Military Cross

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Military Cross
Image:MilitaryCrossRibbon.jpg Obverse of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, three equal parts of white, purple, and white.
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.<ref>http://www.operations.mod.uk/honours/honours.htm</ref>
Status	Currently awarded.
Description	46mm max height, 44mm max width; ornamental silver cross with straight arms terminating in broad dinials decorated with imperial crowns, suspended from plain suspension bar. (Obverse) Royal cypher in centre; (reverse) plain, but from 1938 year of issue has been engraved on lower limb of cross.
Statistics
Established	28 December 1914
Precedence
Next highest	(for gallantry in action) Distinguished Service Cross
Next lowest	(for gallantry in action) Distinguished Flying Cross

The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.

The MC, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted to army personnel in recognition of '... gallantry during active operations against the enemy.'

The award was created in 1914 for commissioned officers of the substantive rank of Captain or below and to Warrant Officers. In 1931, the award was extended to Majors. Since the 1993 review of the honours system, as part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery, the Military Medal, formerly the third level decoration for other ranks, has been discontinued. The MC now serves as the third level award for gallantry for all ranks of the British Army.

Bars are awarded to the MC in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award. Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters MC.