Donald Cameron (VC)
| Donald Cameron | |
|---|---|
Donald Cameron
|
|
| Born |
18 March 1916 Carluke, South Lanarkshire |
| Died | 10 April 1961 (aged 45) Royal Hospital Haslar, Portsmouth |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1939–1961 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands held | HMS X6 (1942–43) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Commander Donald Cameron VC (18 March 1916 – 10 April 1961) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He is one of three VC winners from the small town of Carluke in South Lanarkshire (population 7,000). The Rotary Club of Carluke have erected a millennium stone in the town market place to commemorate this.
Cameron was 27 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. He had served in the Merchant Navy since the age of 17.
On 22 September 1943 at Kåfjord on the Altafjord, North Norway, Lieutenant Cameron, commanding Midget Submarine X.6, and another lieutenant (Basil Charles Godfrey Place) commanding Midget Submarine X.7, carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz. The small submarines had to travel at least 1,000 miles from base, negotiate a minefield, dodge nets, gun defences and enemy listening posts. Having eluded all these hazards they finally placed the charges underneath the ship where they went off an hour later, doing so much damage that the Tirpitz was out of action for months.
The full citation was published in a supplement to the London Gazette of 18 February 1944 (dated 22 February 1944) and read:
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