George Cross Heroes

by Michael Ashcroft

In a broadcast to the nation in September 1940 King George VI announced the institution of the George Cross—a civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross awarded to recognize the many acts of supreme gallantry being performed outside of the battlefield. From Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the medal, who heroically rescued several people from trapped houses during one terrible Blitz night, to Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who threw himself onto a live grenade in the Helmand province to save the lives of his comrades (and somehow survived), to Barbara Harrison, an air stewardess who died in 1968 after helping many passengers escape from an onboard fire, this book tells the amazing stories of everyone of the George Cross’s 159 direct recipients. George Cross Heroes pays tribute to the extraordinary courage displayed by so many of the commonwealth's men and women in so many incredible situations over the last 70 years.

Genres: History, Military History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

389 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2010

About the author

Michael Anthony P. Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, KCMG, PC is an English–Belizean businessman and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is the 95th richest person in the UK, as ranked by the Sunday Times Rich List 2017, with an estimated fortune of £1.35 billion.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say there are some very brave and worthy people out there! Book was a great read and set out really well with the order of the date of gazette behind the order they're listed!
Some of the citations could have been better thought out by the awards committee most ore for carrying out brave and difficult work according to the gazette (no shit!)
Well worth a read as it's such a mix that have been awarded them from soldiers to train drivers!