GALLANTRY IN ACTION-AIRMEN AWARDED ... . GRU149

When the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged on I April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force, the new command needed to have its own gallantry medals to distinguish itself from the Army and the Royal Navy. Thus the new Distinguished Flying Cross came into being. Not that this new award (along with the Distinguished Flying medal for non-commissioned personnel) came into immediate use, but as 1918 progressed, awards that earlier might have produced the Military Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, became the Distinguished Flying Cross...