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Military Cross (MC)

The Military Cross

Overview

The Military Cross (MC) was instituted in 1914 to recognise acts of gallantry by junior officers and senior non-commissioned officers of the Army during active service operations.

Over 500 MCs were awarded to New Zealanders during the First World War and over 250 in the Second World War. The most recent awards were awarded for service in Vietnam. In 1993, the MC was made available to all ranks in the United Kingdom. 

The New Zealand Gallantry Decoration replaced the Military Cross in New Zealand in 1999.

Description

The Military Cross is silver, bearing at its centre the Royal Cypher.  The tip of each arm bears a crown. 

The ribbon has a central purple stripe bordered by equal white stripes.

Bars were awarded for subsequent acts of courage.

Eligibility

The Military Cross is awarded for “an act or acts of gallantry during active operations against the enemy.” 

Queries & requests

  • Related publications
    • James Sutherland, Gallantry Awards to New Zealanders in World War Two, 1989 (pp.41-56 and 182) lists New Zealand military personnel awarded the Military Cross for service during the Second World War can be found in
    • Wayne McDonald, Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914-1918, 3rd edition (PDF, 5.1 MB), 2013 This book contains the citations for the gallantry awards to New Zealand military personnel for their First World War service. The information on, and citations for, each individual are listed alphabetically by surname. The book also provides the date, and page reference, that the award was notified in the London Gazette. 
      • (On 13 August 2019, Richard Stowers gave the New Zealand Defence Force permission to add to the NZDF Medals website the pdf of the 3rd edition. Richard stated: "After publishing three improved editions, I have decided on behalf of myself and Wayne McDonald (deceased) to donate the publication to the ‘nation’, hoping it will remain a source of information for generations to come. When using the publication, please be respectful of the years of research Wayne McDonald completed to make this valuable resource available. Please feel free to print sections or the full publication, or share the attached pdf with anyone you wish."
    • Philip J. Beattie and Matthew J. Pomeroy, Gallant Acts and Noble Deeds: New Zealand Army Honours and Awards for the Second World War, published Auckland: Fair Dinkum Books, 2016. (434 pages).  This book contains the full recommendations for more than 1,500 awards, recommendations for more than 100 Mentions in Despatches, a full list of over 2,800 Mentions in Despatches with London Gazette references, and eye-witness statements for the majority of the Victoria Cross recommendations.

  • Wearing this award

    The Military Cross is worn as a decoration in the New Zealand Order of Wear.  It is always worn after the Distinguished Service Cross and before the Distinguished Flying Cross.

    For more information on how to wear and care for honours, medals, and awards:

  • Checking eligibility and applying for this award

    The Military Cross is no longer awarded in New Zealand since the introduction of New Zealand's own system of Gallantry and Bravery awards in 1999.

  • Checking if this award was issued

    Honours, medals, and awards bestowed on an individual for service in the New Zealand Armed Forces are recorded in their individual service record.  NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds a collection of about 1.5 million service records relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces after the First World War.

    Service records are not currently digitised, but we can locate it and find the information you might be looking for or help you book a time for you to see the records in Trentham by completing the form on the Service Record page. 

    Request a service record