Overview

• Cruickshank’s family told the BBC he died last week at age 105 and that his funeral will be held privately.
• He was the last surviving combatant to receive the Victoria Cross in WWII and the final living Scottish recipient and air-action honoree.
• On 17 July 1944 he led a second depth-charge attack on U-347 as captain of a Catalina from RAF Sullom Voe, pressing the assault despite sustaining 72 wounds and heavy crew casualties.
• After leaving the RAF he served at Coastal Command headquarters, acted as ADC to the Lord High Commissioner and built a decades-long career at Grindlay’s Bank.
• He maintained a public presence at memorial events, including a Westminster Abbey ceremony in 2004 and a Catalina flypast over his Aberdeen home in July 2024.