A funeral for fish and chips: Why are UK chippies closing?
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Britain's last surviving WW2 Victoria Cross recipient dies aged 105: Pilot suffered 72 injuries during brave attack on German submarine before refusing medical attention to return aircraft back to base
Britain's last surviving Second World War Victoria Cross recipient has died aged 105. Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank, from Aberdeen, received the VC for bravery during an attack on an enemy submarine that left him with 72 injuries. The pilot was awarded the honour for sinking a German U-boat and successfully landing his damaged plane. A total of 181 people received Britain's highest military decoration for their actions during the war. The RAF captain's family told the BBC he died last week and that a funeral would be held in private, the news outlet reported on Saturday. He joined the Territorial Army, enlisting in the Royal Artillery in May 1939, before he was transferred to the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1941. After training in Canada and the US he earned his wings in July 1942 and was assigned to No 210 Squadron in March 1943, piloting Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats, flying submarine-hunting missions from RAF Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. On July 17 1944, aged 24, he was sent on a patrol to protect the British Home Fleet as it returned from an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. A U-boat was spotted on the surface near Norway and the aircraft he was captaining and piloting launched an offensive. The first bombs failed to release but Flt Lt Cruickshank turned the plane to face enemy fire and attack again. He dropped depth charges during the second attempt, sinking the U-boat and killing 52 crew members on board. However, Cruickshank was seriously wounded in the melee and, together with his colleagues, flew the damaged plane five and a half hours back to base. Flt Lt Cruickshank sustained 72 injuries including two to his lungs and 10 to his lower limbs during the assault. The navigator was killed, three other crew members were severely injured, and the badly damaged aircraft was filled with fumes from exploding shells. After the victory, Flt Lt Cruickshank left the cockpit but refused painkillers and continued to advise his second pilot who had taken control. Despite losing consciousness multiple times during their return, he assisted the second pilot with the landing which took an hour. He was praised for setting an example of 'determination, fortitude and devotion to duty' when the honour was bestowed on him by King George VI. In 2013, Flt Lt Cruickshank said: 'It was just normal, we were trained to do the job and that was it. 'I wouldn't like to say I'm the only one that has an amazing story, there are plenty of other stories coming from that time. 'It wasn't that wonderful in those days, I can tell you that. We could only think in those days there were better days to come.'
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Last surviving WW2 Victoria Cross holder dies aged 105
Britain's last surviving Second World War Victoria Cross recipient has died aged 105. Flt Lt John Cruickshank, from Aberdeen, received the VC for bravery during an attack on an enemy submarine that left him seriously injured. A total of 181 people received Britain's highest military decoration for their actions during the war. The RAF captain's family told the BBC he died last week and that a funeral would be held in private, the news outlet reported on Saturday. In May 2020, The Telegraph reported how he declined a birthday cake from the RAF to mark his 100th birthday because he did not want to make a fuss. Living in sheltered accommodation in Aberdeen, he said he wanted nothing more than a 'quiet day'. Flt Lt Cruickshank was the captain of a Catalina flying boat with 210 Squadron, flying submarine-hunting missions from RAF Sullom Voe, in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. On July 17 1944, aged 24, he was sent on a patrol to protect the British Home Fleet as it returned from an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. A U-boat was spotted on the surface near Norway and the aircraft he was piloting as captain launched an offensive. The first bombs failed to release but Flt Lt Cruickshank turned the plane to face enemy fire and attack again. He dropped depth charges during the second attempt, sinking the U-boat, but he sustained 72 injuries including two to his lungs and 10 to his lower limbs during the assault. The navigator was killed, three other crew members were severely injured, and the badly damaged aircraft was filled with fumes from exploding shells. After the victory, Flt Lt Cruickshank left the cockpit but refused painkillers and continued to advise his second pilot who had taken control. The surviving crew members spent five and a half hours flying back to Sullom Voe. Despite losing consciousness multiple times during their return, he assisted the second pilot with the landing which took an hour. In 2013, Flt Lt Cruickshank said: 'It was just normal, we were trained to do the job and that was it. 'I wouldn't like to say I'm the only one that has an amazing story, there are plenty of other stories coming from that time. 'It wasn't that wonderful in those days, I can tell you that. We could only think in those days there were better days to come.' After the war ended, he returned to his career in banking.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Belief in God doubles among young people
A belief in God has doubled among young people in the past four years. More than one third of 18 to 24-year-olds now believe in a supernatural deity, up from just 16 per cent in 2021. The YouGov survey findings also reveal that atheism – the belief of no God – has fallen in the same age group from 49 per cent in August 2021 to 32 per cent. The poll, which did not break down the respondents by religion, appeared to support claims of increased belief in Britain amid a 'quiet revival' in churches and the growing Muslim population. 'Spiritual awakening' The Rt Rev Jill Duff, the Bishop of Lancaster, told The Telegraph that Britain was undergoing a 'spiritual awakening'. 'I'm not surprised by this,' she said. 'It is very much what we are seeing on the ground in our churches. 'There has been a trend in this direction – that the younger you are, the more spiritually open you are – for quite a number of years, and we are seeing a real openness to God and Christianity and especially to the supernatural in the younger age-group. 'I think there is a spiritual awakening. Covid led to a big increase in prayer – for example, there is a global week of '24/7 Prayer' coming up in September. 'The data is that as people pray, the nation spiritually awakens. That has been the case for generations.' The research also identified smaller increases in belief in other age groups during the same period. Among those aged 25 to 49, belief in God has increased from 21 to 25 per cent between 2021 and 2025, with atheism declining from 45 to 42 per cent. In the 50 to 64 age bracket, belief in God has remained consistent at 27 per cent, but atheism has declined from 41 to 36 per cent. But for those aged 65 and above, belief in God has decreased from 35 to 32 per cent and atheism has increased from 30 to 35 per cent. The figures indicate that the long-term decline of faith in Britain could be beginning to change. Church attendance has declined significantly since the middle of the 20th century, with those going to a Church of England service estimated to have fallen by 1.5 per cent every year since the 1950s. The 2021 census also revealed that Christians now account for less than half of the population of England and Wales for the first time in recorded history. 'Quiet revival' of Christians Other recent research also indicates that this decline in religious observance may be slowing amid mass immigration and a claimed 'quiet revival' of Christians. The Bible Society found earlier this year that 16 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds were monthly churchgoers, up from just four per cent in 2018. The research identified particular increases in attendance at Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches. Bible sales in the UK have also almost doubled in the last five years. In 2019, sales totalled £2.69 million, but in 2024 they stood at £5.02 million, according to figures from Nielsen BookScan. Census data also shows Britain's Muslim population has increased in the past decade, rising from 2.7 million in 2011 to 3.9 million in 2021 – almost 50 per cent of whom were under 24. There was also a 5.7 per cent increase in the Jewish population between 2011 and 2021, up from 271,904 to 287,360.
