Cooper - Bravery Awards for Aerial Combat : Stories behind the award of the CGM

George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India; To all to whom these Present shall come. Greeting.

Whereas Her late Majesty Queen Victoria was graciously pleased by Her Order-in-Council dated 7th July, 1874, to establish a medal designated the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for such petty officers and seamen of the Royal Navy and non-commissioned officers and privates of the Royal Marines as distinguish themselves by acts of conspicuous gallantry in action with the enemy.

And whereas We deem it expedient to provide for the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal to members of Our Military and Air Forces for acts of conspicuous gallantry whilst flying in active operations against the enemy.

Now therefore We do by these Presents for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, ordain that the following regulations shall govern the award of the said medal to members of Our Military and Air Forces:

1. Description. The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal shall be as described in the above-mentioned Order-in-Council, that is to say, it shall be silver and shall bear on the obverse the Royal Effigy and on the reverse the words For conspicuous gallantry encircled by a wreath surmounted by a crown.

2. Ribbon. The medal shall be worn on the left breast pendant from a ribbon one inch and a quarter in width which shall be in colour light blue with dark blue marginal stripes one eighth of an inch in width.

3. Abbreviated title. The award of the medal shall entitle the recipient to have the initials C.G.M. appended to his name.

4. Eligibility.

(1) The medal shall be granted to such persons as shall be recommended to Us by or through Our Secretary of State for air (or, in the case of any of Our Dominions the Government whereof shall so desire, the appropriate Minister of State for the said Dominion) for acts of conspicuous gallantry whilst flying in active operations against the enemy.

(2) The following shall be eligible for the medal:

(a) warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of any Military or Air Force raised in Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Our Indian Empire, Burma, any of Our Colonies or a territory under Our protection; or within any other part of Our Dominions Our Government whereof shall so desire or within any territory under Our protection administered by Us in such Government.

(b) foreign personnel, of ranks equivalent to those above-mentioned, who have been associated in operations with any of the aforesaid Military or Air Forces.

5. Bars. When an individual who has been awarded the medal shall again be recommended to Us by or through Our Secretary of State for Air (or, in the case of any of Our Dominions the Government whereof shall so desire, the appropriate Minister of State for the said Dominion) for further conspicuous gallantry, he shall be awarded a bar to be attached to the ribbon by which the medal is suspended, and for every additional such recommendation an additional bar may be awarded. For every bar awarded a small silver rose shall be added to the ribbon when worn alone.

6. Miniatures. Reproductions of the medal in miniature, which may be worn on certain occasions by those to whom the medal is awarded, shall be approximately half the size of the medal and sealed patterns of the miniature model shall be deposited and kept in the Central Chancery of Our Orders of Knighthood.

7. Gazettement and registration. The names of those upon whom We may be pleased to confer the medal shall be published in the London Gazette and a register thereof shall be kept in the Office of Our Secretary of State for Air.

8. Forfeiture and restoration. (1) It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors by an Order under Our Sign Manual and on a recommendation by or through Our Secretary of State for Air (or, in the case of any of Our Dominions the Government whereof shall so desire, the appropriate Minister of State for the said Dominion) to cancel and annul the award to any person of the medal and thereupon the name of such person in the register shall be erased; but We, Our Heirs and Successors shall at all times have power to restore any medal which may have been forfeited when such recommendation shall have been withdrawn. (2) The forfeiture shall involve the cessation of any gratuity or pension in lieu thereof to which the possession of the medal might entitle the recipient, but no such forfeiture shall extend to any sum of money which has already been paid. (3) When a forfeited medal shall have been restored, any gratuity or pension in lieu thereof which attaches to it shall also be restored. (4) A notice of forfeiture and of restoration shall in every case be published in the London Gazette.

9. Annulment, etc. of regulations. We reserve to Ourself, Our Heirs and Successors full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting, interpreting or dispensing with these regulations or any part thereof by a notification under Our Royal Sign Manual.

Given at Our Court of Saint James this
10th day of November, 1942 in the sixth
year of Our Reign.
By His Majestys Command.

* If awarded for a specific action.