Anders Lassen

Anders Lassen
Born	(1920-09-22)22 September 1920 Høvdingsgård, Mern
Died	9 April 1945(1945-04-09) (aged 24) Comacchio, Italy
Buried	Argenta Gap War Cemetery
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1940–1945
Rank	Major
Service number	234907
Commands held	No. 62 Commando Special Boat Service, Special Air Service
Battles/wars	Second World War Operation Postmaster Operation Albumen Raid on Santorini Italian campaign Operation Roast  (DOW)
Awards	Victoria Cross Military Cross & Two Bars
Relations	Frederik Raben-Levetzau (maternal grandfather) Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche-Streithorst (cousin)

Major Anders Frederik Emil Victor Schau Lassen, VC, MC & Two Bars (22 September 1920 – 9 April 1945) was a Danish military officer who was the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the Victoria Cross during the World War II. Serving in the British Army, he was posthumously awarded the award for his actions during Operation Roast on 8 April 1945 at Lake Comacchio in Italy in the final weeks of the Italian campaign.^[1][2]

Lassen was ordered to lead a raid that would give the impression that a major landing was being undertaken. Lassen fulfilled his mission by destroying three enemy positions before being mortally wounded. As his men's lives would be endangered in the withdrawal, he refused to be evacuated from the area.