George Cross (Gallambria)

George Cross
Awarded by the Monarchy of Gallambria
Type	Military decoration
Eligibility	Persons of any rank in the Naval, Military and Air Forces of Gallambria, its colonies or territories; members of the Merchant Navy; and civilians serving under the orders, directions or supervision of any of the above-mentioned forces or services.
Awarded for	"... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the face of the enemy."
Status	Currently awarded.
Clasps	Bars can be awarded for further acts of valour
Post-nominals	GC
Statistics
Established	25 April 1895
First awarded	19 June 1957
Last awarded	2 February 1993
Total awarded	56
Posthumous awards	23
Distinct recipients	54
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	Edward Cross
Ribbon Bar

The George Cross (GC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the Gallambrian honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of HM Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No civilian has received the award. The GC was instituted on 25 April 1858 by King George II to recognise acts of valour and self sacrifice. Since then the medal has been awarded 55 times to 54 individual recipients. Only 8 medals have been awarded since the Second Argic War.

Origin

In 1895, following a period of peace, Gallambria found itself at war with Salvia. The Peninsula War was one of the first wars where records were kept, and reports were sent to the various commanders of the armed forces of the time. It was noted by the King's Private Secretary of the time, Sir William Badcoe, that acts of bravery, valour and self-sacrifice by Gallambrian servicemen went without some form of recognition.

Before the Peninsula War, Gallambria had no established a standardised system of honours and awards, especially for awards to recognise gallantry with the Armed Forces. Officers were eligible for an award of one of the junior grades of the Order of St George and field promotions, while enlisted personnel were only eligible to receive a Mention in Despatches. While this system of recognition existed, it was abused by members of the Armed Force's high command. In practice, awards of the Order of St George were confined to officers of field rank, and field promotions or Mentions in Despatches were largely limited to those who were under the immediate notice of the commanders in the field, usually those who were member's of the commander's staff.

Following the end of the Peninsula War, Sir William Badcoe had collated 12 reports of specific acts of bravery and valour, and had suggested to the King that "... a medal should be presented to these men or their families, in recognition of their dedication to service and to honour their bravery and sacrifice." Members of the royal court, the Chief of the General Staff and other senior officers of the Army petitioned the King that a new award was needed to recognise such incidents of gallantry. Sir William and other members of court, also suggested that the award shouldn't be connected to the recipients length or merit of service. King George II issued a warrant under the royal sign-manual on 25 April 1895, that officially instituted the GC. The order was backdated to 1891 to recognise acts of valour and gallantry during the Peninsula War.

Manufacture

Captured Loyalist Force's cannon on display at the National War Memorial

The Royal Gallambrian Mint has been responsible for the production of every GC since its introduction.

The medal is cast from the bronze trunnions of three captured loyalist cannons following the Battle of Brecknock at the end of the Second Union War. As of 2022, 60 medals have been cast from this supply, with remaining supply to allow for a further 240 medals to be cast.

Conferment

The George Cross is awarded for

... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the face of the enemy.

A recommendation for the GC is normally issued by an officer at regimental level, or equivalent, and has to be supported by two witnesses. The recommendation is then passed up through the nominees chain of command until it reaches the Defence Honours and Awards Directorate. Upon further scrutinisation by the Directorate, the Secretary of State for Defence presents the recommendation to the monarch who then approves the award with their signature. George Cross awards are always promulgated in the Gallambrian Gazette. Although no specific provision exists as to who presents the award, it has been custom that the reinging monarch or member of the royal family presents the medal to the recipient or their next of kin.

The 1959 amendenment to the awards warrant, made provision for women serving in the Armed Forces eligible to receive the GC. One woman, Lance Corporal Bethany Gillam, was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1992, for actions during the Marenesian Wars.

In the case of a gallant and daring act being performed by a unit, in which all men are deemed equally deserving of a George Cross, a recommendation for a collective award to be made. As of 2022, no collective awards have been invested.

Recipients

Guardsman Arthur Keating GC & Bar

At total of 56 George Crosses have been awarded wince 1895 to 54 recipients. Rifleman Prasad Hamal was the first Durkha to receive the award. Gunner William Trigg was the first living recipient of the award. The greatest number won in a single conflict is 15, being for the Salamite Rebellions. The greatest number won by a single unit during a single action is three, to the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, during the Second Argic War.

Two people have been awarded the GC and Bar, the bar representing a second award of the GC. They are Sergeant "A" of 1 Special Air Service Regiment, and Guardsman Arthur Keating of 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.

Since the end of the Second Argic War, the GC has been awarded eight times; five in the Marenesian Wars, and three in the Sentist War.

  This along with a † indicates that the George Cross was awarded posthumously.

Name	Rank	Unit	Campaign	Date of action
"A"	Sergeant	1 Special Air Service Regiment	Sentist War	19 August 2020
	Lance Corporal	1st Battalion, Royal Gallambrian Regiment	Marenesian Wars	27 October 1991
"G"	Singaller	21 (Special Operations) Signals Regiment	Sentist War	18 February 2020
"F"	Trooper	1 Special Air Service Regiment	Sentist War	16 July 2020
Dean Richardson	Corporal	6th/9th Battalion, Royal Gallambrian Regiment	Marenesian Wars	4 February 1994†
Jonathon Cooper	Lance Corporal	6th/9th Battalion, Royal Gallambrian Regiment	Marenesian Wars	6 September 1991
Casey Phelps	Serjeant	2nd Battalion, The Rifles	Marenesian Wars	19 November 1991
Bethany Gillam	Lance Corporal	40 Field Hospital	Marenesian Wars	27 October 1991†
Sebastian Martin-Powell	Lieutenant	2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards	Marenesian Wars	4 April 1994
Michael Oldham	Sergeant	Royal Mercian Yeomanry	Second Argic War	12 November 1970
James Wood	Trooper	King's Dragoon Guards	Second Argic War	2 August 1971†
Joseph Roberts	Flight Lieutenant	No. 3 Squadron RGAF	Second Argic War	20 March 1970†
Thomas Ward	Commander	Special Boat Service	Second Argic War	5 October 1973†
Lawrence Wright	Sergeant	1st Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment	Second Argic War	5 May 1971†
George Shaw	Colour Sergeant	1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards	Second Argic War	11 August 1968
Peter Ashworth	Lance Corporal	1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards	Second Argic War	11 August 1968
Thomas Esmonde	Lance Sergeant	1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards	Second Argic War	11 August 1968
Claude Fegen	Brevet Captain	1st Battalion, King's Own Cambrian Light Infantry	Second Argic War	18 October 1972
William Cartwright	Major	Battagara Rifles, 1st Durkha Rifles	Bashan-Qubdi War	21 June 1963†
Ibrahim Al-Mansoor	Jundiun Awwal	3rd Battalion, King's Own Sharabic Rifles	Bashan-Qubdi War	31 October 1963
Marzooq Tariq	Jundiun	3rd Battalion, King's Own Sharabic Rifles	Bashan-Qubdi War	29 August 1963
Betzalel Datz	Samal Rishon	Aroer Rifles, 2nd Bashan Light Infantry	Bashan-Qubdi War	10 August 1963
Rafe Balsam	Samal	Aroer Rifles, 2nd Bashan Light Infantry	Bashan-Qubdi War	17 September 1963
Ivrit Sayar	Rav Turai	Aroer Rifles, 2nd Bashan Light Infantry	Bashan-Qubdi War	18 August 1963
Arthur Bissett	Corporal	2nd Battalion, Royal Mercians	Second Salamite Rebellions	14 June 1957
Thomas Beesley	Lance Corporal	2nd Battalion, Duke of Wessex's Regiment	Second Salamite Rebellions	7 March 1956
Donald Curry	Rifleman	1st Battalion, The Rifles	Second Salamite Rebellions	10 April 1957
Herbert Dougall	Lance Corporal	1st Battalion, The Rifles	Second Salamite Rebellions	28 September 1957
Maurice Blackman	Sergeant	15 Queen's Own Royal Lancers	Second Salamite Rebellions	23 June 1957†
John Collings	Corporal	15 Queen's Own Royal Lancers	Second Salamite Rebellions	4 August 1957†
William Cross	Ordinary Seaman	HMGS George IV	Second Salamite Rebellions	24 April 1958
Patrick Carless	Trooper	15 Queen's Own Royal Lancers	Second Salamite Rebellions	6 January 1957†
Philip Birks	Guardsman	1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards	Second Salamite Rebellions	17 February 1958†
Albert Beatham	Major	4th Battalion, Princess Catherine's Royal Regiment	Second Salamite Rebellions	3 January 1956
Prasad Hamal	Rifleman	Jutpandi Rifles, 5th Durkha Rifles	First Salamite Rebellions	6 November 1953
Vinay Pun	Lance Corporal	Jutpandi Rifles, 5th Durkha Rifles	First Salamite Rebellions	12 September 1954
Henry Clements	Trooper	2 Light Horse Regiment (Mercian Mounted Infantry)	First Salamite Rebellions	11 May 1954†
William Cosgrove	Warrant Officer Class 2	King's Own Mallee & Loddon Borderers	First Salamite Rebellions	28 July 1954†
Edward Forshaw	Captain	1st Battalion, Royal Gallambrian Regiment	First Salamite Rebellions	6 February 1954
Israel Hammond	Lieutenant	2nd Battalion, Royal Mercian Fusiliers	First Argic War	29 March 1953†
Arthur Keating	Corporal	1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards	First Argic War	10 June 1951
	Guardsman			15 December 1949
George Lascelles	Major	4th Battalion, Royal Cambrian Regiment	First Argic War	21 June 1953†
Herbert Lyster	Corporal	15 Light Horse Regiment (Mercian Mounted Infantry)	First Argic War	27 October 1950
Eric Nicholls	Private	Duke of Caledon's Light Infantry	First Argic War	6 June 1953
Robert Peel	Captain	Duke of Bosanquet's Regiment	First Argic War	22 June 1951
Percy Ruthven	Lance Corporal	7th Battalion, Royal Gallambrian Regiment	First Argic War	26 February 1952†
Bikash Hamal	Sergeant	17 Queen's Royal Lancers	First Argic War	14 November 1949
Charles Hardman	Rifleman	1st Battalion, The Rifles	First Argic War	5 March 1950†
William Trigg	Gunner	1 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery	First Argic War	12 September 1951
Leonard Howell	Lieutenant	Royal Mercian Dragoon Guards	First Argic War	9 November 1950†
Robert Keysor	Lance Corporal	1st Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment	First Argic War	3 September 1951†
James Middleton	Lieutenant	1st Infantry Battalion GEMF	Bashan War	9 May 1908†
Howard Throssell	Sub Lieutenant	Shore Artillery Party	Bashan War	14 July 1908†
Charles McNamara	Captain	1st Infantry Battalion GEMF	Bashan War	5 June 1908†
Reginald Borella	Sergeant	5th Infantry Battalion GEMF	Bashan War	3 August 1908†

See also

• Edward Cross, an equivalent award for acts of valour not in the face of the enemy.
• Cross of Valour, an equivalent award for acts of valour or gallantry, by a Gallambrian subject.