El Alamein, Dresden and a cold war spy: the incredible life of Victor Gregg

A celebration of the achievements of the Britain's oldest para veteran, who died last week aged 101

I first met Victor Gregg on a freezing afternoon in 2009 when we were to talk about his experiences in the second world war.

He was 90 and had sent me an email saying he would pick me up at Winchester station. When I arrived there was no sign of him. After 10 minutes a car parked up the road flashed its lights. It was Vic practising a routine he had learned more than 50 years earlier in the Western Desert, when Rifleman Gregg was assigned to Vladimir Peniakoff, the founder of Popski's Private Army", a unit of British special forces. Vic's job was to drive thousands of miles, alone, through the dunes, carrying stores and intelligence to Popski's contacts. Vic said Popski had told him: Before you go in, suss out how you are going to get out." This was a life lesson for Vic, I had just been sussed out" by him before going further.