Donald Edward Garland Donald Edward Garland VC ( 28 June 1918 – 12 May 1940 ) born in Ballincor , County Wicklow , Garland was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces . He was a pupil at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School , Holland Park , London from 1929 to 1935 , and left with a good all - round School Certificate . Spending some time at an insurance office , he joined the RAF on a short - term commission . Mgr . Canon J . Vance , who became headmaster of Cardinal Vaughan School in 1928 : " In those days I questioned young men closely before recommending their applications for short - term commissions because of a lurking fear that they might be forced to start life again at an awkward age , for Donald I had no misgivings whatever . He could start his life again at any time and was bound to succeed because of his independence and of his resourcefulness . I salute Garland ' s great heroism " Victoria Cross . He was 21 years old , and a Flying Officer in No . 12 Squadron , Royal Air Force during World War II , when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC . On 12 May 1940 , over the Albert Canal , Belgium , two bridges , Veldwezelt and Vroenhoven , were being used by the invading army , with protection from fighter aircraft , anti - aircraft and machine - guns . The RAF was ordered to demolish one of these vital bridges , and five Fairey Battle bombers were despatched with Flying Officer Garland leading the attack . They met an inferno of anti - aircraft fire , and the bridge was hit but not put out of commission . Garland and his navigator , Sergeant Thomas Gray , attacked the bridge at Veldwezelt . They died either crashing in the village of Lanaken , or in the hospital in Maastricht , Netherlands . Only one bomber managed to return to base . Garland is buried at the Heverlee War Cemetery near Leuven , Belgium . Both Garland and Gray were awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously . Leading Aircraftman Reynolds , the third member of the crew , did not receive a medal because he was not in a " decision making " position . Garland ' s Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum , Hendon , England . He had three brothers , F / L Patrick James Garland , F / L John Cuthbert Garland , and P / O Desmond William Garland , who also served in the RAF . None survived the war . Victoria Cross citation . The announcement and accompanying citation for the decoration was published in supplement to the London Gazette on 11 June 1940 , reading Memorials . A Vickers VC - 10 Serial ' XR807 ' of 101 Squadron is named ' Donald Garland VC & Thomas Gray VC ' . During 2005 , to mark its 90th anniversary , No . 12 Squadron RAF flew a Tornado GR4 with Fg Off Garland and Sgt Gray ' s name painted under its cockpit as a mark of respect . There is a monument on the bridge to the operation . On the day of the attack on the bridge , Garland and his crew flew from the grass airfield near the Village of Amifontaine , France , where their squadron had been based since December 1939 ; no memorial to the airfield , and to the men who flew from it , has been reported to exist in the area . References . Listed in order of publication year