'Did I shoot down a VC?' The air battle over Japan and the last WW2 Victoria Cross

The British Pacific Fleet was one of four allied Task Forces assigned to 'delouse' mainland Japan of its final remaining defences. Their targets were the airfields, aircraft and fortifications defending the islands. The remnants of Japan's shipping and navy were also priority targets. But the last days of World War II remain wrapped in controversy as - especially after the first atomic bomb - all knew the empire had already fallen.
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve pilot Hampton 'Hammy' Gray was one of the last to fly strike missions in World War II. He was also among the last to die. And his final desperate act of bravery prompted Admiral Philip Vian to award the only Victoria Cross assigned to a British aircraft carrier pilot. It was also the final VC of World War II.


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