List_of_Australian_George_Cross_recipients

List of Australian George Cross recipients

List of Australian George Cross recipients

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The George Cross (GC) is the highest civil decoration for heroism in the United Kingdom. Australia as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations through the Governor-General of Australia was eligible to recommend awards, with the last GC recommended in 1972, on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister, for the late Jack Emanuel GC. Each governor of the six Australian colonies, when achieving self-government in the second half of the nineteenth century, had the power on the advice of the colonial premier to recommend awards. This power was retained by colonial governors who became state governors when Australia federated on 1 January 1901. The last Australian recommendation for the GC was made by the State Governor of Victoria in 1978 for the award to Michael Pratt.[1]

Memorial to Australian recipients of the George Cross, George Cross Park, Canberra.

Australians received the GC under the Imperial honours system until 5 October 1992 when after more than two years of negotiations with Australian State governments, the Australian prime minister, Paul Keating, announced that Australia would make no further recommendations for British honours.[2][3] Australians are today eligible for the Cross of Valour instituted by letters patent within the Commonwealth of Australia and its Territories on 14 February 1975 under the Australian honours system.[4][5]

Between the first award of the GC to an Australian in 1942 and the final bestowal to Constable Michael Kenneth Pratt in 1978,[6] 14 Australians were directly decorated with the medal. Of these, nine were awarded to military personnel and five to civilians. Eight of the medals were awarded posthumously.[7]

Exchange recipients

At the time of the institution of the GC, all living recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal which included two Australians, were deemed holders of the GC.

On 21 October 1971, the British Government announced that living recipients of the Albert Medal and Edward Medal would be deemed holders of the GC. Unlike the 1940 Empire Gallantry Medal exchange when it was mandatory for recipients to exchange insignia, the former Albert Medal and Edward Medal recipients had the option of retaining their insignia. Of the 27 Australian holders of the Albert Medal, six were living in 1971 and all opted to exchange their insignia. Five of the six received the GC personally from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1972. Only one of the eight Australians awarded the Edward Medal was alive in 1971 and this was not known until this century. In the 2020 Australian War Memorial book For Gallantry: Australians awarded the George Cross and the Cross of Valour, Frank Duller, who died in 1983 is listed as a GC holder. Of the 23 Australians GC holders, Michael Pratt GC is the only living Australian GC recipient.

Recipients

The George Cross

  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the George Cross was awarded posthumously.
  This along with the ^ indicates that the George Cross was awarded to military personnel for actions "not in the face of the enemy".

Direct awards of the George Cross

More information Name, Date of action ...

Empire Gallantry Medal, Albert Medal and Edward 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.
EM = This indicates a recipient of the Edward Medal who exchanged the award for the George Cross.

More information Name, Date of action ...

Notes

  1. [1]
    Staunton 2005, p. vi
  2. [2]
    A matter of honour: the report of the review of Australian honours and awards, December 1995, pp. 21–22
  3. [3]
    "The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards" (PDF). Special Gazette No. S192. Commonwealth of Australia. 28 September 2007.[permanent dead link]
  4. [4]
    "Cross of Valour". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  5. [5]
    Staunton 2005, p. 350
  6. [6]
    "No. 47582". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1978. p. 8045.
  7. [7]
    Staunton 2005, pp. 291–339
  8. [8]
    "No. 37771". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 October 1946. p. 5307.
  9. [9]
    "No. 42162". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1960. p. 6849.
  10. [10]
    "No. 45588". The London Gazette. 1 February 1972. p. 1281.
  11. [11]
    "No. 36707". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 September 1944. p. 4333.
  12. [12]
    "No. 37549". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 April 1946. p. 2085.
  13. [13]
    "No. 39008". The London Gazette. 1 September 1950. p. 4431.
  14. [14]
    "No. 40665". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1955. p. 7299.
  15. [15]
    "No. 38134". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 November 1947. p. 5635.
  16. [16]
    "No. 35769". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 November 1942. p. 4761.
  17. [17]
    "No. 43604". The London Gazette. 19 March 1965. p. 2797.
  18. [18]
    "No. 36118". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 August 1943. p. 3499.
  19. [19]
    "No. 39519". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 April 1952. p. 2165.
  20. [20]
    "No. 30852". The London Gazette. 20 August 1918. p. 9700.
  21. [21]
    "No. 32727". The London Gazette. 7 July 1922. p. 5103.
  22. [22]
    "No. 31401". The London Gazette. 13 June 1919. p. 7552.
  23. [23]
    "No. 33246". The London Gazette. 8 February 1927. p. 864.
  24. [24]
    "No. 33653". The London Gazette. 17 October 1930. pp. 6316–6317.
  25. [25]
    "No. 32999". The London Gazette. 5 December 1924. p. 8851.
  26. [26]
    "No. 34485". The London Gazette. 18 February 1938. p. 1069.
  27. [27]
    "No. 32842". The London Gazette. 6 July 1923. p. 4686.
  28. [28]
    "No. 34416". The London Gazette. 9 July 1937. pp. 4414–4415.

References

  • Macklin, Robert (2008). Bravest: How Some of Australia's Greatest War Heroes Won Their Medals. Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74114-882-4.
  • Staunton, Anthony (2005). Victoria Cross: Australia's Finest and the Battles they Fought. Prahran, Victoria, Australia: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 1-74066-288-1.
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