63-408: Peter Cecil Bull , DSC (21 March 1912 – 20 May 1984) was a British actor who appeared in supporting roles in such films as The African Queen , Tom Jones , and Dr. Strangelove . He was the fourth and youngest son of William Bull, later Sir William Bull, 1st Baronet , Member of Parliament for Hammersmith . Bull was educated at Winchester College . His first professional stage appearance
126-718: A warrant is approved by the service secretary of the respective branch of service. However, appointment to this rank can come via commission by the President , but this is less common. For the chief warrant officer ranks (CW‑2 to CW‑5), these warrant officers are commissioned by the President. Both warrant officers and chief warrant officers take the same oath of office as regular commissioned officers (O-1 to O-10). A small number of warrant officers command detachments , units , activities, vessels, aircraft, and armored vehicles, as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. However,
189-594: A Tank Landing Craft (LCT), To Sea in a Sieve (1956), the best-selling I Say, Look Here!: The Rather Random Reminiscences of a Round Actor in the Square (1965) and several memoirs and collections of his letters. Peter Bull died of a heart attack in London on 20 May 1984 at 72 years of age. This article about a British film actor is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC )
252-736: A command warrant officer. The senior RN WO is the Warrant Officer of the Royal Navy . Under the Navy Command Transformation Programme, there are now a Fleet Commander 's Warrant Officer and a Second Sea Lord's Warrant Officer, all working with the Warrant Officer of the Naval Service , taking over the roles of the Command Warrant Officers. In 2004, the rank of warrant officer class 2 was introduced. However,
315-628: A designation which survived only until 1964. The most senior RAF warrant officer by appointment, although holding the same rank as other RAF warrant officers (OR9), is the Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force , previously known as the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer from the post's creation in 1996 until 2021. In the United States Armed Forces , a warrant officer (grade W-1 to W-5)
378-489: A particular technical field, with long service as enlisted personnel; in some cases, however, direct entrants may become WOs—for example, individuals completing helicopter pilot training in the US Army Aviation Branch become flight warrant officers immediately. In Commonwealth countries, warrant officers have usually been included alongside NCOs and enlisted personnel in a category called other ranks (ORs), which
441-540: A phrase that was replaced in 1920 with "commissioned officers promoted from warrant rank", although they were still usually referred to as "commissioned warrant officers", even in official documents). By the time of the First World War , their ranks had been expanded with the adoption of modern technology in the Royal Navy to include telegraphists , electricians , shipwrights , artificer engineers , etc. Both warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers messed in
504-607: Is a third-level military decoration awarded for gallantry during active operations against the enemy at sea to officers; and, since 1993, ratings and other ranks of the British Armed Forces , Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the British Merchant Navy have been eligible. The award was formerly also awarded to members of armed forces of other Commonwealth countries. The DSC is "awarded in recognition of an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against
567-572: Is above the rank of staff sergeant, and below the rank of cadet lieutenant. It is the highest rank a cadet can attain in the NCDCC while they are in secondary school. The rank insignia is one point-up chevron, a Singapore coat of arms , and a garland below. In the Singapore Armed Forces , warrant officers begin as third warrant officers (3WO), previously starting at the rank of second warrant officer, abbreviated differently as WO2 instead. This rank
630-681: Is combined with the officers' mess. Warrant officers have similar responsibilities to commissioned officers. Warrant officers are usually addressed as " encik " ("mister" in Malay language) or as "warrant (surname)" or " encik " (surname). Exceptions to this are those who hold appointments. Warrant officers holding the appointment such as commanding officer (CO) and officer commanding (OC) are to be addressed as "sir" by other ranks , and those holding sergeant major appointments such as regimental sergeant major (RSM), company sergeant major (CSM), formation sergeant major (FSM), institute sergeant major (ISM) and
693-556: Is equivalent to the US "E" category (i.e. there is no separate "W" category in these particular services). In Commonwealth services, warrant officers rank between chief petty officer and sub-lieutenant in the navy, between staff sergeant and second lieutenant in the army, and between flight sergeant and pilot officer in the air force. The warrant officer corps began in the nascent Royal Navy , which dates its founding to 1546. At that time, noblemen with military experience took command of
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#1732863348715756-545: Is given to former specialists who have attained the rank of master sergeant and have either gone through, or are about to go through the Warfighter Course at the Specialist and Warrant Officer Advanced School (SWAS) in the Specialist and Warrant Officer Institute (SWI). In order to be promoted to a second warrant officer (2WO) and above, they must have been selected for and graduated from the joint warrant officer course at
819-400: Is incorrect. The rank immediately below WO2 is staff sergeant (or colour sergeant ). From 1938 to 1940 there was a WOIII platoon sergeant major rank. In March 2015, the new appointment of Army Sergeant Major was created, though the holder is not in fact a warrant officer but a commissioned officer holding the rank of captain. The creation of the appointment of command sergeant major
882-557: Is only held by one person at a time. WOGJ (Warrant Officer Junior Grade) are responsible for a many number of tasks. Primarily responsible for painting company logo on the side of all aircraft. Warrant officer is the lowest junior commissioned officer rank in the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Air Force , ranking below senior warrant officer and master warrant officer . In the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force ,
945-534: Is ranked as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks , as well as officer cadets and officer candidates , but below the officer grade of O‑1 (NATO: OF‑1). All warrant officers rate a salute from those ranked below them; i.e., the enlisted ranks. Warrant officers are highly skilled, single-track specialty officers, and while the ranks are authorized by Congress, each branch of the military selects, manages, and utilizes warrant officers in slightly different ways. For appointment to warrant officer (W-1), normally
1008-527: The Air Force Reserve in 1992. Space Force inherited the same lack of warrant officers from the Air Force, although its inaugural Chief Master Sergeant , Roger A. Towberman , stated in a January 2021 interview that Space Force would study the issue and decide whether or not to introduce them. In February 2024, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Allvin announced that the Air Force will re-introduce
1071-582: The Indian Air Force actually use the ranks of junior warrant officer, warrant officer and master warrant officer. In the British Indian Army , warrant officer ranks existed but were restricted to British personnel, mostly in specialist appointments such as conductor and sub-conductor . Unlike in the British Army, although these appointments were warranted, the appointment and rank continued to be
1134-591: The SAFWOS Leadership School . Warrant officers rank between specialists and commissioned officers. They ordinarily serve as battalion or brigade regimental sergeant majors . Many of them serve as instructors and subject-matter experts in various training establishments. Warrant officers are also seen on the various staffs headed by the respective specialist officers. There are six grades of warrant officer (3WO, 2WO, 1WO, MWO, SWO and CWO). Warrant officers used to have their own mess. For smaller camps, this mess
1197-833: The South African National Defence Force , a warrant officer (WO) is set apart from those who hold a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank. Warrant officers hold a warrant of appointment endorsed by the Minister of Defence. Warrant officers hold very specific powers, which are set out in the Defence Act and the Military Defence Supplementary Measures Act. Before 2008, there were two classes – warrant officer class 1 and 2. A warrant officer class 1 could be appointed to positions such as regimental sergeant major, formation sergeant major or Sergeant Major of
1260-681: The pace stick , with the sword sheathed during drills and parades. In the Singapore Civil Defence Force , there are two warrant officer ranks. These ranks are (in order of ascending seniority) warrant officer (1) and warrant officer (2). Previously, before the Home Team Unified Rank Scheme was introduced, there were two additional ranks of warrant officer, namely senior warrant officer (1) and senior warrant officer (2). Both ranks are now obsolete, although existing holders of these ranks were allowed to keep their rank. In
1323-524: The 16th century and also had warrant officer status. Literacy was one thing that most warrant officers had in common, and this distinguished them from the common seamen: according to the Admiralty regulations, "no person shall be appointed to any station in which he is to have charge of stores, unless he can read and write, and is sufficiently skilled in arithmetic to keep an account of them correctly". Since all warrant officers had responsibility for stores, this
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#17328633487151386-439: The 1990s, most of these—including Canada , Australia , and New Zealand —were establishing their own honours systems and no longer recommended British honours. Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal "DSC". The DSC is a plain silver cross with rounded ends, with a width of 43 millimetres (1.7 in) and with the following design: Since 1901 at least 6,658 Crosses and 603 bars have been awarded. The dates below reflect
1449-666: The 1993 review of the honours system , as part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery, the Distinguished Service Medal , formerly the third-level decoration for ratings, has been discontinued. The DSC now serves as the third-level award for gallantry at sea for all ranks, not to the standard required to receive the Victoria Cross or the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross . The DSC had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries; however, by
1512-591: The Army or Warrant Officer of the Navy. In 2008, five new warrant officer ranks were introduced above warrant officer class 1: senior warrant officer (SWO), master warrant officer (MWO), chief warrant officer (CWO), senior chief warrant officer (SCWO) and master chief warrant officer (MCWO). In the South African Police Service , there is only a single warrant officer (WO) rank. In 1973, warrant officers reappeared in
1575-636: The Army. In 1939, the RAF abolished the rank of WOII and retained just the WOI rank, referred to as just warrant officer (WO), which it remains to this day. The RAF has no equivalent to WO2 (NATO OR-8), an RAF WO being equivalent to WO1 (NATO OR-9) and wearing the same badge of rank, the Royal coat of arms. The correct way to address a warrant officer is "sir" or "ma'am" by airmen and "mister or warrant officer -surname-" by officers. Most RAF warrant officers do not hold appointments as in
1638-541: The British services have traditionally been considered and treated as distinct from non-commissioned officers. Warrant officers in the United States are classified in rank category "W", which is distinct from "O" (commissioned officers) and "E" ( enlisted personnel ). However, chief warrant officers are officially commissioned, on the same basis as commissioned officers, and take the same oath. US WOs are usually experts in
1701-655: The DSC, and their eligibility was legally clarified by an order in council in 1931. World War II saw a number of changes. In December 1939, eligibility was extended to Naval Officers of the rank of Commander and Lieutenant-Commander . In April 1940, equivalent ranks in the Royal Air Force serving with the Fleet could receive the DSC, and, from November 1942, so could those in the Army aboard defensively equipped merchant ships . Since
1764-613: The English-language version of Samuel Beckett 's Waiting for Godot when it opened on 3 August 1955. Bull's performance as the Soviet Ambassador, Alexi de Sadesky, in Dr. Strangelove (1964) is probably the best known of his many film and TV appearances. He was cast as Thwackum, one of Blifil's two tutors, in the 1963 film Tom Jones . In the 1970s, he ran a small shop just off Notting Hill Gate , selling zodiac-related items. Bull
1827-626: The RN did before. The most senior Royal Marines warrant officer is the Corps Regimental Sergeant Major . Unlike the RN proper (since 2014), it retains both WO ranks. The Royal Air Force first used the ranks of sergeant major first and second class as inherited from the Royal Flying Corps , with the rank badges of the Royal coat of arms and the crown respectively. In the 1930s, these ranks were renamed warrant officer class I and II as in
1890-575: The RNZAF is addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". Previously an aircrew warrant officer was known as master aircrew; however this rank and designation is no longer used. The RNZAF also has a post of Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOAF), the most senior warrant officer position in the RNZAF. There is also the Warrant Officer of the Defence Force (WODF). This appointment is held by a warrant officer class one (if
1953-649: The Royal Coat of Arms in 1976) for a WO1; and the Australian Commonwealth Coat of Arms surrounded by a laurel wreath for the RSM-A. The Royal Australian Air Force rank of warrant officer (WOFF) is the RAAF's only rank appointed by warrant and is equivalent to both the Army's WO1 and the Navy's WO. The most senior non-commissioned member of the RAAF is the Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF), an appointment that
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2016-544: The Royal Navy, but these appointments followed the army model, with the new warrant officers being ratings rather than officers. They were initially known as fleet chief petty officers (FCPOs), but were renamed warrant officers in the 1980s. They rank with warrant officers class one in the British Army and Royal Marines and with warrant officers in the Royal Air Force. There are executive warrant officers for commands and ships. Five branches (surface ships, submarines, Royal Marines, Fleet Air Arm, and Maritime Reserves) each have
2079-626: The Royal Navy, by the Second World War there were warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers (e.g. staff sergeant majors , commissioned staff sergeant majors, Royal Marines gunners, commissioned Royal Marines gunners, etc.). As officers, they were saluted by junior ranks in the Royal Marines and the army. These all became (commissioned) branch officer ranks in 1949, and special duties officer ranks in 1956. These ranks would return in 1972, this time similar to their army counterparts, and not as
2142-559: The Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) are to be addressed as "sergeant major" by other ranks. Also, all warrant officers holding the rank of chief warrant officer (CWO) are to be addressed as "sir" by other ranks. Since all warrant officers are non-commissioned officers, they are not saluted. Although ceremonial swords are usually reserved for commissioned officers , warrant officers of the rank of master warrant officer (MWO) and above are presented with ceremonial swords, but continue to carry
2205-421: The army or Royal Marines; the exception to this is the station warrant officer, who is considered a "first amongst equals" on an RAF station . Warrant officer is the highest non-commissioned rank and ranks above flight sergeant. In 1946, the RAF renamed its aircrew warrant officers to master aircrew, a designation which still survives. In 1950, it renamed warrant officers in technical trades to master technicians,
2268-617: The cadre of warrant officers includes the specific ranks of warrant officer ( adjudant in French), master warrant officer ( adjudant-maître ), and chief warrant officer ( adjudant-chef ). Before unification in 1968, there were two ranks of warrant officer (WO2 and WO1) in the Canadian Army and RCAF that followed the British structure. Junior commissioned officers are the Indian Armed Forces equivalent of warrant officer ranks. Those in
2331-466: The coat of arms of the city. Warrant officer Warrant officer ( WO ) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned officer ranks, the most senior of the non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks, or in a separate category of their own. Warrant officer ranks are especially prominent in
2394-554: The early 19th century, they were joined in the wardroom by naval chaplains , who also had warrant officer status (though they were only usually present on larger vessels). The standing officers were: Other warrant officers included surgeon's mates, boatswain's mates and carpenter's mates, sailmakers, armourers, schoolmasters (involved in the education of boys, midshipmen and others aboard ship) and clerks. Masters-at-arms , who had formerly overseen small-arms provision on board, had by this time taken on responsibility for discipline. By
2457-502: The end of the century, the rank structure could be illustrated as follows (the warrant officers are underlined): In 1843, the wardroom warrant officers were given commissioned status, while in 1853 the lower-grade warrant officers were absorbed into the new rate of chief petty officer , both classes thereby ceasing to be warrant officers. On 9 July 1864 the standing warrant officers were divided into two grades: warrant officers and chief warrant officers (or "commissioned warrant officers",
2520-669: The enemy at sea." Since 1979, it can be awarded posthumously. The award was originally created in 1901 as the Conspicuous Service Cross , for award to warrant and subordinate officers, including midshipmen , ineligible for the Distinguished Service Order . It was renamed the Distinguished Service Cross in October 1914, eligibility being extended to all naval officers (commissioned and warrant) below
2583-485: The highest commissioned ranks. The Royal Australian Navy rank of warrant officer (WO) is the Navy's only rank appointed by warrant and is equivalent to the Army's WO1, and the RAAF's warrant officer. The most senior non-commissioned member of the Navy is the Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N), an appointment that is only held by one person at a time. The Australian Army has two warrant officer ranks: warrant officer class two (WO2) and warrant officer class one (WO1),
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2646-619: The latter being senior in rank. The equivalent rank of WO2 in the Navy is now chief petty officer , and the RAAF equivalent of the Army's WO2 is now flight sergeant , although in the past there were no equivalents. All warrant officers are addressed as "sir" or "ma'am" by subordinates. To gain the attention of a particular warrant officer in a group, they can be addressed as "Warrant Officer Bloggs, sir/ma'am" or by their appointment, e.g. "ASM Bloggs, sir/ma'am". Some warrant officers hold an appointment such as company sergeant major (WO2) or regimental sergeant major (WO1). The warrant officer appointed to
2709-403: The latter ranking with but after the rank of lieutenant, and they were admitted to the wardroom, the warrant officers' messes closing down. Collectively, these officers were known as "branch officers", being retitled "special duties" officers in 1956. In 1998, the special duties list was merged with the general list of officers in the Royal Navy, all officers now having the same opportunity to reach
2772-541: The militaries of Commonwealth nations and the United States . The name of the rank originated in medieval England . It was first used during the 13th century, in the Royal Navy , where warrant officers achieved the designation by virtue of their accrued experience or seniority, and technically held the rank by a warrant , rather than by a formal commission (as in the case of a commissioned officer). Nevertheless, WOs in
2835-406: The new navy, adopting the military ranks of lieutenant and captain . These officers often had no knowledge of life on board a ship—let alone how to navigate such a vessel—and relied on the expertise of the ship's master and other seamen who tended to the technical aspects of running the ship. As cannon came into use, the officers also required gunnery experts; specialist gunners began to appear in
2898-486: The position of Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A) is the most senior enlisted soldier in the Australian Army and differs from other Army warrant officers in that their rank is just warrant officer (WO). The appointment of RSM-A was introduced in 1983. The rank insignia are: a crown for a WO2 (or a crown in a square on AMCU (camouflage uniform) rank slides); the Australian Commonwealth Coat of Arms (changed from
2961-498: The position of Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA). The Royal New Zealand Navy has a single warrant officer rank, addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". This rank is equivalent to the Army WO1. The RNZN's highest-ranking warrant officer is the Warrant Officer of the Navy. The Royal New Zealand Air Force also has a single warrant officer rank, equivalent to the Navy warrant officer, and the Army warrant officer class 1 (WO1). A warrant officer in
3024-558: The rank of lieutenant commander . From March 1915, foreign officers of equivalent rank in allied navies could receive honorary awards; in August 1916, bars were introduced to reward further acts of gallantry meriting the Cross, with a silver rosette worn on the ribbon when worn alone, to denote the award of each bar. During World War I , officers of the Merchant and Fishing Fleets had been awarded
3087-548: The rank was phased out in April 2014, but is being reinstated for non-technical and technical branches of the Royal Navy in 2021. In the British Army , there are two warrant ranks, warrant officer class two (WO2) and warrant officer class one (WO1), the latter being the senior of the two. These ranks were previously abbreviated as WOII and WOI (using Roman instead of Indo-Arabic numerals). "Warrant officer first class" or "second class"
3150-670: The recipient originated from the New Zealand Army), or warrant officer (if the recipient originated from the Royal New Zealand Navy or the Royal New Zealand Air Force). The rank of warrant officer is the highest rank a Boys' Brigade boy can attain in secondary school . The rank of warrant officer is given to selected non-commissioned officers in National Civil Defence Cadet Corps units. It
3213-617: The relevant London Gazette entries: A number of honorary awards were made to members of allied foreign forces, including 151 for World War I, and 228 (with 12 first bars and 2 second bars) for World War II. Eight honorary awards were made in 1955 to members of the US Navy for service in Korea . The above table includes awards to the Dominions : In all, 199 DSCs have gone to those serving with Canadian forces, with 34 first bars and five second bars. It
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#17328633487153276-755: The same and the actual rank of warrant officer was never created. Indian equivalents were viceroy's commissioned officers . In the Malaysian Armed Forces , warrant officers ( Malay : pegawai Waran ) are the highest ranks for non commissioned officers. The New Zealand Army usage is the same as the British Army, having two ranks: warrant officer class two (WO2), addressed as "sergeant major", and warrant officer class one (WO1), addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". There are also appointments such as company and squadron sergeant major (CSM and SSM) which are usually WO2 positions and regimental sergeant major (RSM), which are usually WO1 positions. The highest ranking WO1 holds
3339-473: The same status as Royal Navy warrant officers and the rank of warrant officer class II was abolished in the Royal Marines, with no further promotions to this rank. The marines had introduced warrant officers equivalent in status to the Royal Navy's from 1910 with the Royal Marines gunner (originally titled gunnery sergeant-major), equivalent to the navy's warrant rank of gunner. Development of these ranks closely paralleled that of their naval counterparts: as in
3402-474: The two, however, were the standing officers , notable because, unlike the rest of the ship's company, they remained with the ship even when she was out of commission (e.g. for repair, refitting or replenishment, or whilst laid up); in these circumstances they were under the pay and supervision of the Royal Dockyard . These classes of warrant officer messed in the wardroom with the commissioned officers: In
3465-426: The warrant officer's primary task is to serve as a technical expert, providing valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field. All U.S. armed services employ warrant officer grades except the U.S. Space Force . Although still technically authorized, the U.S. Air Force discontinued appointing new warrant officers in 1959, retiring its last chief warrant officer from
3528-448: The warrant officers' mess rather than the wardroom (although in ships too small to have a warrant officers' mess, they did mess in the wardroom). Warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers also carried swords, were saluted by ratings , and ranked between sub-lieutenants and midshipmen . In 1949, the ranks of warrant officer and commissioned warrant officer were changed to "commissioned officer" and "senior commissioned officer",
3591-469: Was an avid collector of teddy bears . He published a number of books about them, including Bear With Me and The Teddy Bear Book , as well as a book on his adventures on the Greek islands of Corfu and Paxos , where he owned a house, It isn't all Greek to me , illustrated by Oscar winner Roger Furse . He was also the author of a non-fiction book about his experiences during the Second World War as commander of
3654-537: Was announced in 2009. Before 1879, the Royal Marines had no warrant officers: by the end of 1881, the Royal Marines had given warrant rank to their sergeant-majors and some other senior non-commissioned officers, in a similar fashion to the army. When the army introduced the ranks of warrant officer class I and class II in 1915, the Royal Marines did the same shortly after. From February 1920, Royal Marines warrant officers class I (renamed warrant officers) were given
3717-596: Was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross . Returning to acting after the war, he both narrated and had a small on-screen role in Scrooge (1951) and portrayed the captain of the ship that Katharine Hepburn 's and Humphrey Bogart 's characters set out to destroy, whom they persuade to marry them just before they are to be executed, in The African Queen (1951). Bull was the first actor to portray Pozzo in
3780-510: Was awarded the DSC for the first time in 1919. He was awarded his second DSC in 1944. He was awarded the DSC a further two times in 1945. He gained an entry into the Guinness Book of Records as the most decorated reserve naval officer. In 1919, the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded to the City of Dunkirk for the gallant behaviour of its citizens during World War I, and the Cross appears in
3843-430: Was enough to debar the illiterate. In origin, warrant officers were specialist professionals whose expertise and authority demanded formal recognition. In the 18th century they fell into two clear categories: on the one hand, those privileged to share with the commissioned officers in the wardroom and on the quarterdeck ; and on the other, those who ranked with more junior members of the ship's crew. Somewhere between
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#17328633487153906-399: Was in If I Were You at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1933. He was a friend of Alec Guinness , whom he first met at HMS Raleigh during training in the Second World War , and later HMS King Alfred ; he served as an officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , later commanding Landing Craft (Flak) 16 in the Mediterranean. He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and
3969-421: Was replaced in 1993 by the Medal of Military Valour . 182 were awarded to Australians, in addition to 13 first bars and three second bars. Last awarded to an Australian in 1972, it was replaced in 1991 by the Medal for Gallantry . Only one person has ever been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross four times. Norman Eyre Morley served in the Royal Naval Reserve during World War I and World War II . He
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