War Cross (Greece) - 1974 Version

1974 Version

In 1974, during the last months of the Greek military junta and following the abolition of the monarchy in June 1973, the junta issued Law 376/74 on military medals, which revised the until then current regulations. It specified that the War Cross would have three classes, with the 1st class was reserved for senior officers and war flags, the 2nd class for mid-level officers and the 3rd class for junior and warrant officers, NCOs and privates.

Due to the fall of the junta and the restoration of democracy a few months later, the medal was not officially redesigned at the time. In 1985, a provisional version was cut. It retained the same basic design as the 1940 version, but without the royal cypher, which was replaced by an oak wreath, and the crowns, which were replaced by bronze, silver and gold versions of the national emblem of Greece for the 3rd, 2nd and 1st classes respectively. The reverse bore the legend "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" ("Hellenic Republic"). Four medals of the 1st class were issued to war flags of units participating in UN peacekeeping missions.

The design was finalized in Presidential Decree 159 of 17 March 2003. It retains the basic design of the 1940 and 1985 crosses, but the national emblem has been moved to the center of the cross, in bronze, silver and gold versions for the 3rd, 2nd and 1st classes respectively.