Fundraising is under way to move a collection of medals from London to Cornwall. The medals belong to Lieutenant Commander Stephen Beattie, who led World War Two's "Greatest Raid of All".
Beattie left Falmouth, Cornwall, with more than 600 men in March 1942 for the St Nazaire Raid, also known as Operation Chariot.
The "incredibly dangerous" operation stopped the German pocket battleship Tirpitz from entering Atlantic shipping lanes and disrupting the convoy system that sustained Britain's war effort.
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC) hopes to raise £29,151 for a specialist case to house the medals, including Beattie's Victoria Cross, for display next year.
Jonathan Griffin, volunteer archivist for the NMMC, said the raid, which took place in the early hours of 28 March 1942 after the ship left Cornwall two days before, was "essentially a suicide mission for all involved".
He said: "[Beattie], as the captain, drove his ship head on into a dock gate, packed with nearly five tonnes of explosives. Its explosion meant that the raid had achieved its main objective – but at the cost of many lives. Eighty-nine decorations were awarded, of which five were Victoria Crosses: five out of 183 during the whole war. That's why it's known as the greatest raid of all."
Of the men who left Falmouth, only 228 returned. A total of 169 were killed in action and 215 were taken as prisoners of war, including Beattie.
His son Tim Beattie said: "None of them would have seen themselves as heroes. It's not for us to concentrate on the heroism of people on the raid. I think it more important to concentrate on the fact that they were willing to sacrifice."
The family has given permission for Beattie's medals to be moved from the Imperial War Museum in London. If the fundraising target is achieved, they are due to go on display from March 2027 to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the raid, the NMMC said.
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Cornwall Museum Fundraises £29k for WWII Raid Medals