The Valour Cross ( da, Tapperhedskorset) is the highest
military decoration of
Denmark
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. Established on 14 November 2011,
[ and first awarded on 18 November 2011, it is awarded for outstanding acts of courage in combat.][
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Criteria
The Valour Cross is presented for extraordinary courage occurring during combat, where the soldier acted altruistically in an obviously dangerous situation. Efforts are aimed at promoting the solution of an important task or to save the lives of others. The Valour Cross is the highest Danish military decoration; it is comparable to the British Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
or the United States' Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
.
Description
The Valour Cross decoration is a silver cross pattée
A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...
with a gilded edge, the lower arm being longer than the others. On the obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
in the center of the cross is a gold medallion with HM The Queen's monogram above the year ''2010''. Each of the four arms of the cross bear three letters each of the inscription ''FOR TAPPERHED'' (meaning "for valour"). The reverse is engraved with the name and grade of the recipient, as well as the location and year of the event for which they were honoured.[
The Valour Cross is suspended from a white ribbon with a red center stripe.][ When worn as a ribbon bar it is the same as the Defence Medal for Bravery, but bears a miniature of the gold medallion from the center of the cross.][
]
Recipients
Since the creation of the Valour Cross, there has been only one recipient of the decoration. This first recipient is Sergeant Casper Westphalen Mathiesen of the Engineer Regiment, based in Skive, Denmark
Skive is a town in Skive municipality ( Danish, ''Skive Kommune'') in Region Midtjylland at the base of Salling Peninsula, a part of the larger Jutland peninsula in northwest Denmark. It is the municipality's main town and the site of its muni ...
. On 19 February 2010, while deployed to Afghanistan with ISAF
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, Sergeant Mathiesen risked his own life and well being to defend a wounded comrade during a firefight. His bravery under fire is credited with holding off the enemy and allowing his comrade to receive medical assistance.
See also
*
References
{{Highest gallantry awards
Awards established in 2011
Courage awards
Orders, decorations, and medals of Denmark
2011 establishments in Denmark