Events for Thursday 15th April 2021
On This Day in History
The George Cross is awarded to Malta
15th April 1942The George Cross was awarded to the island of Malta by King George VI in a letter dated 15 April 1942 to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie, so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the great siege it underwent in the early parts of World War II. The George Cross is woven into the Flag of Malta and can be seen wherever the flag is flown.
Further Reading
Awards of the George Cross(Paperback - 192 pages)
by John Frayn Turner
In 1940, King George VI, deeply impressed with the heroism of servicemen out of the front line and civilians non-combatants in acts connected with the war such as bomb disposal, rescues after air raids, instituted the George Cross for ‘For Gallantry’ away from the heat of actual battle.
In… Read more...