(l-r) Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran John Duncan, Mrs Ellen Clark, Provost Helen Moonie.
Ellen Clark from Dundonald has received the Elizabeth Cross in memory of her late brother Corporal John Kerr, who was killed in Korea in 1951, in a moving ceremony hosted by Provost Helen Moonie at South Ayrshire Council's headquarters.
The Cross and a Memorial Scroll were presented to Mrs Clark on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by John Duncan, QPM, Lord Lieutenant for Ayrshire and Arran, who said: "We owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces and who have done so in the past. The Elizabeth Cross recognises this debt to the families who support them."
The Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll are granted to the next of kin of UK Armed Forces personnel who have died on operations or as a result of an act of terrorism in national recognition of their loss and sacrifice.
It is an emblem demonstrating national recognition to service families for their loss, specifically created to recognise the unique challenges that service personnel face on operations and from terrorism and the particular burden this places on their families.
South Ayrshire Provost Helen Moonie said: "In a week when we celebrate our Armed Forces, it is more important than ever we remember those who laid down their lives to assure us of the personal freedoms and civil liberties we enjoy today.
"Every life lost is a burden to the family members left behind and, often, this burden is carried over many years.
"The Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll rightly honours those who have died in action for their country and I was humbled by the dignified and very gracious way Mrs Clark received this fitting recognition for her late brother."