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Distinguished Service Cross
File:Distinguished Service Cross (UK) medal.png

UK Distinguished Service Cross BAR
Obverse of the medal. Ribbon: 36mm, three equal parts of dark blue, white, and dark blue.
Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type Military decoration.
Eligibility British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces.
Awarded for ... gallantry during active operations against the enemy.[1]
Status Currently awarded.
Description 43mm max height and width; plain silver cross with rounded ends. (Obverse) Royal Cypher in centre, surrounded by a ring; (reverse) plain.
Statistics
Established 15 June 1901 (as Conspicuous Service Cross), renamed October 1914.
Total awarded During World War I: 1,983. Since 1945: fewer than 100.
Precedence
Next (higher) Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Equivalent Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross
Next (lower) Mention in Despatches
Related Distinguished Service Medal

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a third level military decoration awarded to officers, and (since 1993) other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted in recognition of "... gallantry during active operations against the enemy at sea."[2]

History[]

The award was originally created in 1901 as the Conspicuous Service Cross, for award to warrant and junior officers ineligible for the DSO. It was renamed the Distinguished Service Cross in October 1914, eligibility being extended to all naval officers (commissioned and warrant) below the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In 1931, the award was made available to members of the Merchant Navy and in 1940 eligibility was further extended to non-naval personnel (British Army and Royal Air Force) serving aboard a British vessel. Since the 1993 review of the honours system, as part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery, the Distinguished Service Medal, formerly the third level decoration for ratings, has been discontinued. The DSC now serves as the third level award for gallantry at sea for all ranks. Since 1916, bars to the DSC have been awarded in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award. Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters DSC.

Robert Peverell Hichens, the most highly decorated member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the Second World War, was awarded the DSC and two Bars.

Description[]

  • This DSC is a plain silver cross with rounded edges. The obverse has a circular centre within which can be seen the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch at the time of award. From 1940 year of issue has been engraved on lower limb of cross.
  • The reverse is plain apart from the hallmark and the ribbon is attached via a hall-marked silver ring.
  • The ribbon has three equal stripes of dark blue, white and dark blue.
Ribbon bars of the Distinguished Service Cross
UK Distinguished Service Cross BAR
DSC
UK DSC w bar BAR
DSC and Bar
UK DSC w 2bars BAR
DSC and Two Bars

See also[]

Notes[]

References[]

  • Mackay, J. and Mussel, J. (eds). Medals Yearbook - 2005, 2004, Token Publishing.
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) and the edit history here.
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