Flight Sergeant

Flight Sergeant

Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...

 Stanley James Woodbridge, GC

George Cross

The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...

, (August 29, 1921 – February 7, 1945) was a British World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 recipient of the George Cross

George Cross

The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...

. He was born in Chelsea, London

Chelsea, London

Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...

, and during World War II served as a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...

, with No. 159 Squadron RAF

No. 159 Squadron RAF

No. 159 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was active as a Bomber, Mine-laying, Reconnaissance and Transport unit in World War II.-Formation in World War One:...

.

Woodbridge was captured by Japanese forces along with five other members of his crew, when their Consolidated Liberator aircraft crashed in Burma. Woodbridge, who was the crew's wireless operator, was subjected to torture, and was eventually beheaded along with the three other non-commissioned officers from his crew.