The Queen has led tributes to Capt Sir Tom Moore, the second world war veteran who raised almost £39m for NHS charities during the first coronavirus lockdown in spring 2020, who has died aged 100 after testing positive for coronavirus.
In a statement, his daughters, Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Capt Sir Tom Moore. We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime.
“We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.
“The last year of our father’s life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of. Whilst he’d been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever.
“The care our father received from the NHS and carers over the last few weeks and years of his life has been extraordinary. They have been unfalteringly professional, kind and compassionate and have given us many more years with him than we ever would have imagined.”
Moore was admitted to Bedford hospital on Sunday after having been treated for pneumonia for some time and testing positive for Covid-19 last week.
Tributes poured in for the man who acquired national treasure status in his last year.
The flag above No 10 was lowered to half-mast and councils were urged to fly their flags at half-mast on Wednesday as a mark of respect.
Boris Johnson spoke to Moore’s daughter, Hannah, to pass on his personal condolences.
In a video statement, the prime minister described him as “a hero in the truest sense of the word”. He said: “In the dark days of the second world war he fought for freedom and in the face of this country’s deepest postwar crisis he united us as well, he cheered us all up and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit.”
Johnson added: “He became not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world.”
The Queen was sending a private message of condolence, Buckingham Palace said. A spokesperson added: “Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Capt Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year.
“Her thoughts, and those of the royal family, are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world.”
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, tweeted: “Captain Tom Moore put others first at a time of national crisis and was a beacon of hope for millions. Britain has lost a hero.’’
In the House of Commons, MPs momentarily stopped debating to recognise his passing.
Flags in Town Hall Square, Keighley, West Yorkshire, where Moore was born, were also lowered, with the local council also opening a virtual book of condolence.
The NHS, for which Sir Tom raised millions of pounds, tweeted: “Thanks for everything Sir Tom.” Liz Lees, chief nurse at Bedfordshire hospitals NHS foundation trust, tweeted that it had been an “immense privilege” to care for him.
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, described Moore as “the very best of us,” adding: “Where he walked a nation followed.”
DJ MistaJam in a tweet, described him as “a real beacon of light in such dark times and a reminder that we all have the power to make things better for each other if we truly are willing to put in the effort.”
TV presenters Ant and Dec tweeted: “We thank you and salute you.”
The Royal British Legion said he “epitomised the indomitable spirit of our wartime generation”.
Veteran fundraiser Lloyd Scott, who wore a 130lb deep-sea diving suit to race Moore at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedford, described him as “a shining light” and “a humble hero” whose “spirit touched the very soul and brought out the best in humanity.”
Penguin books editor, Rowland White, who worked with Moore on his book Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day, said of the Burma campaign veteran: “His last battle against a fearsome enemy was no less heroic than his first.”
Singer Michael Ball, who recorded a charity single with Moore that reached No 1, wrote on Twitter: “Rest in peace captaintommoore. A wonderful life so well lived and a hero and fighter to the very end.”
Moore had been treated at home until Sunday when he needed additional help with his breathing. Information released on behalf of his family revealed he tested positive for Covid-19 on 22 January after returning home from hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Moore had been receiving treatment for prostate and skin cancer for the last five years but, with the help of his medical team, had made the decision not to have invasive treatment.
He had not received a Covid-19 vaccine because of the medication he had been taking for pneumonia.
Moore’s fundraising efforts during the first national lockdown in April last year raised £38.9m for NHS charities after his pledge to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday captured the imagination of fans from around the world.
He went on to break two Guinness world records – becoming the oldest person to get a No 1 single in the UK charts and raising the most money for doing a solo charity walk.
Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, in April 1920, Moore completed an apprenticeship as a civil engineer after finishing school and then joined the army. In 1940, he was selected for officer training and rose to the rank of captain, later being posted to the 9th battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in India.
He served and fought in the Arakan in western Burma, since renamed Rakhine State, and went with his regiment to Sumatra after the Japanese surrender.
After the war, he returned to the UK and worked as an instructor at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle school in Bovington, Dorset. He lived in Kent for many years before moving to Bedfordshire in 2007 to be with his family.
