Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)

Air Force Cross
Obverse of medal. Ribbon: 30mm, diagonal alternate stripes of white and red.
Awarded by United Kingdom and Commonwealth
Type	Military decoration
Eligibility	British, Commonwealth (formerly) and allied forces
Awarded for	"... gallantry while flying but not on active operations against the enemy."^[1]
Status	Currently awarded
Description	see below
Statistics
Established	3 June 1918
Total awarded	George V: 804 George VI: 3,053 Total: 3,857^[2]
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	Distinguished Flying Cross^[3]
Next (lower)	Royal Red Cross, Second Class^[3]
Related	Air Force Medal

The Air Force Cross (AFC) is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy". A bar is added to the ribbon for holders who are awarded a second AFC.^[4]

History

The award was established on 3 June 1918. It was originally awarded to Air Force commissioned officers and Warrant Officers, but this was expanded after the Second World War to include Army and Navy aviation officers, and again in 1993 to other ranks after the discontinuation of the Air Force Medal.^[4]

During the First World War, approximately 680 were awarded. During the Second World War, 2,001 medals were awarded, with 26 bars awarded.

58 honorary awards were made to aircrew from other non-Commonwealth countries.

Post-nominal letters

Recipients of the Air Force Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AFC". A bar is added to the ribbon of holders of the AFC for each additional award.

Description

The medal is a silver cross 60 mm high and 54 mm wide, representing aircraft propeller blades, with wings between the arms. The obverse depicts Hermes riding on the wings of a hawk holding a laurel wreath. At the top of the upper arm is the royal crown, while the other three arms bear the royal cypher of the reigning monarch at the time of issue.^[4]
The suspender is straight and decorated with laurel wreaths.^[4]
The ribbon was originally white with red broad horizontal stripes, but changed in 1919 to the current white with red broad diagonal stripes at a 45-degree angle.^[4]

Air Force Cross ribbon bars
	AFC	AFC and Bar
1918–1919
since 1919

Notes

↑ "Defence FactSheet". Retrieved 2008-10-09.
↑ Medal Yearbook 2013. Honiton, Devon: Token. 2013. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-908-828-00-2.
↑ 3.0 3.1 "JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces" (PDF). p. 12A-1. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "MOD - AFC". Retrieved 2008-10-09.

External links

Page including text from the London Gazette dated 5 December 1919, establishing DFC, AFC, DFM and AFM

Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom

Current awards

Level 1	Victoria Cross (VC) George Cross (GC)

Level 2A	Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) Royal Red Cross Class I (RRC)

Level 2B	George Medal (GM) Queen's Police Medal, for Gallantry (QPM) Queen's Fire Service Medal, for Gallantry (QFSM)

Level 3A	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Military Cross (MC) Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Air Force Cross (AFC) Royal Red Cross Class II (ARRC)

Level 3B	Constabulary Medal (Ireland) Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM) Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM) Royal Victorian Medal (RVM) British Empire Medal (BEM) Queen's Police Medal, for Distinguished Service (QPM) Queen's Fire Service Medal, for Distinguished Service (QFSM) Queen's Ambulance Service Medal Queen's Volunteer Reserves Medal (QVRM) Queen's Medal for Chiefs Polar Medal Imperial Service Medal Overseas Territories Police Medal

Level 4	Mentioned in Despatches Queen's Commendation for Bravery Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service

Other awards	Badge of Honour

Obsolete awards

Levels 1 / 2A	Indian Order of Merit (First Class) (IOM) Indian Order of Merit (Second Class) (IOM)

Level 2B	Albert Medal (AM) Edward Medal (EM) Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM) Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Gold Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM) Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying) (CGM)

Level 3A	Order of British India (First Class) (OBI) Order of British India (Second Class) (OBI) Kaisar-i-Hind Medal, Gold Kaisar-i-Hind Medal, Silver Kaisar-i-Hind Medal, Bronze

Level 3B	Royal West African Frontier Force Distinguished Conduct Medal King's African Rifles Distinguished Conduct Medal Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM) Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery (Silver) Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) Military Medal (MM) Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) Air Force Medal (AFM) Indian Order of Merit (Third Class) (IOM) Burma Gallantry Medal (BGM) Indian Police Medal, for Gallantry Ceylon Police Medal, for Gallantry Sierra Leone Police Medal, for Gallantry Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Medal, for Gallantry Colonial Police Medal, for Gallantry (CPM) Canada Medal (CM) Indian Police Medal, for Meritorious Service Ceylon Police Medal, for Merit Sierra Leone Police Medal, for Meritorious Service Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Medal, for Meritorious Service

Level 4	King's/Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct King's/Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air

See also: British campaign medals

Former decorations awarded to Australians
Australian Honours Order of Precedence prior to 6 October 1992

Orders of Chivalry

Most Honourable Order of the Bath	Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) • Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB/DCB) • Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)

Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George	Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) • Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG/DCMG) • Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire	/ Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) • / Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE/DBE) • / Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) • / Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) • / Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Imperial Service Order	Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO)

Order of the Companions of Honour	Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)

Miscellaneous	Hereditary peer • Life peer • Baronet • Knight Bachelor

Military
Gallantry/Bravery Decorations

In the face of the enemy	Victoria Cross (VC) • Distinguished Service Order (DSO) • Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) • Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM) • Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying) (CGM) • Military Cross (MC) • Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) • Military Medal (MM) • Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) • Mentioned in dispatches

Not the face of the enemy	Air Force Cross (AFC) • Air Force Medal (AFM) • Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Distinguished Service Decorations

In the face of the enemy	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) • Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)

Not the face of the enemy	Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (QPM) • Queen's Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service (QFSM)

Civil
Bravery Decorations

George Cross (GC) • Albert Medal, First Class (AM) • Albert Medal, First Class (Sea) (AM) • Albert Medal, Second Class (AM) • Albert Medal, Second Class (Sea) (AM) • George Medal (GM) • Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry (QPM) • Queen's Fire Service Medal for Gallantry (QFSM) • Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM) • Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM) • Edward Medal (EM) • Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Nursing Service

Member of the Royal Red Cross (RRC) • Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC)

Meritorious Service

/ British Empire Medal (BEM) • Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service