List of Australian George Cross recipients

The George Cross (GC) is the highest civil decoration for heroism in the United Kingdom, a status it also holds, or has held, in several countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations.[1] The George Cross (Post-nominal letters "GC") is regarded as the civilian counterpart of the Victoria Cross, 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.[2][3] In an official radio broadcast on 23 September 1940, King George VI announced his decision to establish the awards of the GC and George Medal to recognise individual acts of bravery by the civilian population.[4] The Royal Warrant that established the awards was published in the London Gazette on 31 January 1941.[2] 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.[5][6] 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.[7][8]

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

Between the first award of the GC to an Australian in 1942 and the final bestowal to Constable Michael Kenneth Pratt in 1978,[9] 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.[10] At the time of the institution of the GC, living recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal automatically became recipients of the new award, and were required to return their previous medal; two Australians became GC holders through this method.

Exchange recipients

In 1971, the British Government announced that living recipients of the Albert Medal and Edward Medal would henceforth be recipients of the GC with the option of exchanging their insignia for that of the GC. 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.[10][11] Of the 27 Australian holders of the Albert Medal, six were living at the time and all opted to exchange their insignia for the GC. None of the eight Australians awarded the Edward Medal were alive in 1971,[12] and thus no Australian became a recipient of the GC through this exchange. Including exchange awards, a total of 22 Australians were decorated with the GC.[10]

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
Name Date of action Organisation Summary of action(s) Notes
Eric Bailey1945-01-1212 January 1945*New South Wales Police ForceApprehended a suspect while mortally wounded[13]
Raymond Donoghue1960-04-2929 April 1960*Metropolitan Tram TrustAttempting to regain control of tram during accident[14]
Errol Emanuel1969-07-01July 1969 –
August 1971*		District Commissioner, Territory of Papua New GuineaResolving factional conflicts and restoring local government in Papua New Guinea[15]
Leon Goldsworthy^1943-06-1212 June 1943 –
10 April 1944		Royal Australian Naval Volunteer ReserveMine recovery and defusion, Second World War[16]
George Gosse^1945-05-088–19 May 1945Royal Australian Naval Volunteer ReserveMine recovery and defusion, Second World War[17]
Benjamin Hardy^1944-08-055 August 1944*Citizens Military ForceGallantry during Cowra breakout[18]
Ralph Jones^1944-08-055 August 1944*Citizens Military ForceGallantry during Cowra breakout[18]
Horace Madden^1951-04-2424 April 1951 –
6 November 1951*		Australian ArmyFortitude while a prisoner of war, Korean War[19]
Lionel Matthews^1942-08-01August 1942 –
March 1944*		Second Australian Imperial ForceFortitude while a prisoner of war, Second World War[20]
John Mould^1941-11-1414 November 1941 –
30 June 1942		Royal Australian Naval Volunteer ReserveMine recovery and defusion, Second World War[21]
Michael Pratt1976-06-044 June 1976Victoria Police ForceIntervention in an armed robbery[9]
Jonathan Rogers^1964-02-1010 February 1964*Royal Australian NavyGallantry during Melbourne-Voyager collision[22]
Hugh Syme^1941-05-1919 May 1941 –
25 December 1942		Royal Australian Naval Volunteer ReserveMine recovery and defusion, Second World War[23]
Anthony Taylor1951-01-01January–March 1951Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral ResourcesGallantry during eruption of Mount Lamington, Papua New Guinea[24]

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) Notes
Arthur Bagot^1918-05-1212 April 1918Royal Naval Volunteer ReserveGallantry during engine room explosion on HM Motor Launch 356AM[25]
John Chalmers1922-02-044 February 1922North Bondi Surf Life Saving ClubRescue of swimmer during shark attackAM[26]
Stanley Gibbs1927-01-033 January 1927CivilianRescue of swimmer during shark attackAM[27]
Robert Kavanaugh1929-01-1919 January 1929CivilianRescue of swimmer during shark attackAM[28]
Frederick March1924-11-1919 November 1924Chauffeur to Governor-General of SudanGallantry during assassination of the Governor-General of SudanEGM[29]
William McAloney^1937-08-3131 August 1937Royal Australian Air ForceAttempted rescue of an officer trapped in a burning aircraftAM[30]
Richard Richards1915-10-099 October 1915 –
19 March 1916		Imperial Trans-Antarctic ExpeditionGallantry during Trans-Antarctic ExpeditionAM[31]
Patrick Taylor1935-05-1515 May 1935Australia-New Zealand airmail flightGallantry during flight when the aircraft's starboard engine failedEGM[32]

Notes

  1. Staunton 2005, p. vi
  2. "No. 35060". The London Gazette. 31 January 1941. pp. 622–623.
  3. Macklin 2008, p. 16
  4. "The Decoration". George Cross Database. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  5. A matter of honour: the report of the review of Australian honours and awards, December 1995, pp. 21–22
  6. "The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards" (PDF). Special Gazette No. S192. Commonwealth of Australia. 28 September 2007.
  7. "Cross of Valour". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  8. Staunton 2005, p. 350
  9. "No. 47582". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1978. p. 8045.
  10. Staunton 2005, pp. 291–339
  11. "George Cross "Exchanges"". George Cross Database. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  12. "Imperial Awards". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 23 June 2006. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  13. "No. 37771". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 October 1946. p. 5307.
  14. "No. 42162". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1960. p. 6849.
  15. "No. 45588". The London Gazette. 1 February 1972. p. 1281.
  16. "No. 36707". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 September 1944. p. 4333.
  17. "No. 37549". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 April 1946. p. 2085.
  18. "No. 39008". The London Gazette. 1 September 1950. p. 4431.
  19. "No. 40665". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1955. p. 7299.
  20. "No. 38134". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 November 1947. p. 5635.
  21. "No. 35769". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 November 1942. p. 4761.
  22. "No. 43604". The London Gazette. 19 March 1965. p. 2797.
  23. "No. 36118". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 August 1943. p. 3499.
  24. "No. 39519". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 April 1952. p. 2165.
  25. "No. 30852". The London Gazette. 20 August 1918. p. 9700.
  26. "No. 32727". The London Gazette. 7 July 1922. p. 5103.
  27. "No. 33246". The London Gazette. 8 February 1927. p. 864.
  28. "No. 33653". The London Gazette. 17 October 1930. pp. 6316–6317.
  29. "No. 32999". The London Gazette. 5 December 1924. p. 8851.
  30. "No. 34485". The London Gazette. 18 February 1938. p. 1069.
  31. "No. 32842". The London Gazette. 6 July 1923. p. 4686.
  32. "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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Staunton, Anthony (2005). Victoria Cross: Australia's Finest and the Battles they Fought. Prahran, Victoria, Australia: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 1-74066-288-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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