Brian Hanrahan

"I'm not allowed to say how many planes joined the raid, but I counted them all out, and I counted them all back. Their pilots were unhurt, cheerful and jubilant, giving thumbs up signs."

"Brian has compared presenting The World at One to high diving into an empty pool, and hoping it will be filled before you reach the bottom."

"Extremely dogged and factual and intelligent reporter who saw things in front of him and described them graphically … He was one of those voices you could rely on... a journalist who was seeking the truth."

"He saw more than his share of history unfold."

"Brian had a special relationship with the audience — he broke through in a way few others do. They had come to trust him as a voice of calm — whether reporting on momentous events of history, or the grand state events. For more than 30 years, it was that quality above all others that distinguished Brian as one of the BBC's brightest and best."

"He could always be relied on to find the right word at the right moment... and he was loved by the audience"