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Military Cross reverse.
Suspender: A plain flat slotted suspender 37 mm wide bearing a small eyelet in the centre through which passes a ring that attaches to an eyelet mounted on the top of the insignia.
Ribbon: A watered white ribbon 32 mm wide with a central stripe of purple.
Bars: A silver bar 33 mm wide displaying in the centre a Tudor Crown. The bar slides over the ribbon.
Naming: None, though privately engraved examples do exist. Insignia and bars presented after 1938 are dated with the year of award on the lower part of the reverse.
Postnominals: MC.
Other: All insignia awarded to Canadians were struck by the Royal Mint.
Number of Awards to Canadians: 3,596 (307 1st bars, 17 2nd bars).
• First World War: 2,885 (294 1st bars, 16 2nd bars).
• Second World War: 678 (13 1st bars, 1 2nd bar).
• Korean War: 33.
The Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross George VI 1st type obverse.
Origins: The Distinguished Flying Cross was established as part of a family of decorations to provide recognition for the newly created Royal Air Force, which came into being on April 1, 1918. Throughout the First World War members of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, the precursors to the RAF, were entitled to the various army and navy decorations respectively. With the air force created as a separate service, it was necessary to initiate a comparable set of decorations to recognize gallantry in an air setting. The DFC, DFM, AFC, and AFM were all created by King George V in June 1918. The Canadian Air Force, established in 1920 and renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924, was eligible for this group of awards until 1968. The modern Canadian equivalent is the Medal of Military Valour.
Criteria: Awarded to commissioned officers and warrant officers who perform acts of valour, courage, or devotion to duty while flying in active operations against the enemy.
Insignia: A silver cross flory terminated in the horizontal and base bars with bombs, the upper bar terminating with a rose, surmounted by another cross composed of airplane propellers charged in the centre with a rose superimposed with the letters RAF within a roundel, itself surrounded by a winged wreath of laurels ensigned by an Imperial Crown. The reverse displays an uncrowned Royal Cypher of the reigning Sovereign and the date 1918. The DFC was designed by E. Carter Preston. There have been four types of this decoration awarded to Canadians, the differences relating to the Royal Cypher displayed on the reverse:
• George V issue: GRI with the arm of the R looping through the eye of the “8” in 1918.
• George VI 1st type: GRI without the arm of the R intersecting with the “8” in 1918.
• George VI 2nd type: GVIR.
• Elizabeth II issue: EIIR.
Distinguished Flying Cross George VI 1st type reverse.
Suspender: A highly decorative suspender composed of two sprigs of laurel that graduate into a straight suspender. The suspender is attached to the top of the cross via a small oblong ring that passes through an eyelet mounted on top of the insignia.
Ribbon: A white ribbon 32 mm wide displaying purple stripes on a 45 degree angle, 3.175 mm apart. Until 1919 the stripes were horizontal.
Bars: A 33 mm wide silver bar with a flying eagle centred; the bar slips over the ribbon.
Naming: None, though privately engraved examples do exist. Insignia and bars presented after 1940 are dated with the year of the award on the lower part of the reverse.
Postnominals: DFC.
Other: Crosses awarded during the First World War were made by John Pinches, while those awarded to Canadians during the Second World War and the Korean War were made by the Royal Mint.
Number of Awards to Canadians: 4,019 (213 1st bars, 6 2nd bars).
• Second World War: 4,018 (213 1st bars, 6 2nd bars).
• Korean War: 1.
The Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross George VI 1st type obverse.
Origins: The Air Force Cross is part of the family of air force decorations created in June 1918 after the establishment of the Royal Air Force. The modern Canadian equivalent is the Meritorious Service Cross or Medal (military division).
Criteria: Awarded to commissioned officers and warrant officers who perform acts of valour, courage, or devotion to duty while flying, though not in active operations against the enemy.
Insignia: A silver cross in the form of a thunderbolt, the arms conjoined by wings, the base bar terminating with a bomb, surmounted by another cross composed of airplane propellers, the four ends inscribed with the letters GVRI (the elements of the Sovereign’s Royal Cypher). In the centre of the roundel appears a representation of Hermes mounted on a hawk in flight bestowing a wreath. The reverse is plain, displaying in the centre an uncrowned Royal Cypher for the reigning Sovereign above the date 1918. There have been four types of this decoration awarded to Canadians:
• George V issue: 1 letter of each part of the Royal Cypher GVRI on the arms of the cross. The reverse displaying in the centre GRI with the arm of the R looping through the eye of the “8” in 1918.
• George VI 1st type: 1 letter of each part of the Royal Cypher GVIRI on the arms of the cross. The reverse displays in the centre GRI without the arm of the R intersecting with the “8” in 1918.
• George VI 2nd type: 1 letter of each part of the Royal Cypher GVIR on the 3 uppermost arms of the cross. The reverse displays in the centre GVIR.
• Elizabeth II issue: 1 letter of each part of the Royal Cypher EIIR on the uppermost arms of the cross. The reverse displays in the centre EIIR.
Air Force Cross George VI 1st type reverse.
Suspender: A highly decorative suspender composed to two sprigs of laurel that graduate into a straight suspender. The suspender is attached to the top of the cross via a small oblong ring that is integral to the main insignia (not a loose ring as for the DFC).
