Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Donald Cameron, VC (18 March 1916 – 10 April 1961) was a Scottish sailor and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces. He is one of three VC recipients from the small town of

Carluke Carluke (; gd, Cathair MoLuaig) is a town that lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, northwest of Lanark and southeast of Wishaw. Carluke is largely a commuting town, with a variety of small stores ...

South Lanarkshire gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms_slanarkshire.jpg , image_blank_emblem = Slanarks.jpg , blank_emblem_type = Council logo , image_map ...

(population 14,000). The

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

of Carluke have erected a millennium stone in the town market place to commemorate this.

Naval career

Cameron served in the Merchant Navy from the age of 17. He 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. 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 Rear Admiral Basil Charles Godfrey Place, (19 July 1921 – 27 December 1994), known as Godfrey Place, was an officer in the Royal Navy and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be a ...

) commanding Midget Submarine X.7, carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship ''

Tirpitz Tirpitz may refer to: * Alfred von Tirpitz (1849–1930), German admiral * German battleship ''Tirpitz'', a World War II-era Bismarck-class battleship named after the admiral * Tirpitz (pig), a pig rescued from the sinking of SMS ''Dresden'' and ...

''. 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: Cameron achieved the rank of

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in 1955, and was in charge of , the submarine base at

Fort Blockhouse Fort Blockhouse is a military establishment in Gosport, Hampshire, England, and the final version of a complicated site. At its greatest extent in the 19th century, the structure was part of a set of fortifications which encircled much of Gos ...

Personal life

Cameron married WRNS's member Eve Kilpatrick in 1940 and they had four children. Cameron's health deteriorated in the last years of his life and he was eventually admitted to

Royal Hospital Haslar The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire, was one of several hospitals serving the local area. It was converted into retirement flats between 2018 and 2020. The hospital itself is a Grade II listed building. History Formation and oper ...

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite t ...

, where he died on 10 April 1961. His remains were cremated at Portchester and buried at sea from submarine on 13 April 1961. Winton, John (1978). ''The Victoria Cross at sea''. Michael Joseph, p. 230.

References

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Hampshire)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Donald 1916 births 1961 deaths British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross Burials at sea People from Carluke Royal Naval Reserve personnel Royal Navy officers of World War II Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross Royal Navy submarine commanders