List of Australian George Cross recipients
Encyclopedia
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
is the highest civil decoration
Civil decoration
A civil decoration is a decoration awarded to civilians for distinguished service. Military personnel might also be eligible for services of a non-military nature...
for heroism in the United Kingdom, a status it also holds, or has held, in several countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. The George Cross (Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
"GC") is the civilian counterpart of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, and is awarded to civilians for "acts of the greatest heroism" or to military personnel for actions that are not "in the face of the enemy" or for which purely military honours would not normally be granted. In an official radio broadcast on 23 September 1940, King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
announced his decision to establish the awards of the George Cross and George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
to recognise individual acts of bravery by the civilian population. The Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
that established the awards was published in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 31 January 1941. Australians received the George Cross under the Imperial Honours System until the establishment of the Australian Honours System in 1975. The George Cross was replaced by the new award, the Cross of Valour
Cross of Valour (Australia)
The Cross of Valour is Australia's highest civilian award for bravery. It was established in 1975 to replace the British George Cross, previously awarded to Australians....
, which was created by letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
within the Commonwealth of Australia and its Territories on 14 February 1975. One further award of the George Cross, however, was granted after this date to Constable Michael Kenneth Pratt
Michael Kenneth Pratt
Michael Kenneth Pratt GC is a former constable of the Victoria Police Force of Melbourne, Australia, and a recipient of the George Cross, gazetted on 4 July 1978...
in 1978.
Between the first award of the George Cross to an Australian in 1942 and the final bestowal in 1978, 14 Australians were decorated with the medal. Of these, 9 were awarded to military personnel and 5 to civilians; 8 of the medals were awarded posthumously. At the time of the institution of the George Cross, living recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal
Empire Gallantry Medal
The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, usually known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , was a British medal awarded for acts of the highest civilian gallantry . King George V introduced it on 29 December 1922...
automatically became recipients of the new award, and were required to return their previous medal; 2 Australians became holders through this method. In 1971, the British Government announced that living recipients of the Albert Medal
Albert Medal (lifesaving)
The Albert Medal for Lifesaving was a British medal awarded to recognise the saving of life. It has since been replaced by the George Cross.The Albert Medal was first instituted by a Royal Warrant on 7 March 1866 and discontinued in 1971 with the last two awards promulgated in the London Gazette of...
and Edward Medal
Edward Medal
The Edward Medal is 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...
were invited to exchange their medals in substitution for the George Cross, and would henceforth formally become recipients of the latter award. The decision for such an action was the result of the decline in the status and significance of the two awards, leading recipients to feel they were not receiving the recognition they were due. Of the 27 Australian holders of the Albert Medal, 6 were living at the time; all 6 became awardees of the George Cross. None of the 8 Australians awarded the Edward Medal were alive in 1971, and thus no Australian became a recipient of the George Cross through this variant of exchange. Including exchange awards, a total of 22 Australians have been decorated with the George Cross.
Recipients
George Cross
| Name | |Date of action | |Organisation | |Summary of action(s) | 12 January 1945* | New South Wales Police Force | Apprehended a suspect while mortally wounded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 April 1960* | Metropolitan Tram Trust | Attempting to regain control of tram Tram A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities... during accident |
||
| July 1969 – August 1971* |
District Commissioner, Territory of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... |
Resolving factional conflicts and restoring local government in Papua New Guinea | ||
| ^ | 12 June 1943 – 10 April 1944 |
Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine Naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel... recovery and defusion, Second World War |
|
| ^ | 8–19 May 1945 | Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine Naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel... recovery and defusion, Second World War |
|
| ^ | 5 August 1944* | Citizens Military Force | Gallantry during Cowra breakout Cowra breakout During World War II, a prisoner of war camp near the town of Cowra in New South Wales, Australia was the site of one of the largest prison escapes of the war, on 5 August 1944. At least 545 Japanese POWs were involved in the breakout.-The camp:... |
|
| ^ | 5 August 1944* | Citizens Military Force | Gallantry during Cowra breakout Cowra breakout During World War II, a prisoner of war camp near the town of Cowra in New South Wales, Australia was the site of one of the largest prison escapes of the war, on 5 August 1944. At least 545 Japanese POWs were involved in the breakout.-The camp:... |
|
| ^ | 24 April 1951 – 6 November 1951* |
Australian Army Australian Army The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army... |
Fortitude while a prisoner of war Prisoner of war A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict... , Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
|
| ^ | August 1942 – March 1944* |
Second Australian Imperial Force Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to... |
Fortitude while a prisoner of war Prisoner of war A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict... , Second World War |
|
| ^ | 14 November 1941 – 30 June 1942 |
Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine Naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel... recovery and defusion, Second World War |
|
| 4 June 1976 | Victoria Police Force Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police... |
Intervention in an armed robbery | ||
| ^ | 10 February 1964* | Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces... |
Gallantry during Melbourne-Voyager collision Melbourne-Voyager collision The Melbourne-Voyager collision, also referred to as the "Melbourne-Voyager incident" or simply the "Voyager incident", was a collision between two warships of the Royal Australian Navy ; the aircraft carrier and the destroyer... |
|
| ^ | 19 May 1941 – 25 December 1942 |
Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve | Mine Naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel... recovery and defusion, Second World War |
|
| January–March 1951 | Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources | Gallantry during eruption of Mount Lamington Mount Lamington Mount Lamington is an andesitic stratovolcano in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. The forested peak of the volcano had not been recognised as such until its devastating eruption in 1951 that caused about 3,000 deaths.... , Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... |
Empire Gallantry Medal and Albert Medal exchanges
EGM = This indicates a recipient of the Empire Gallantry Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.AM = This indicates a recipient of the Albert Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.
| Name | |Date of action | |Organisation | |Summary of action(s) | ^ | 12 April 1918 | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve | Gallantry during engine room explosion on HM Motor Launch Motor Launch A Motor Launch is a small military vessel in British navy service. It was designed for harbour defence and submarine chasing or for armed high speed air-sea rescue.... 356 |
AM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February 1922 | North Bondi North Bondi, New South Wales North Bondi is a coastal, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Bondi is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council.... Surf Life Saving Club Surf Life Saving Australia Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to other countries including New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and the United States... |
Rescue of swimmer during shark attack | AM | |
| 3 January 1927 | Civilian | Rescue of swimmer during shark attack | AM | |
| 19 January 1929 | Civilian | Rescue of swimmer during shark attack | AM | |
| 19 November 1924 | Chauffeur to Governor-General of Sudan | Gallantry during assassination of the Governor-General Governor-General A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses... of Sudan Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Anglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:... |
EGM | |
| ^ | 31 August 1937 | Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts... |
Attempted rescue of an officer trapped in a burning aircraft | AM |
| 9 October 1915 – 19 March 1916 |
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition , also known as the Endurance Expedition, is considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent... |
Gallantry during Trans-Antarctic Expedition | AM | |
| 15 May 1935 | Australia-New Zealand airmail flight | Gallantry during flight when the aircraft's starboard engine failed | EGM |