
Captain Sir Tom Moore, the British World War II veteran and charity champion who raised millions of pounds for health service workers on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, has died.
The 100-year-old died on Tuesday morning at Bedford Hospital. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on January 22 and was fighting pneumonia.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore," his daughters said in a statement.
"We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together."
Watch: Captain Sir Tom Moore explains his catchphrase, 'tomorrow will be a good day'. Post continues below video.
Moore's fundraising efforts raised more than 32 million pounds (AU$58 million) for the UK's National Health Service, after he walked 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday during England's first lockdown in April.
Captain Tom, as he became known in newspaper headlines and TV interviews, set out to raise 1000 pounds for the NHS by walking 100 laps. But his quest went viral and caught the imagination of millions stuck at home during the first wave of the pandemic.
Donations poured in from across the UK and as far away as the US and Japan.
For three weeks in April, fans were greeted with daily videos of Moore doggedly pushing his walker in the garden.
But it was his sunny attitude during a dark moment that inspired people to look beyond illness and loss.
"Please always remember, tomorrow will be a good day," Moore said in an interview during his walk, uttering the words that became his trademark.
Captain Sir Tom Moore with grandson Benji, daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and granddaughter Georgia. Image: Getty.
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