George Cross instituted

24th September 1940: The King creates a new award for valour - to rank alongside the Victoria Cross

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth standing with workmen, while inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace.

'Total War' had come to Britain very quickly in the summer of 1940, after many months of the 'Phoney War'. All too suddenly civilians were in the forefront of danger and on a much wider scale than in the First World War. It was realised that there…