A great piece in today's Daily Mail by Lord Ashcroft. In extracts from his new book on Special Forces Heroes, he profiles two outstanding examples of valour. He pays tribute to the "cold courage" of people who are brave - not in a moment of danger - but who knowingly place themselves in grave danger for the sake of our security:
"There are, I have always believed, two types of valour: spur-of-the-moment bravery and what I call cold courage, which involves planning.
I've nothing but admiration for those decorated for impulsive bravery: a serviceman who, in the heat of battle, risks his life to save a wounded comrade. Many such men have rightly been awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's top military bravery medal.
But my new book, Special Forces Heroes, deals with those awarded medals for acts of premeditated courage. It takes a special kind of valour to go undercover behind enemy lines or to be part of a small, elite unit on a hit-and-run mission against a far larger force. If it goes wrong, he knows that, at best, he might be captured and kept as a prisoner of war for months, even years. At worst, he might be seized, tortured, mutilated and killed."
Click here to buy the book.
