The George Medal is awarded by the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations for acts of great bravery; over 2,000 medals have been awarded since its inception in September 1940. Below is set out a selection of recipients of the award, since 1990. A person's presence in this list does not suggest their award was more notable than any other award of the George Medal.
Where a recipient has received a second GM, a picture of the ribbon bearing the bar symbol is shown. In December 1977 the provisions for the medal were altered, allowing it to be awarded posthumously, in which case the "" symbol appears next to the recipient's name.
Name | Rank and Unit | Action/Citation | Year awarded |
---|---|---|---|
Civilian | For trying to rescue a girl from an ice covered lake at Hemsworth, West Yorkshire.[1] | 1996 | |
Civilian, Aramoana, New Zealand. | Dickson was an elderly woman who had recently had a hip replacement and was unable to walk unassisted, but after being shot at during the Aramoana massacre, she crawled on her hands and knees into her house to telephone for help, then crawled back out to assist a neighbour who had been shot, then crawled back inside to call emergency services a second time. | 1990 | |
While engaged in mine clearing operations in Afghanistan, though injured himself, he re-entered a mine clearing tank that was on fire, to rescue colleagues. He died later in hospital from additional injuries sustained in the rescue. | 1992 | ||
For rescuing a girl who was trapped underneath an overturned trailer loaded with petrol. | 1992 | ||
Detective Sergeant, Metropolitan Police | With Detective Sergeant Stephen Thomas, Knapp was involved in an operation to arrest armed men attempting to rob a post office. Both were shot and seriously wounded, but continued their endeavours to arrest the culprits.[2] | 1992 | |
For trying to rescue a girl from an ice covered lake at Hemsworth, West Yorkshire. | 1996 | ||
Nursery Nurse, St. Luke's Church of England School, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton | For protecting children in her care from a machete attack.[3] | 1997 | |
Detective Sergeant, Metropolitan Police | With Detective Sergeant Alan Knapp, Thomas was involved in an operation to arrest armed men attempting to rob a post office. Both were shot and seriously wounded, but continued their endeavours to arrest the culprits. | 1992 | |
Name | Rank and Unit | Action/Citation | Year awarded | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2006 to 31 March 2007." | 2007 | |||
Vance Willis | Staff Sergeant, 1st Battalion Scots Guards | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2001 to 31 March 2002." | 2005 | |
Officer with 29 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Search Group | Awarded GM after he neutralised numerous explosive devices in Northern Ireland where the risk to his own life was extremely high.[4] | 2003 | ||
Warrant Officer with 321 EOD | Awarded GM after he neutralised numerous improvised explosive devices in Northern Ireland where the risk to his own life was extremely high.[5] | 2002 | ||
Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2008." | 2009 | |||
Lance Corporal, Royal Army Medical Corps | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2006." | 2006 | ||
In February 2005 a fire broke out in a 14th floor flat in Stevenage. Miller and Jeffrey Wornham went up first to assess the situation while their colleagues prepared equipment and water. When cries were heard from inside Miller and Wornham entered the flat and rescued a man, who indicated that his girlfriend was still inside. Both firefighters then re-entered the flat despite intense heat and zero visibility, but were killed. Both firefighters were awarded the GM posthumously.[6] | 2007 | |||
Warrant Officer Class 2, Royal Logistic Corps | Bomb disposal expert who received the GM and Bar, and was killed in Afghanistan in 2008. | 2006 2009 | ||
Councillor, Gloucestershire County Council | Died saving the life of Cheltenham MP Nigel Jones when they were attacked by a man with a samurai sword. | 2001 | ||
Captain, Royal Logistic Corps | For "conspicuous gallantry whilst engaged on explosive ordnance disposal work in the United Kingdom".[7] [8] | 2000 | ||
Colour Sergeant, Parachute Regiment | Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2001 to 31 March 2002". | 2005 | ||
Kevin Ivison | Captain, Royal Logistic Corps | Awarded a George Medal for risking his life in Al Amarah, Maysaan Province, Iraq on 28 February. His MoD citation said: "Aware that his actions would probably result in his death, Captain Ivison donned his specialist protective equipment. He passed what he feared would be his last messages to his loved ones, to his number two operator."[9] | 2006 | |
Cafe Manager, Belfast | Aged 18, she was fatally stabbed in the chest after she confronted a kitchen porter who was attacking the female owner of a city centre restaurant in July 1997.[10] | 2000 | ||
Awarded posthumously for actions during the rescue of crew from a shipwrecked vessel, MV Green Lily off the coast of Shetland on 19 November 1997. Deacon was lowered onto the deck of the vessel from a rescue helicopter and ten crew were winched off the vessel. Deacon was the last person on board when he was swept overboard and killed.[11] | 2000 | |||
Boatman, Fast Rescue Craft | Awarded posthumously for attempts made to rescue a man who had fallen into the sea from a North Sea gas rig.[12] | 2000 |
Name | Rank and Unit | Action/Citation | Year awarded |
---|---|---|---|
Awarded "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011. | 2011 | ||
Killed while attempting to disarm an armed and dangerous assailant whilst off duty. | 2013 | ||
Lawyer; Banker | "For confronting armed terrorists to protect others" during the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. Mr Echeverria confronted multiple armed terrorists with only his skateboard as a weapon. He succeeded in diverting the terrorists' attention to himself and was fatally wounded. | 2018 | |
Firearms Officer, National Crime Agency | For tackling an armed assailant in Tottenham, London in May 2014. | 2017 | |
Captain, Royal Army Medical Corps | For coming to the aid of a stranger who had been attacked, and also in confronting one of her assailants who had thrown her into a river and had been attempting to drown her in Cardiff on 16 February 2014. | 2015 | |
Constable, Metropolitan Police | "For confronting armed terrorists to protect others" during the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. PC Guenigault was off duty, unarmed and had no personal protective equipment. | 2018 | |
Awarded "in recognition of gallant services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2009. | 2010 | ||
Civilian | 2017 | ||
Staff Sergeant, Royal Logistic Corps | Made safe 139 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the Taliban during a tour of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.[13] | 2010 | |
Staff Sergeant, Royal Logistic Corps | Awarded "in recognition of gallant services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2010". | 2011 | |
Constable, British Transport Police | "For confronting armed terrorists to protect others" during the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack on 3 June 2017. | 2018 | |
With complete disregard for his own safety, he deliberately made an effort to tackle a gunman on board . The shooting happened while Southampton's mayor, Royston Smith, and other dignitaries were touring the Royal Navy's hunter-killer nuclear submarine. He was shot in the head at very close range and died.[14] | 2012 | ||
For tackling and subduing a gunman on . | 2012 | ||
Constable, Metropolitan Police | Killed trying to stop a terrorist attacking Parliament during the 2017 Westminster attack. | 2017 | |
In January 2013 Peat was supporting a patrol of Danish Jaegerkorpset and Afghan National Police. After entering a compound in the Upper Gereshk Valley an IED was triggered, severely injuring a Danish soldier. Peat began to provide medical assistance, but then realized that the injured soldier was lying on another IED, and had to tunnel beneath the injured man to disarm the device. Peat then evacuated the compound which was littered with IEDs rendering safe another IED found under another team of soldiers [15] [16] | 2013 | ||
Sergeant, Royal Marines, 771 Naval Air Squadron | For the rescue of two men from a capsized liferaft, of the yacht Andriette, 7 July 2011.[17] | 2013 | |
Marine, Royal Marines | Awarded "in recognition of gallant services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April to 30 September 2010". | 2011 | |
Captain, Royal Logistic Corps | Ammunition Technical Officer posthumously awarded the GM for clearing 13 IEDs by hand with no protective suit over a 36-hour period.[18] Captain Shepherd was killed in Nad-e-Ali in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan on 20 July 2009. | 2010 | |
Leader, Southampton City Council | With Alistair Neill, he helped disarm a gunman during the 2011 shooting incident on board HMS Astute. | 2011 | |
Richard Stanton and John Volanthen | Civilians; volunteer cave divers | For their role in the Tham Luang cave rescue. Awarded as part of the 2019 New Year Honours, announced on 29 December 2018.[19] Three other members of their team were made MBEs and two were awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. | 2018 |
Civilian, Paramedic | "For going to the assistance of a woman being attacked by a man with a knife" during the terrorist attack in Turku, Finland on 18 August 2017. Mr Zubier chased the attacker away and rendered first aid to the victim. The attacker returned twice and Mr Zubier fought him off sustaining further injuries himself while continuing treatment and shielding the victim and others from attack. | 2018 | |