Albert Peter "Mickie" O'Brien, who once described his blood type as "Johnnie Walker," has died, aged 89. In Normandy in July 1944 Capt. O'Brien's heroism in the face of heavy German fire saved the lives of many in his squadron, Y Troop of 47 Royal Marine Commandos, and got him awarded the Military Cross on the spot. O’Brien later ascribed his sang-froid to his temperament: "a strong sense of fatalism and no imagination."

The DTel's obituarist (nice to see they still display some of the classic panache of DTel obituaries of yore) goes on to say: "However, the relief of reaching Fécamp a few weeks later was a setback for O’Brien, who liberated too much of the town’s Benedictine. In consequence he received a blast from his Commanding Officer, who threatened to subject his wayward subordinate to an orchiectomy (with a blunt knife) and partial garrotting, with the coup de grâce delivered by firing squad."

After the war he did some boring civilian things, like make a living, but did them with style, and managed to live all over the world. I'll raise a glass of Johnnie Walker to him.