Thomas Frank Durrant Thomas Frank Durrant VC ( 17 October 1918 – 28 March 1942 ) was a soldier in the British Army during the Second World War and a posthumous English 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 . His award of the Victoria Cross was unique in that it is the only award given to a soldier in a naval action and it was on the recommendation of the enemy commander . Early life . Thomas Frank Durrant was born on 17 October 1918 and lived in Green Street Green Farnborough , Kent . After leaving school , he worked as a butcher ’ s boy , then as a builder ’ s labourer . Military service . Durrant enlisted in the Corps of Royal Engineers prior to the Second World War on 1 February 1937 , his service number was 1874047 . In 1940 the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the formation of units of specially trained troops that would " develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast " . Durrant volunteered for service with the Special Service Independent Companies and was posted to No . 2 Special Independent Company . It was when serving with No . 2 Independent Company in the Norwegian Campaign that he was promoted in the field to Sergeant . When his company returned from Norway all the independent companies were formed into battalion sized units known as Commandos , Durrant then became a member of No . 1 Commando . St Nazaire . The St Nazaire Raid ( Operation Chariot ) was a seaborne attack on the heavily defended docks of St . Nazaire in occupied France on the night of 28 March 1942 . This was a combined operation undertaken by Royal Navy and Commando units . The main commando force was provided by No . 2 Commando with supporting demolition parties from other commando units , including Durrant ' s No . 1 Commando . The intention of the raid was to destroy the dry dock which would force any large German warship in need of repairs , such as the " Tirpitz " , to return to home waters rather than seek safe haven in the Atlantic coast . Of the 600 men who left the port of Falmouth , Cornwall , England on the raid only 225 would return . During the raid Sergeant Durrant was in charge of a Lewis gun on H . M . Motor Launch 306 . As it came up the River Loire to the port of St Nazaire it came under heavy fire from the shore and from a pursuing German destroyer " Jaguar " . In the battle with the German destroyer Durrant was wounded numerous times , in the head , both arms , legs , chest and stomach . After the battle Durrant died of his wounds in a German military hospital in St Nazire . Following his death he was buried in La Baule - Escoublac War Cemetery , France in Plot I , Row D , Grave 11 . A week later the commander of the German destroyer , Kapitänleutnant F . K . Paul , met the Commando commander , Lieutenant Colonel Newman , in a prisoner of war camp in Rennes . Bringing the action to Newman ' s attention , Paul suggested that the colonel might wish to recommend Durrant for a high award . His Victoria Cross citation reads : Aftermath . Durrant is buried in La Baule - Escoublac War Cemetery , France in Plot I , Row D , Grave 11 . The award of the Victoria Cross to Durrant was announced in the " London Gazette " on 15 June 1945 , at the same time it was announced the Commando commander during the raid Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Charles Newman had also been awarded the Victoria Cross . On 29 October 1946 Durrant ' s Victoria Cross was presented to his mother at an investiture at Buckingham Palace by King George VI . Durrant ' s Victoria Cross is now on display at the Royal Engineers Museum Prince Arthur Road , Gillingham , Kent , England .