# Conspicuous Gallantry Cross

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) is a second level military decoration of the British Armed Forces. Created in 1993 and first awarded in 1995, it was instituted after a review of the British honours system to remove distinctions of rank in the awarding of gallantry decorations. The Victoria Cross is the only higher combat gallantry award presented by the United Kingdom.

## History

The CGC was instituted in the aftermath of the 1993 review of the honours system. As part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery, the CGC replaced both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (Army) and the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Naval and Air) as second level awards to other ranks and ratings. The CGC also replaced the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), in its role as an award to officers for gallantry. The DSO was retained as an award for outstanding leadership. The CGC now serves as the second level award for gallantry for all ranks across the whole armed forces. It was designed and sculpted by Michael Rizzello for the Royal Mint.

## Eligibility

The CGC, which may be awarded posthumously, is awarded "in recognition of an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy". All ranks of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army, and Royal Air Force may be awarded the CGC in recognition of qualifying acts of gallantry. Bars are awarded to the CGC in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award. When the ribbon bar alone is worn, a silver rosette on the ribbon indicates the award of a bar. Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters CGC.

## Appearance

The medal is in the shape of a cross pattée in silver. Arranged behind the cross, visible between the arms is a laurel wreath. On the obverse of the medal, the circular medallion in the centre depicts St Edward's crown. The reverse is plain which allows room for the engraving of the rank, name, and unit of its recipient. The award date is also engraved on the reverse of the medal. The medal is suspended by a white ribbon with two narrow dark blue stripes at the edge and one centre stripe in crimson.

## Recipients

To date, there have been about 60 awards of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, including three posthumous and one unit award. No second award bars have been awarded. The following is a full list of recipients who have been Gazetted to date.
| Name | Rank | Service | Date award announced | Place |
| Mills, Wayne | Corporal | Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) | 9 May 1995 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Humphreys, Peter | Colour Sergeant | Royal Welch Fusiliers | 9 May 1996 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Baycroft, John David, MBE | Colour Sergeant | Parachute Regiment | 6 April 2001 | Sierra Leone (Operation Barras) |
| MacFarlane, Iain James McKechnie | Squadron Leader | Royal Air Force | 6 April 2001 | Sierra Leone (Operation Barras) |
| Day, Tony Kenneth | Corporal | Royal Marines | 29 October 2002 | Afghanistan |
| Merchant, Jeremy Mark | Captain | Royal Marines | 29 October 2002 | Afghanistan |
| Hearne, Karl Anthony | Corporal | Parachute Regiment | 29 October 2002 | Afghanistan |
| Sanders, Edward Lawrence | Private | Parachute Regiment | 29 October 2002 | Afghanistan |
| Thomas, Justin Royston | Marine | Royal Marines | 31 October 2003 | Iraq |
| Flynn, Michael John | Lance Corporal of Horse | Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) | 31 October 2003 | Iraq |
| Jardine, Shaun Garry | Corporal | King's Own Scottish Borderers | 23 April 2004 | Iraq |
| Robertson, Gordon | Sergeant | Parachute Regiment | 23 April 2004 | Iraq |
| Greensmith, Benjamin Paul | Corporal | Parachute Regiment | 7 March 2008 | Iraq |
| Broome, Christopher Mark | Sergeant | Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) | 18 March 2005 | Iraq |
| Bryan, Terry | Sergeant | Royal Artillery | 18 March 2005 | Iraq |
| Thomson, Terence Alan | Corporal | Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) | 18 March 2005 | Iraq |
| Tomlinson, Matthew Robert | Colour Sergeant | Royal Marines | 24 March 2006 | Iraq |
| Radford, Andrew | Lance Corporal of Horse | Life Guards | 14 December 2006 | Afghanistan |
| Collins, John | Corporal | Parachute Regiment | 14 December 2006 | Iraq |
| Harkess, James Royce | Colour Sergeant | Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) | 14 December 2006 | Iraq |
| Farmer, Hugo | Lieutenant | Parachute Regiment | 14 December 2006 | Afghanistan |
| Illingworth, Timothy | Acting Captain | The Light Infantry | 14 December 2006 | Afghanistan |
| Unit award | | Royal Irish Regiment/Ulster Defence Regiment | 19 December 2006 | Northern Ireland |
| Thompson, John Thomas | Corporal | Royal Marines | 19 July 2007 | Afghanistan |
| Hollingsworth, Jonathan Stuart, QGM | Sergeant | Parachute Regiment | 19 July 2007 | Iraq (posthumous) |
| Campbell, Donald Peter | Acting Corporal | Royal Engineers | 7 March 2008 | Afghanistan |
| Cupples, Simon Timothy | Lieutenant | Mercian Regiment | 7 March 2008 | Afghanistan |
| Willmott, Paul Darren | Private | Mercian Regiment | 7 March 2008 | Afghanistan |
| Miller, Adam William | Corporal | Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 7 March 2008 | Iraq |
| Wadsworth, James Anthony | Staff Sergeant | Royal Logistic Corps | 7 March 2008 | Iraq |
| McClurg, Robert William Kerr | Corporal | Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) | 6 March 2009 | Afghanistan |
| Stevens, Alwyn John | Acting Sergeant | Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) | 6 March 2009 | Afghanistan |
| Toge, Jone Bruce | Lance Corporal | Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) | 6 March 2009 | Afghanistan |
| Durber, Leonard John | Colour Sergeant | Parachute Regiment | 6 March 2009 | Iraq |
| Malone, Bradley | Acting Corporal | Royal Marines | 11 September 2009 | Afghanistan |
| Nethery, Steven | Marine | Royal Marines | 11 September 2009 | Afghanistan |
| Dennis, Alan Gordon | Sergeant | Mercian Regiment | 19 March 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Gadsby, Stephen William | Gunner | Royal Artillery | 19 March 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Giles, Marc Kevin | Sergeant | Mercian Regiment | 19 March 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Moncho, Jaime | Sergeant | The Rifles | 19 March 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Prout, Gary | Lance Bombardier | Royal Artillery | 19 March 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Smith, Kyle Patrick | Lance Corporal | Mercian Regiment | 19 March 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Turner, Robert | Sergeant | Royal Marines | 24 September 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Bourne-Taylor, Robin Edwin Geoffrey | Captain | Life Guards | 24 September 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Brownson, Lee | Corporal | The Rifles | 24 September 2010 | Afghanistan (posthumous) |
| Horn, Graham Stuart | Lance Corporal | Parachute Regiment | 24 September 2010 | Afghanistan |
| McKie, James Lee | Lance Corporal | The Rifles | 24 September 2010 | Afghanistan |
| Pun, Dip Prasad | Acting Sergeant | Royal Gurkha Rifles | 25 March 2011 | Afghanistan |
| Jackson, Mark Anthony | Marine | Royal Marines | 25 March 2011 | Afghanistan |
| Stephens, Seth Vincent Scott | Corporal | Royal Marines | 25 March 2011 | Afghanistan (posthumous) |
| Cutterham, Deacon | Sergeant | The Rifles | 23 March 2012 | Afghanistan |
| Wright-Hider, Simon | Corporal | Royal Marines | 23 March 2012 | Afghanistan |
| Couzens, Scott Allan | Staff Sergeant | Parachute Regiment | 28 September 2012 | Afghanistan |
| Glancy, James Alexander | Captain | Royal Marines | 22 March 2013 | Afghanistan |
| Mason, Luke Timothy John | Lieutenant | Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) | 22 March 2013 | Afghanistan |
| Davis, Owen Edward | Lieutenant | Royal Marines | 4 October 2013 | Afghanistan |
| Griffiths, Josh Edward Hayden | Corporal | Mercian Regiment | 4 October 2013 | Afghanistan |
| Steel, Gareth David | Private | Parachute Regiment | 4 October 2013 | Afghanistan |
| Stazicker, Anthony | Corporal | Special Boat Service | 21 March 2014 | Afghanistan |
| Moloney, Simon George | Lance Corporal | Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) | 21 March 2014 | Afghanistan |
| Craighead, Christian MBE | Warrant Officer Class 2 | Special Air Service | Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) | 14 November 2019 | Kenya |