361:, atop two crossed swords, and topped by a royal crown. The reverse bears the date "1940". The ribbon features three equal alternating bands of red, blue and red. The cross was awarded in three classes, distinguished by the colour of the crown: bronze for the 3rd class, silver for the 2nd, and gold for the 1st class. Until 1942, the first award could be in any class, but according to Compulsory Law 3120/1942, the first award had always to be made in the 3rd class. Up to three subsequent awards remained in the same class (denoted by the number of miniature crowns on the ribbon), but the fifth and eighth awards upgraded the medal to the 2nd and 1st classes respectively. Several variations exist because many manufacturers were used, some in Greece and others in the United Kingdom, with minor variations in the style of the crown and the cross, as well as design of the obverse side (in some versions, the date lies within a circle).
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on military medals, which revised the until then current regulations. It specified that the War Cross would have three classes, with the 1st class was reserved for senior officers and war flags, the 2nd class for mid-level officers and the 3rd class for junior and warrant officers, NCOs and privates.
276:
motto "Η ΤΑΝ Η ΕΠΙ ΤΑΣ" (" either with your shield, or upon it") underneath. The reverse bears the inscription "ΕΛΛΑΣ" ("Greece") and underneath the dates "1916–1917". The ribbon was black, edged with blue, and 35–37 mm wide. The cross was awarded in three classes, distinguished by the devices
409:
a few months later, the medal was not officially redesigned at the time. In 1985, a provisional version was cut. It retained the same basic design as the 1940 version, but without the royal cypher, which was replaced by an oak wreath, and the crowns, which were replaced by bronze, silver and gold
322:
chose an entirely different design instead of simply re-establishing the old version. The new medal was instituted by Royal Decree on 11 November 1940 (Compulsory Law 2646/1940) and continued to be awarded throughout the Second World War. It was re-authorised on 19 April 1947 for the
418:
The design was finalized in
Presidential Decree 159 of 17 March 2003. It retains the basic design of the 1940 and 1985 crosses, but the national emblem has been moved to the center of the cross, in bronze, silver and gold versions for the 3rd, 2nd and 1st classes respectively.
398:
277:
born on the ribbon: the 3rd class being plain, the 2nd class bearing a bronze five-pointed star, and the 1st class a bronze palm leaf. Subsequent awards were designated by the addition of silver five-pointed stars on the ribbon.
414:
for the 3rd, 2nd and 1st classes respectively. The reverse bore the legend "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" ("Hellenic
Republic"). Four medals of the 1st class were issued to war flags of units participating in UN peacekeeping missions.
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272:
The medal was designed by the French sculptor André Rivaud, featuring a silver medal consisting of a vertical sword on a circular wreath, with a horizontal plaque, bearing the ancient
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182:, awarded for heroism in wartime to both Greeks and foreign allies. There have been three versions of the cross, the 1917 version covering
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335:. It was awarded to Greek and Allied (mostly British and later US) military personnel, as well as to regimental war flags.
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The
Venizelist associations of the 1917 cross meant that, when Greece found itself at war again in October 1940 after the
257:
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260:(rarely after 1920 due to its Venizelist connotations). In addition, from 1919, the first class could be awarded to the
238:
on 28 February 1917, and confirmed by Royal Decree on 31 October, shortly after the entry of the whole of Greece in the
235:
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Commendation for
Meritorious Staff Service and Meritorious Service as a Special Duty Officer.
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1210:
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248:, and it was awarded to military personnel of all branches for acts of valour in the
183:
194:, and the 1974 version covering peacekeeping missions in the subsequent years.
17:
332:
232:
397:
and following the abolition of the monarchy in June 1973, the junta issued
261:
58:
1974 version, design as finalized in 2003. L-R: 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
273:
179:
93:
388:
1974 version, 1985 provisional design. L-R: 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
1186:
Long
Service Commendation Medal for Corps and Joint Corps Officers
354:
546:
504:(in Greek). Athens: Hellenic War Museum. pp. 94, 104–105.
343:
The medal's design is essentially a modification of the French
462:(in Greek). Hellenic General Staff of National Defence: 46–63.
443:(in Greek). Hellenic General Staff of National Defence: 36–37.
1201:
1176:
Commendation Medal for
Formation - Large Unit Leadership
1012:
1219:
Commendation Medal for Chiefs of the
Hellenic Police
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107:
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73:
63:
32:
1127:Centenary Memorial Medal of the Greek Royal Family
327:(1946–1949) and extended until 1953, covering the
1229:Police Commendation Medal for Meritorious Command
1161:Commendation Medal for Chiefs of a General Staff
1224:Police Commendation Medal for Merit and Honour
526:Awards of the 1940 War Cross to New Zealanders
558:
8:
1191:Commendation Medal for Staff Officer Service
435:[Honorary Decorations of War Flags]
126:Ribbon of the medal (1940 and 1974 versions)
304:1940 version. L-R: 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
221:1917 version. L-R: 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
1181:Commendation Medal for Meritorious Command
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872:Fire Service Medal for meritorious service
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491:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
242:. Its creation was inspired by the French
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574:Orders, decorations, and medals of Greece
448:Zotiadis, Orthodoxos (March–April 2005).
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1171:Commendation Medal for Merit and Honour
502:Hellenic Orders, Decorations and Medals
393:In 1974, during the last months of the
1166:Commendation Star for Merit and Honour
484:
432:Τιμητικές Διακρίσεις Πολεμικών Σημαιών
1134:Cyprus Operations Commemorative Medal
1005:Cross of the Bavarian Auxiliary Corps
946:Gendarmerie Meritorious Service Medal
429:Zotiadis, Orthodoxos (January 2001).
405:Due to the fall of the junta and the
353:with the royal monogram (two crossed
7:
1295:Recipients of the War Cross (Greece)
1196:Commendation Medal for Staff Service
845:Medal for meritorious Police service
1053:Medal of the North Epirote Struggle
674:Order of St. George and Constantine
103:Greek and Allied military personnel
1259:Migration Assistance Commemoration
1119:Korea Campaign Commemorative Medal
1074:Royal Hellenic Navy Campaign Cross
25:
1045:Medal for the Greco-Bulgarian War
1019:Medal for the Macedonian Struggle
471:. Athens. pp. 34–39, 72–77.
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925:Gendarmerie Self-Sacrifice Medal
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254:Allied Expedition to the Ukraine
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186:, the 1940 version covering the
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42:
1090:1941–45 War Commemorative Medal
1082:1940–41 War Commemorative Medal
1032:Medal for the Greco-Turkish War
918:Gendarmerie Medal for Gallantry
258:Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922
1:
1285:1917 establishments in Greece
1098:Medal for National Resistance
817:NCO Meritorious Service Medal
236:"National Defence" Government
687:Order of St. Olga and Sophia
467:George Stratoudakis (2001).
264:of distinguished regiments.
1311:
1290:Awards established in 1917
1111:United Nations Korea Medal
1066:Inter-Allied Victory Medal
939:Gendarmerie WO Merit Medal
829:Police Award for Gallantry
798:Medal for Exceptional Acts
791:Medal for Outstanding Acts
155:Medal for Outstanding Acts
867:Fire Service Merit Medal
412:national emblem of Greece
318:, the staunchly royalist
310:Establishment and history
227:Establishment and history
171:
131:
119:
41:
538:Phaléristique européenne
450:
431:
407:restoration of democracy
77:Acts of valor during war
810:Medal of Military Merit
500:Beldecos G.J. (1991).
460:Στρατιωτική Επιθεώρηση
441:Στρατιωτική Επιθεώρηση
320:dictatorial government
965:Medal of Police Merit
932:Gendarmerie War Cross
900:Air Force Merit Cross
852:Hellenic Fire Service
662:Order of the Redeemer
603:Order of the Redeemer
357:and a crown) of King
349:, featuring a bronze
914:Hellenic Gendarmerie
724:Order of Beneficence
712:Order of the Phoenix
639:Order of Beneficence
627:Order of the Phoenix
454:[War Cross]
395:Greek military junta
862:Fire Service Cross
840:Police Merit Medal
760:Medal for Gallantry
329:Greek participation
176:military decoration
68:Military decoration
1247:Ministerial awards
1136:(1964, 1967, 1974)
906:Maritime War Cross
590:Republic (current)
534:The 1940 War Cross
141:Next (higher)
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700:Order of George I
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268:Design and awards
252:(1916–1918), the
172:Πολεμικός Σταυρός
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256:(1919) and the
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192:Greek Civil War
145:Cross of Valour
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835:Police Cross
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740:merit medals
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351:cross pattée
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198:1917 version
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1254:Naval Medal
956:1946-1984)
916:1946-1984)
531:(in French)
184:World War I
108:Established
100:Eligibility
74:Awarded for
1274:Categories
689:(dynastic)
676:(dynastic)
399:Law 376/74
333:Korean War
233:Venizelist
136:Precedence
1121:(1950–58)
1113:(1950–53)
1100:(1941–44)
1092:(1941–45)
1084:(1940–41)
1076:(1940–45)
1068:(1916–18)
1034:(1912–13)
1021:(1903–09)
784:War Cross
487:cite book
359:George II
262:war flags
164:War Cross
33:War Cross
190:and the
423:Sources
331:in the
274:Spartan
174:) is a
82:Country
1055:(1914)
1047:(1913)
747:Active
582:Orders
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355:gammas
180:Greece
94:Greece
91:
536:, at
456:(PDF)
437:(PDF)
168:Greek
27:Award
506:ISBN
493:link
473:ISBN
162:The
64:Type
988:and
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