A Victoria Cross awarded to a Scots World War II bomber pilot has sold for a world record price of £348,000.
The medal, pictured above, which were awarded to Flight Lieutenant William Reid for his outstanding bravery during the war, were purchased by an anonymous bidder at an auction in London.
They had been expected to fetch between £180,000 and £220,000 - but eventually sold for more than double the lower-end estimate - a new world record for a Victoria Cross awarded to a British serviceman.
Flt Lt Reid, who was from Crieff, Perthshire, was honoured for his part in a bombing raid over Germany in November 1943. He flew his Lancaster bomber 200 miles towards its target despite having been wounded in two separate fighter attacks.
He also managed to get the badly damaged plane back to the UK after the attack despite the death of his navigator and the fatal wounding of his wireless operator.
Navigating by the pole star and the moon, Flt Lt Reid set his course for home - despite growing weak from loss of blood and having seen the emergency oxygen supply give out.
Incredibly, despite lapsing into semi-consciousness, he and his crew managed to keep the Lancaster in the air despite heavy anti-aircraft fire over the Dutch coast.
Flt Lt Reid, who later joined the RAF's 617 Squadron – better known as the Dambusters – was shot down in 1944 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.
Mark Quayle, medal specialist for Spink, said after the sale: "This was a fully justified price reflective of a remarkable act of gallantry."
