Elizabeth Cross and Scroll

The Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll are granted to the Next of Kin of UK Armed Forces personnel who have died on operations or as a result of an act of terrorism in national recognition of their loss and sacrifice. Eligible personnel to be remembered in this way are those who were serving with, or former members of, the Regular and Reserve Armed Forces or the Royal Fleet Auxiliary when deployed in direct support of a designated operation. The Elizabeth Cross is not a posthumous medal for the fallen but an emblem demonstrating tangible national recognition for Service families for their loss.

Not all deaths of Service personnel are included in this scheme. The death of any service person, whatever the circumstances, is a tragic loss to his or her family and to the Armed Forces as a whole, but the Elizabeth Cross was instituted specifically to recognise the unique challenges that service personnel face on operations and from terrorism, and the particular burden this places on Service families.

The Elizabeth Cross

The Elizabeth Cross

The Elizabeth Cross is made of hallmarked silver and is in the form of a cross with a laurel wreath passing between the arms. The arms of the Cross bear floral symbols representing England (Rose), Scotland (Thistle), Ireland (Shamrock) and Wales (Daffodil). The centre of the Cross bears the crowned Cypher of Her Majesty The Queen. The reverse of the Cross is engraved with the name of the Service person in whose memory it is granted.

The Elizabeth Cross is presented in a black leather style presentation box with the Royal Cypher on the lid and the Royal Coat of Arms on the inner silk lining and is accompanied by a miniature version.

The Elizabeth Cross and Miniature

The Memorial Scroll

The Memorial Scroll

The Memorial Scroll is on parchment style paper, headed with the Royal Coat of Arms and the following words "This Scroll Commemorates ... who gave his/her life for Queen and Country on ..." The Scroll will bear the signature of Her Majesty The Queen in the upper left hand corner.

As a Memorial Scroll was issued at the time to those who died in the Korean War, the Elizabeth Cross only (and not the new Scroll) will be issued in remembrance of those who died during that war.

Who is eligible?

The Next of Kin will receive both the Elizabeth Cross and the Memorial Scroll where the eligible personnel whose deaths falls into one of the following categories:

		Those who died from whatever cause whilst serving on a medal earning operation. Medal earning operations are those in which deployed personnel received a Campaign Medal, General Service Medal or Operational Service Medal which demonstrated the risk and rigour involved. Operations where a UN, NATO or other international body or other nations' campaign medal was accepted for wear, in the absence of a UK medal, also qualify.
		Those who died as a result of an act of terrorism where the available evidence suggests that the Service person, whether on or off duty, was targeted because of his or her membership of the UK Armed Forces.
		Those who died on a non-medal earning operational task where death has been caused by the inherent high risk of the task.
		Those who died a subsequent and premature death as a result of an injury or illness attributed to the circumstances outlined above.

In addition to recognising future operational deaths in this way, deaths in the circumstances outlined above that occurred after 1 January 1948, or as a result of service in Palestine since 27 September 1945, will be recognised retrospectively.\ These dates reflect the fact that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission attributed deaths up to 1 January 1948 to World War II service (with the exception of Palestine).

Where the Next of Kin is deceased and for retrospective claims their legal successor may apply for the Elizabeth Cross.

Only one Elizabeth Cross is to be granted for each death recognised but an additional Scroll will be available to the following (or their legal successors) where they are not the Next of Kin:

		The parents of the deceased.
		The spouse/partner of the deceased or someone who had a substantive relationship with the deceased.

As with all forms of recognition, there will be those who fall outside the qualifying criteria. There is a risk involved in much of what the Armed Forces does routinely. Some members of the Armed Forces sadly die, for example, in training incidents or in road accidents in the United Kingdom. While any death is a tragic loss to the family concerned and to the Armed Forces, the Chiefs of Staff recommended this new recognition for the special circumstances of operational duty. In addition they considered that the terrible circumstances where an individual was targeted by terrorists because of their membership of the Armed Forces should be similarly recognised.

How to apply?

Next of Kin (or their legal successors) of deceased Service personnel who are eligible for the Elizabeth Cross and/or the Memorial Scroll can apply by the following methods:

Contact: Telephone: Facsimile: Email:	Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) MOD Medal Office Building 250 Imjin Barracks Innsworth Gloucester GL3 1HW 0800 085 3600 (Free) or +44(0)141 224 3600 (Overseas) 0141 224 3586 JPAC@spva.mod.uk
Follow the Link:	Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA): www.mod.uk/defenceinternet/defencefor/veterans/medals
By Online Application Form:	Click on the link to access the application form for a) Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll Request for the Elizabeth Cross & Memorial Scroll b) Memorial Scroll only Request for the Memorial Scroll Fill in the form, sign and date it then return it to the above address.

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