Awards of
World War IIThe award was established in 1920, during the Polish-Soviet War, by the Polish Defense Council. It was revived by the Polish Government in Exile in 1940, and in 1944 by the Polish Committee of National Liberation.
According to the award's statute, it is awarded for heroism or bravery displayed directly on the battlefield. Besides Poles, the award's statute also stipulates that it can be awarded to foreigners. The statute notes that the Cross of Bravery may only be awarded for a specific, individual act of bravery or heroism displayed directly on the battlefield. The Cross could not be awarded for a combination of lesser deeds or for skillful command.
The Cross of Bravery could be awarded no more than four times. If awarded a second time, the cross was not issued, and the award was marked with a bar on the order ribbon. Although the award's statutes did not stipulate this, there are eight-time recipients of the Cross of Bravery, awarded four times during the 1918-21 war and four times in 1939-45.
The Cross of Bravery has the form of an equilateral cross with arms that widen toward the ends and are slightly concave at the sides. The arms of the cross are bordered by a border around the perimeter on both the front and back. The upper arm bears the inscription "NA," the right and left arms read "POLU CHWAŁY" (On the Field of Glory), and the lower arm bears the date. The date differs depending on who issued the cross and when. For the Polish Government in Exile, this is 1940 (the first issue of 1940) and 1920 (issues of 1941 and subsequent years). Crosses of the Polish Committee of National Liberation may bear the date 1943 (first mint issue) or 1944 (second mint issue of the USSR).
The center of the award features a pentagonal shield covered with vertical stripes: 20 for awards dated 1940, 1920, and 1943, and 25 for crosses dated 1944. The shield bears an image of the Polish royal eagle. The eagle itself varies slightly between issues, the main difference being the absence of a crown on the eagle in issues dated 1944.
The reverse of the award features a sword, pointing upward, on the upper and lower rays. The inscription "WALE CZNYM" (courage) appears on the right and left rays. The center of the cross is decorated with a wreath: a laurel branch on the left and an oak branch on the right. On the upper beam, at the very top, the award number is stamped.
The dimensions of the cross may vary significantly:
- with the date 1940 - cross 36*36 mm, shield 10*11 mm, sword 26 mm, border 0.8 mm;
- with the date 1920 - cross from 40*40 to 44*44 mm, shield 12*14, sword 32 mm, border 0.8 mm;
- with the date 1943 - cross from 43*43 to 43.5*43.5 mm, shield 12*14, sword 32 mm, border 0.8 mm;
- with the date 1944 - cross 43.5*43.5, shield 12*14, sword 32 mm, border 0.8 mm.
Cross using The eyelet and ring are attached to a dark red silk moiré ribbon, 40 mm wide, with two 8 mm white stripes at the edges.
The repeat award bar is copper, 5 mm wide, and decorated with oak branches, eight leaves each, radiating from the center. Each pair of leaves is separated by a pair of acorns, with a single acorn at the ends of the branches.