- Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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Distinguished Flying Cross 
Obverse of the medal. Ribbon: 30mm, diagonal alternate stripes of white and deep purple.Awarded by United Kingdom and Commonwealth Type Military decoration. Eligibility British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces Awarded for ... gallantry during active operations against the enemy.[1] Status Currently awarded. Statistics Established 3 June 1918 Precedence Next (higher) Conspicuous Gallantry Cross Equivalent Distinguished Service Cross, Military Cross Next (lower) Mentioned in Despatches The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".
Contents
History
The award was established on 3 June 1918, shortly after the formation of the RAF. It was originally awarded to air force commissioned officers and to Warrant Officers. During the Second World War it was also awarded to Royal Artillery officers from the British Army serving on attachment to the RAF as pilots-cum-artillery directors. Since the Second World War, the award has been open to army and naval aviation officers, and since 1993 to other ranks as well; the Distinguished Flying Medal, previously awarded to other ranks, has been discontinued. Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "DFC". A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DFC who received a second award.
During the Great War, a total of approximately 1,100 DFCs were awarded, with 70 first bars and 3 second bars. During the Second World War, 20,354 DFCs were awarded (the most of any award), with approximately 1,550 first bars and 45 second bars.[2] Honorary awards were made on 964 occasions to aircrew from other non-commonwealth countries.
In 2008, Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman became the first woman to receive the DFC.[3][4]
Description
The cross is a cross flory and is 2 1/8 inches wide. The horizontal and bottom bars are terminated with bumps, the upper bar with a rose. The front of the medal features aeroplane propellers superimposed on the vertical arms of the cross and wings on the horizontal arms. In the centre is a laurel wreath around the RAF monogram surmounted by an Imperial Crown.
The reverse features the Royal Cypher in the centre and the year of issue engraved on the lower arm. The medal is issued unnamed.
The ribbon was originally white with purple broad horizontal stripes, but changed in 1919 to the current white with purple broad diagonal stripes.
The medal was designed by Edward Carter Preston.[5]
Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon bars DFC DFC and Bar DFC and Two Bars 1918–1919 
since 1919 
See also
- Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
- Commonwealth Realms orders and decorations
- Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
References
- ^ Defence FactSheet Accessed 28 June 2007.
- ^ Carter, Nick and Carter, Carol, The Distinguished Flying Cross and How It Was Won 1918-1995, (London): Savannah, 1998, ISBN 1-902366-00-X.
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58633. p. 3616. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ "The brown-eyed, blonde RAF hero who is proud to wear her uniform". The Daily Mail. 8 March 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=528634&in_page_id=1770&ito=1490. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ^ Crompton, Ann, Edward Carter Preston 1885 - 1965, (Liverpool): University of Liverpool Art Gallery, 1999, ISBN 0-85323-792-1
External links
- Biography of Colonel Sir Richard M. Gorham, DFC.
- BritishMedals.info
- Search recommendations for the Distinguished Flying Cross on The UK National Archives' website.
- Page including text from the London Gazette dated 5 December 1919 establishing DFC, AFC, DFM and AFM
United Kingdom Decorations and Medals for Gallantry, Valour, Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Current awards Level 1Level 2A_
Distinguished Service Order (DSO) • 
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) • 
Royal Red Cross Class I (RRC)Level 3A_
_ 
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) • _
Military Cross (MC) • 
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) • 
Air Force Cross (AFC) • Royal Red Cross Class II (ARRC)Level 2BLevel 3B
Constabulary Medal (Ireland) • 
Medal for Saving Life at Sea (SGM) • 
Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM) • 
Royal Victorian Medal (RVM) • 
British Empire Medal (BEM) • 
Queen's Police Medal, for Distinguished Service (QPM) • 
Queen's Fire Service Medal, for Distinguished Service (QFSM) • 
Queen's Volunteer Reserves Medal (QVRM) • 
Queen’s Medal for Chiefs • 
Polar MedalLevel 4Other awardsBadge of Honour
Obsolete awards Levels 1 / 2ALevel 3A
Order of British India (First Class) (OBI) • 
Order of British India (Second Class) (OBI) • 
Kaisar-i-Hind, Gold • Kaisar-i-Hind, Silver • Kaisar-i-Hind, BronzeLevel 2B_
_ _ _ _ 
__ _ _ 
Albert Medal (AM) • __ _ 
Edward Medal (EM) • __ Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM) • _
Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery (Gold) • 
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) • 
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM) • 
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying) (CGM)Level 3B_
_ _ _ _ 
Royal West African Frontier Force Distinguished Conduct Medal • __ _ _ King's African Rifles Distinguished Conduct Medal • __ _ 
Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM) • __ Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery (Silver) • _
Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) • 
Military Medal (MM) • 
Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) • __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
Air Force Medal (AFM) __ _ _ _ _ _ 
Indian Order of Merit (Third Class) (IOM) • __ _ _ _ _ 
Burma Gallantry Medal (BGM) • __ _ _ _ 
Indian Police Medal, for Gallantry • __ _ _ 
Ceylon Police Medal, for Gallantry • __ _ 
Sierra Leone Police Medal, for Gallantry • __ 
Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Medal, for Gallantry • _
Colonial Police Medal, for Gallantry (CPM) • 
Canada Medal (CM) • 
Indian Police Medal, for Meritorious Service • 
Ceylon Police Medal, for Merit • 
Sierra Leone Police Medal, for Meritorious Service • 
Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Medal, for Meritorious Service • 
Colonial Police Medal, for Meritorious Service (CPM)Level 4See also: Order of Wear, Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom and British campaign medals Categories:- Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom
- Decorations of the Royal Air Force
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