John Cruickshank, the last surviving British recipient of the Victoria Cross from World War II has passed away at the age of 105.
He earned Britain's highest military honour from King George VI for bravely attacking a German submarine while flying a Catalina plane in June 1944.
His family announced that he passed away last week and his funeral would be held in private.
During the attack, while defending British ships in the Norwegian Sea, the veteran was severely injured, suffering 72 injuries in total.
Despite his serious injuries, Cruickshank chose not to get medical help until he had flown the plane back to base in Shetland.
Out of the 181 people who were awarded Victoria Cross for their actions in WWII, Cruickshank was the last surviving recipient.
Flt Lt Cruickshank was recognized for showing "determination, fortitude and devotion to duty."
After the war, Cruickshank stopped flying combat missions and left the RAF in 1946 to begin a banking career.
In 2013, he got the chance to fly a plane like the one he flew in the WWII and in 2023, to celebrate his 104th birthday, Catalina flying boar was flown over his home as a tribute.
