SCENES of war have dominated news coverage on our television screens lately and for one visitor to Bermuda those images jogged memories of her late stepfather, who won the Victoria Cross and worked for the United Nations in Baghdad.

Anneke Gichuru, from New Brunswick, Canada, came here for a holiday and to see her friends Tommy and Lois Aitchison and has relished her first taste of the island.

But as the war raged in Iraq, she cast her mind back to her stepfather Milton Gregg, a remarkable man who won the Victoria Cross for his heroism in World War One and went on to be a Cabinet Minister in the Canadian Government and later worked with the UN.

"The very military history of Bermuda, with all the forts and shipwrecks, reminded me of Milton, and then there were the pictures from Baghdad," said Ms Gichuru.

"Milton worked for the UN in Baghdad in the 1950s when Iraq's King Faisal II was assassinated during a military coup. There was trouble in the city. The UN had asked him for a picture of what was going on. Milton didn't look like a typical Canadian, he was quite dark. So he put on an Arab headdress and a pin-striped suit and went out into the street. If anyone spoke to him, he simply pretended he was deaf and dumb. So he was able to send a report. Watching the newscasts made me think a lot about him.

"It would have been interesting to have heard what he thought about current events. I think he believed war was sometimes a necessary evil, but he was also a tremendous believer in diplomacy."

Mr. Gregg served as a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Regiment in the First World War and won that greatest of honours, the Victoria Cross, for his actions on the western front.

His citation read: "For most conspicuous bravery and initiative during the operation near Cambrai, September 27 to October 1, 1918.

"On September 28, when the advance of the Brigade was held up by fire from both flanks and by thick, uncut wire, he crawled forward alone and explored the wire until he found a small gap through which he subsequently led his men and forced an entry into the enemy trench.

"The enemy counter-attacked in force, and, through lack of bombs, the situation became critical. Although wounded, Lieutenant Gregg returned under terrific fire and collected a further supply. Then, rejoining his party, which by this time was much reduced in numbers, and in spite of a second wound, he reorganised and led them with the greatest determination against enemy trenches, which he finally cleared.

"He personally killed or wounded 11 of the enemy and took 25 prisoners, in addition to 12 machine guns captured in this trench. Remaining with his company in spite of wounds, he again on September 30, led his men in attack until severely wounded. The outstanding valour of this officer saved many casualties and enabled the advance to continue."

The medal itself was treasured by the family but was stolen after being loaned to a museum in Hamilton, Ontario, in the mid-1980s.

After the First World War, Mr. Gregg went into business and then into politics as a Conservative but later he switched sides and became a Liberal.

Mr. Gregg served as a Brigadier in the Second World War, before he became Minister of Veterans Affairs in the Cabinet of Mackenzie King, Canada's longest-serving Prime Minister, a Liberal who was in the top job for 22 years.

After he was voted out of office, Mr. Gregg joined the UN and worked in Iraq and Indonesia. In the Far East, he was in charge of helping the locals to breed fish in their rice fields, so they could reap a double harvest from their paddies.

His final overseas posting was at the age of 70, when he was appointed Canadian High Commissioner for Guyana, where he worked for three years. Mr. Gregg died at the age of 86.

Ms Gichuru was left with a lasting impression of the man.

"He was a very positive man and always encouraging," she said. "He also had a great sense of humour. He could actually wiggle his ears and children used to be transfixed by that!"

Ms Gichuru was travelling with Mr. Allison Connell and spent two weeks on the island before leaving last weekend.