it be worn after the Victoria Cross, and before the insignia of all the orders of chivalry. See the text of the norm at: http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=35060&geotype=London&gpn=623&type=ArchivedIssuePage"

Thanks Ian Cairns (talk) 21:00, 2 March 2008 (UTC)

As I understand it they afford the same precedence, but when wearing decorations, or writing post-noms, in the case that someone had been awarded both, VC would be worn/written first, largely becuase it was created earlier. David Underdown (talk) 18:00, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

I agree the GC and VC are of equal status. The order of precedence is often confusing. For example the George Medal is worn after the Military Cross, yet the GM is a level two gallantry award, the MC a level three one. (92.5.122.61 (talk) 22:28, 12 May 2008 (UTC))

I would strongly disagree that the GC and VC are of equal status. If they were, then the date of award would determine which is worn first. However, this is not the case - the VC is _always_ worn before the GC. The order of precedence is not confusing at all - the UK, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian authorities make no mention of 'equality' between the two, indeed, the New Zealand Order of Wear actually has the New Zealand Cross worn ahead of the GC. PalawanOz (talk) 08:11, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] George Cross Backdated ?

In the Article it states the GC Was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. on this web site there is mention of one being awarded in November 1930 , was the GC ever awarded for previous acts of bravery ? http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/html-files/vcgc-medals.htm js1 11:20, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

At various times, holders of certain earlier decorations were required to trade their original decorations for the GC, and were then counted as GC recipients. Details are in the article. Looking here, http://www.gc-database.co.uk/alpha.htm Alder was originally awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, which was the first decoration superseded by the GC. David Underdown (talk) 11:54, 9 April 2008 (UTC)