Commander 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 forces. He is one of three VC recipients from the small town of Carluke in South Lanarkshire (population 14,000). The Rotary Club of Carluke have erected a millennium stone in the town market place to commemorate this.

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) 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.

Cameron and other five officers captured at Kåfjord were transferred to Marlag-O, the German prison camp for British naval officers at Westertimke.

The full citation was published in a supplement to The London Gazette of 18 February 1944 (dated 22 February 1944) and read:

He assumed command of in May 1947. After three years, he was posted back to , and in 1951 he took charge of the submarine .

References

  • Location of grave and VC medal (Hampshire)