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Air Force Cross
	; ; ; Obverse of medal and ribbon
	Awarded by United Kingdom and Commonwealth
Type	Military decoration.
Eligibility	British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces
Awarded for	... for gallantry while flying but not on active operations against the enemy.
Status	Currently awarded.
Description	silver cross
Statistics
Established	3 June 1918

For other uses, see Air Force Cross.

The Air Force Cross 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. ^[2]

[edit] 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 World War II to include Army and Navy aviation officers, and again in 1993 to enlisted personnel after the discontinuation of the Air Force Medal. ^[2]

During World War I, approximately 680 were awarded. During World War II, 2,001 medals were awarded, with 26 bars awarded. One unique second bar was awarded to Wing Commander H J Wilson in 1944.

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

[edit] 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 for holders of the AFC who received a second award.

[edit] 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. ^[2]
The suspender is straight and decorated with laurel wreaths. ^[2]
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. ^[2]