'It wasn't until after he was safely back in the aircraft again that I heard that he'd actually been out on the wing to try to put the fire out ... Remember that we were flying at about 90 miles an hour at a height of 13,000 feet'
Squadron Leader RP Widdowson on Sergeant James Ward, who earned his VC in 1941

The Victoria Cross, awarded to the most courageous and determined servicemen, is the highest military decoration that can be bestowed.

In Forgotten Voices: Victoria Cross, first-hand accounts of soldiers, sailors and airmen describe the incredible events that earned these extraordinary men the VC in the last century.

Captivating and often humbling, these stories depict exceptional acts of bravery in unimaginable situations, of men who would say they were just doing their duty.

Introduction by General Sir Richard Dannatt.