Tank heroes' Victoria Crosses together for VE Day

The only two Victoria Cross medals awarded to the Royal Tank Regiment in World War Two will be displayed together for the first time to mark VE Day.

The Victoria Crosses, set to go on show at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset were awarded to Capt Philip 'Pip' Gardner and Maj Gen Henry Robert Bowreman 'Bob' Foote.

The men received the highest military decoration in war for their acts of extreme bravery during the campaign in the Western Desert.

The two Victoria Crosses, along with both men's medal groups, are going on display at the museum to mark the anniversary of VE Day - the end of World War Two in Europe on 8 May 1945.

Allied forces battled German and Italian forces in the deserts of north Africa between 1940 and 1943.

Aged 26, Gardner was the first of the pair to be awarded Victoria Cross after risking his life under anti-tank fire to save a badly-wounded soldier.

Bowreman earned his honour for continuing to lead his battalion under heavy artillery fire after he was wounded in the neck and his tank was badly damaged leaving its guns disabled.

Exhibitions manager at the museum, Luke Clark, said: "Both Pip and Bob's Victoria Crosses were the only two awarded to the Royal Tank Regiment during the Second World War, making it incredibly poignant to display together to mark the anniversary of VE Day."

Tuesday, 8 May 1945 was declared Victory in Europe - (VE) Day, and marked the formal end of the European war.