Corporal Thomas Frank Cross, a 40-year-old bachelor, of 7 Tennyson Road, Rushden, gave up his shoe factory job to volunteer for the R.A.F. at the beginning of the war, and since then has spent only a few months as a civilian—when, just after the war, he came home to help his father who was ill. Then he brought with him a testimonial, describing him as a man the R.A.F. "could ill afford to lose." He was back in harness before the year was out.

See the world

Join the Air Force and see the world might sum up his service. He has been to Canada, Southern and Northern Rhodesia, Norway and Singapore. Now he has been posted to Celle, in Germany.

His trade is concerned with the safety equipment work, and he has a reputation for quietly getting on with the job.

His mother and sisters were surprised with the news of his honour. "He never talks about himself," said Mrs. Cross. He would never have told us."