Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)

Air Force Cross
Obverse of medal Ribbon: 30mm, diagonal alternate stripes of white and red
Awarded by United Kingdom and Commonwealth
Type	Military decoration
Eligibility	British, Commonwealth (formerly) and allied forces
Awarded for	"... gallantry while flying but not on active operations against the enemy."[1]
Status	Currently awarded
Description	see below
Statistics
Established	3 June 1918
Total awarded	George V: 804 George VI: 3,053 Total: 3,857[2]
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	Distinguished Flying Cross[3]
Next (lower)	Royal Red Cross, Second Class[3]
Related	Air Force Medal

The Air Force Cross (AFC) is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy". A bar is added to the ribbon for holders who are awarded a second AFC.^[4]

History

The award was established on 3 June 1918. It was originally awarded to Air Force commissioned officers and Warrant Officers, but this was expanded after the Second World War to include Army and Navy aviation officers, and again in 1993 to other ranks, after the discontinuation of the Air Force Medal.^[4]

During the First World War, approximately 680 were awarded. During the Second World War, 2,001 decorations were awarded, with 26 bars awarded.

58 honorary awards were made to aircrew from other non-Commonwealth countries.

Post-nominal letters

Recipients of the Air Force Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AFC". A bar is added to the ribbon of holders of the AFC for each additional award.

Description

• The medal is a silver cross, 60 mm high and 54 mm wide, representing aircraft propeller blades, with wings between the arms. The obverse depicts Hermes, riding on the wings of a hawk holding a laurel wreath. At the top of the upper arm is the royal crown, while the other three arms bear the royal cypher of the reigning monarch at the time of issue.^[4]
• The suspender is straight and decorated with laurel wreaths.^[4]
• The ribbon was originally white with red broad horizontal stripes, but changed in 1919 to the current white with red broad diagonal stripes at a 45-degree angle.^[4]

Air Force Cross ribbon bars
	AFC	AFC and Bar
1918–1919
since 1919

Notable awards

• George Bulman (1896–1963); awarded the AFC three times for services as a test pilot.^[5]
• Geoffrey Dhenin (1918–2008); awarded the AFC twice for his role in the British nuclear weapons tests in Australia (1954 and 1959).^[6]
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Andrew Humphrey (1921–1977); awarded the AFC three times,^[7]
• Willie Read (1885–1972); awarded the AFC three times.^[8]
• H. P. Ruffell Smith (1911–1980); awarded the AFC three times.^[9]
• Peter Thorne (1923–2014); awarded the AFC three times (1947, 1951, and 1956).^[10]

See also

• British and Commonwealth orders and decorations

References

1. "Defence FactSheet". Retrieved 9 October 2008.
2. Medal Yearbook 2013. Honiton, Devon: Token. 2013. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-908-828-00-2.
3. "JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces" (PDF). p. 12A-1. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
4. "MOD – AFC". Retrieved 9 October 2008.
5. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 32716. p. 4325. 3 June 1922.
6. Dan, van der Vat (13 July 2011). "Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Dhenin obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40497. p. 3292. 3 June 1955. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
8. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 32563. p. 10719. 30 December 1921. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
9. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41727. pp. 3732–3733. 5 June 1959. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
10. Thorne, Michael (27 April 2014). "Peter Thorne obituary". The Gaurdian. Retrieved 19 May 2016.

External links

• Page including text from the London Gazette dated 5 December 1919, establishing DFC, AFC, DFM and AFM