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Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was established on June 3rd, 1918, the birthday of King George V, and is awarded to Officers and Warrant officers for "an act or acts of valour and courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemy". A straight silver bar is a further enhancement of the DFC, awarded for additional acts under the same terms as the cross.

The award has the shape of a silver cross and was designed by Edward Carter Preston. On the obverse aeroplane propellers are superimposed upon the vertical arms of the cross. Within a central winged roundel, encircled by a wreath of laurels and surmounted by a Imperial Crown, appear the letters RAF. In the central circle on the reverse the Royal Cyphers, GV, GVI, EIIR, appear above the date 1918. The year of issue is engraved on the lower arm of the award. The DFC is issued unnamed.
The ribbon is 1.25 inches wide, and consists of alternating violet and white stripes, each 0.125 inches wide, leaning at 45 degrees from the vertical. Until 1919, the stripes were horizontal.

From the entire period of the award from it’s inception in 1918 until 1939 when the award changed to the GVI type, only 1,217 GV DFC's were issued.

During the Second World War a total of 20,354 DFCs were awarded, with approximately 1,550 first bars and 42 second bars. Honorary awards were made on 964 occasions to aircrew from other non-commonwealth countries.
A total of 4,018 first DFC's were awarded to RCAF personnel, plus 213 first bars and 6 second bars and also 358 to FAF/RAA/RNZAF persons in RCAF, plus 23 first bars. Also there were 247 DFC's awarded to Canadians in the RAF, plus 34 first bars.
New Zealand RNZAF personnel received 1,032 DFC Crosses, eighty four first bars and four second bars, one Cross was awarded to a member of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
A total of 44 Dutch airmen received the DFC.

Aanjesen, Ola Gert* August 30th, 1918
† September 2nd, 2002

Grid List
Vale, William "Cherry"* June 3rd, 1914
† November 29th, 1981

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Van den Bok, Ralph* 1907
† January 1st, 1973

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Vasatko, Alois* August 25th, 1908
† June 23rd, 1942

Vassiliades, Brassilios Michael* 1920
† March 25th, 1945
Grave: Panel 266

Vatcher, Walter Cyril† July 26th, 1944
Plot: VIII Row: E Grave: 3

Vaughan, Edward Gerrard* September 5th, 1923

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Vaughan-Fowler, Peter Erskine* January 18th, 1923
† April 24th, 1994

Veira, Basil Vernon Lancelot† April 29th, 1943
Row: A Grave: 1-3

Vella, Jan* May 10th, 1906
† January 10th, 1945
Plot: 28 Row: A Grave: 3

Venesoen, François August* October 19th, 1920
† June 6th, 1944

Verity, Hugh Beresford* April 6th, 1918
† November 14th, 2001

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Vesely, Vlastimil* September 13th, 1923
† December 11th, 2001

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Vigors, Timothy Ashmead* March 21st, 1921
† November 14th, 2003

Vincent, Peter Ree† September 27th, 1943
Plot: 12 Row: D Grave: 4

Vincent, Stanley Flamank* April 7th, 1897
† March 13th, 1976

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Vindis, Frantisek* June 1st, 1918
† February 1991

Vlielander Hein, Benjamin Marius* January 29th, 1914
† March 16th, 1992

Vlotman, Christiaan Johan "Chris"* February 12th, 1915
† September 29th, 2011

Vonk, Johannes* May 20th, 1912
† August 2003

Vybiral, Tomas* September 29th, 1911
† February 21st, 1981

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Sources