Valour Cross

Denmark's highest military award

Award

Valour Cross
Tapperhedskorset

Obverse of the Valour Cross

Awarded for| Outstanding acts of courage in combat
Description| Silver cross pattée with a gilded edge with gold medallion with monogram and 2010 superimposed
Country|  Denmark
Presented by| the
Monarch of Denmark
Eligibility| Persons of any rank in the armed forces
Post-nominals| T.K.
Motto| For Tapperhed (in Danish); For Bravery (in English)
Status| Currently awarded
Established| 14 November 2011[1]
First awarded| 18 November 2011[2]
Total| 1

Ribbon bar of the Valour Cross

Precedence
Next (higher)| None
Next (lower)| Defence Medal for Bravery

The Valour Cross (Danish: Tapperhedskorset) is the highest military decoration of Denmark. Established on 14 November 2011,[1] and first awarded on 18 November 2011, it is awarded for outstanding acts of courage in combat.[2]

## Criteria

[edit]

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 or the United States' Medal of Honor.[3]

## Description

[edit]

The Valour Cross decoration is a silver cross pattée with a gilded edge, the lower arm being longer than the others. On the obverse 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.[1]

The Valour Cross is suspended from a white ribbon with a red center stripe.[1] 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.[2]

## Recipients

[edit]

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. On 19 February 2010, while deployed to Afghanistan with ISAF, 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.[4]

Name  | Rank  | Unit  | Operation  | Date of award  | Reason awarded  | Ref

|
|
|
|
|
|

Casper Westphalen Mathiesen [da]
(born 1985) | Sergeant | Engineer Regiment | ISAF | 18 November 2011  | On 19 February 2010, during fighting, unhesitatingly and clearly recognising the risk of his own life and limb, provided cover for a wounded comrade by standing between him and the enemy. He maintained this very vulnerable position and fired on the enemy so that additional help could arrive.  | [4]

## See also

[edit]

* List of orders, decorations, and medals of the Kingdom of Denmark

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Cirkulære om det af Forsvarsministeriets indstiftede og af Hendes Majestæt Dronningen den 14. november 2011 approberede Tapperhedskors". retsinformation.dk. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
2. ^ a b c "Dronningen overrækker nyt Tapperhedskors til hjemvendt soldat". forsvaret.dk. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
3. ^ "året Der Gik" (PDF). Forsvaret. December 2011. p. 63. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
4. ^ a b Nielsen, Sune Wadskjær (11 November 2011). "Tapperhedskors til Casper Westphalen Mathiesen fra ISAF hold 9". forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.

* v
* t
* e

Highest military awards for gallantry

List of highest military decorations by country

Current|

* Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross (Argentina)
* National Hero of Armenia (Armenia)
* National Hero of Azerbaijan title (Azerbaijan)
* Bir Sreshtho (Bangladesh)
* Hero of Belarus title (Belarus)
* Order of Bravery (Bulgaria)
* Order of August First (China)
* Order of Duke Domagoj (Croatia)
* Valour Cross (Denmark)
* Cross of Liberty (Estonia)
* Mannerheim Cross (Finland)
* Légion d'honneur (France)
* Cross of Honour for Valour (Germany)
* Cross of Valour (Greece)
* Param Vir Chakra (wartime) / Ashoka Chakra (peacetime) (India)
* Order of Fat'h (Iran)
* Military Medal for Gallantry (Ireland)
* Medal of Valor (Israel)
* Gold Medal of Military Valor (Italy)
* Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (Malaysia)
* Military Order of William (Netherlands)
* War Cross (Norway)
* Nishan-e-Haider (Pakistan)
* Medal of Valor (Philippines)
* War Order Virtuti Militari (wartime) / Order Krzyża Wojskowego (peacetime) (Poland)
* Order of the Tower and Sword (Portugal)
* Order of Michael the Brave (Romania)
* Hero of the Russian Federation title (Russian Federation)
* Order of the White Eagle with swords (Serbia)
* Order of the Somali Star (Somalia)
* Nkwe ya Gauta (South Africa)
* Laureate Cross of St. Ferdinand (Spain)
* Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (Sri Lanka)
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (Sweden)
* Order of Rama (Thailand)
* Medal of Honor (Turkey)
* Order of Katonga (Uganda)
* Order of the Gold Star (Ukraine)
* Victoria Cross (United Kingdom
* Australia
* Canada
* New Zealand)
* Medal of Honor (United States)

Obsolete|

* Order of Saint Louis (Kingdom of France)
* Military Order of Maria Theresa (Austria-Hungary)
* Medal of Bravery (Kingdom of Hungary)
* Pour le Mérite (Kingdom of Prussia)
* Military Order of Max Joseph (Kingdom of Bavaria)
* Military Order of St. Henry (Kingdom of Saxony)
* Military Merit Order (Kingdom of Württemberg)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Nazi Germany)
* Order of the Golden Kite (Empire of Japan)
* Order of Lāčplēsis (Latvia)
* Grand Cross of Valour (Rhodesia)
* Laureate Plate of Madrid (Second Spanish Republic)
* Castle of Good Hope Decoration (South Africa)
* Vietnam Military Merit Medal (South Vietnam)
* Hero of the Soviet Union (Soviet Union)
* Order of the Karađorđe's Star with Swords (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)
* Order of Freedom (SFR Yugoslavia)
* Grass Crown (Ancient Rome)
* Hero of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)

*[Ref]: References
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template