The incredible story of British war hero awarded Victoria Cross by late Queen Elizabeth II

The hero carried out two separate acts of courage while serving in Iraq with the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment - becoming the first living soldier in nearly 50 years to receive the medal.

On May 1, 2004 a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Warrior armoured vehicle he was driving in Al Amarah, Iraq, setting it on fire and knocking out his commanding officer.

Warrant Officer Class 2 Beharry took over, forcing the vehicle through a barrier blocking the road and driving over a mine that failed to explode before accelerating away.

He was shot in the head and the helmet he was wearing at the time is displayed alongside his VC in The Ashcroft Gallery at the IWM.

Under continuous fire, Beharry climbed out of his burning vehicle to rescue his commanding officer and badly burned gunner before leading two other soldiers to safety. He then drove his Warrior where it would do no damage if it exploded, disabled the vehicle and its weapons and ran for cover before collapsing from exhaustion.

He was sent to hospital but discharged himself and was back on duty just six weeks later.

During the early hours of June 11, 2004 his company was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade hit their armoured vehicle, exploding inches from Beharry's head.

Seriously wounded and barely conscious, he drove backwards at high speed and to safety. Despite injuries which left him in a coma for weeks, he saved the lives of all his fellow soldiers.

Father-of-three Beharry became the first recipient of the Victoria Cross in the 21st century on March 18, 2005.

When he was presented with his medal by the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace he was the first living soldier since 1969 to be awarded the VC, and the first serving VC holder in the British Army since 1985.

Grenada-born Beharry is still a serving soldier, although no longer on active duty.

The IWM said its "continuing commitment to sharing stories of conflict means that objects like this are constantly being acquired and added to the collections".

Despite this statement his medal will be taken off public display from June 1.