Military Cross-country race

The Military Cross ( MC ) is the third higher military decoration decreed with the Officier S and, since 1933 with the other categories of ranks of the British Army and before with the officers of the other countries of the the Commonwealth.

The MC, which cannot be decreed on a purely posthumous basis, are given to the military personnel in recognition of their " … nobility at the time of active operations against the ennemi" ( " … gallantry during activates operations against the enemy" )

This reward was created in 1914 for the Officier S of the row of Capitaine or below and for the Adjudant S ( Warrant Officer ). In 1931, the reward was extended to the Major S (Majors or Majors) and also to the members of the Royal Air Force for actions on the ground. Since the revision of the system of the military honors of 1933, the Military Medal, before third level of decoration for the not-officers, having been suspended, the MC is from now on the third level of decoration for nobility of action for all the rank of British Army.

Bars are decreed to the MC in recognition of other actions of nobility deserving the attribution of the reward. The récipendiaires have the right to affix the letters " MC" with their title and " & Bars" if it is necessary.

Description

46mm max height, 44mm max of width
Cross with right branches pattées decorative out of money decorated by a imperial crown at each end, suspended with a barette of full suspension. The avers has the Royal Monogram ( Royal Cypher ) in its center;
the reverse is full, but since 1938 the name of the récipendaire and the year of distinction are engraved on the lower branch of the cross.

Striking facts

The first woman to receive Military Cross was the soldier Michelle Norris of the Royal Army Medical Body, then attached to the Princess off Wales' S Royal Regiment in Iraq. Norris received its medal of the hands of the Queen Elizabeth II the March 21st 2007 for its actions in Iraq of the June 11th 2006.

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