- Time Period: World War I
- Institution: 1 December 1919
- Country: Great Britain, Canada
This gift of Canada was issued as a memento of personal loss and sacrifice on the part of widows and mothers of Canadian sailors, soldiers and airmen who died for their country during the war.
The crosses could be worn by the recipients anytime and were engraved with the name, rank and service number of the son or husband.
The Canadian Memorial Cross Design
The medal is in the form of a cross pattee, struck in silver and measures 32 millimeters in diameter.
The obverse shows, at the end of the upright, a crown. At the foot and the end of either arm is a maple leaf and in the center, within a wreath of laurel, is the royal cipher of the reigning monarch: GRI for King George the Fifth, GVIR for King George the Sixth, or EIIR for Elizabeth the Second. The reverse of the Cross is engraved with the name and service number of the individual commemorated.
The medal is suspended by a bar brooch, although prior to 1945 it was suspended from a light purple ribbon 11 mm wide.