Courage is a human characteristic that excites our spirits, and almost all the stories on this site involve personal courage in the face of extreme danger to a degree that arouses a sense of astonishment. Most veterans when asked about this brush their exploits off with humility, but we who came later know the truth and wonder how we might have coped ourselves in the same circumstances.

Some rarer events stand out for the quite extraordinary degree of courage shown which we mere mortals can only regard as super-human: our minds cannot easily encompass or understand how another human being could possibly deal with the seemingly impossible. These stories are about such people and the deeds they accomplished.

• Major William 'Billy' Barker RCAF Legend
  
  
• Charles Upham VC & Bar Obituary
  
  
• Norman Jackson VC Lancaster Flight Engineer Obituary
  
  
• Knut Haugland: Incredible Norwegian SOE Obituary
  
  
• Lise Villameur SOE Secret Agent Obituary
  
  
• Eileen Nearne SOE Secret Agent Obituary
  
  
• Sgt John Hannah VC 83 Squadron Hampden P1355
  
  
• Nancy Wake SOE Heroine
  
  
• Robert Gray VC - Last Canadian VC WW2
  
  
• 04.08.1944 No. 635 Squadron Lancaster III ND811 F2-T Sqn Ldr. Ian Willoughby Bazalgette VC, DFC
  
  
• Han Stijkel: Leader in Dutch Resistance
  
  
• Albert Ball: English WW1 Ace
  
  
• Bernard McCormack; RAF Gunner Who Shot Down W/C Guy Gibson VC
  
  
• 23/24.02.1945 582 Squadron Lancaster III PB538 Capt. Edwin 'Ted’ Swales VC, DFC, RAF Little Staughton, England, Pforzheim, Germany
  
  
• 12.05.1940 12 Squadron Battle B.I P2332, Plt Off. Norman M. Thomas, Amifontaine, France, Albertkanaal, Belgium
  
  
• 11.08.1943 200 Squadron Liberator GR.V BZ832, Fg Off. Lloyd A. Trigg VC, DFC, Rufisque, Dakar, Anti-Submarine Patrol, North Atlantic
  
  
• 23.12.1944 582 Squadron Lancaster III PB371 Sqn Ldr. Robert A.M. Palmer VC, DFC and Bar, RAF Little Staughton, England, Köln, Germany
  
  
• 31.01/01.02.1945 159 Squadron, Liberator GR.V BZ938 Wottawitch!!, Sqn Ldr. James W. Bradley DFC, RAF Digri, India, Special Operation, War Crimes
  
  
• 22/23.06.1944 78 Squadron, Halifax III MZ692, Plt Off. Robert N. Mills, RAF Breighton, East Riding of Yorkshire, Laon, France
  
  
• 1942 149 Squadron Stirling I BF372 OJ-H P/O. Rawdon H. Middleton VC
  
  
• 1943 487 Sqd Venturas Attack Amsterdam: Trent VC
  
  
• Captain Lance Sijan USAF: Courage Beyond Duty
  
  
• Major Ed Freeman US Army Helicopter Hero in Vietnam
  
  
• 09.12.1941 62 Squadron Blenheim Sqd Ldr. Arthur Scarf VC
  
  
• Walter Enneccerus: Stuka Pilot, Anti-Ship Expert
  
  
• The Life That I Have: The unconquerable Violette Szabo GC CdG
  
  
• 07.02.1945 159 Squadron Flt. Sgt. Stanley Woodbridge GC
  
  
• 30/31.03.1944 578 Squadron Halifax LK797 Fg Off. Cyril Joe Barton VC
  
  
• Madame Madge (Margaret) Emily Dubois Rhodes Belgian resistance helper
  
  
• 06.04.1941 No. 22 Squadron Beaufort I N1016 OA-X F/O. Campbell VC.
  
  
• Major Billy Bishop VC Canadian Fighter Legend
  
  
• 31.07.1944 617 Squadron Lancaster I ME557 KC:S Flt.Lt. William Reid VC, RAF Woodhall Spa, accident, Germaine (Marne) France
  
  
• 419 Squadron Lancaster X KB726 VR-A P/O. de Breyne, RAF Middleton St. George, Oblt Friedrich Thörl, Stab 1./NJG4, Gaudiempre, France
  
  
• Coppens de Houthulst: Belgian Balloon Killer WW1
  
  
• Obituary: Freddie Oversteegen: Dutch Resistance Fighter
  
  
• French Resistance heroine Andrée Peel 'Agent Rose'
  
  
• Jannetje Johanna Schaft: Heroine of the Dutch Resistance
  
  

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon

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