Celebrated war photographer Catherine Leroy has died from cancer aged 60.

The photojournalist known for her fearless approach and foul langauge came to prominence in 1966, when as a 21 year old she bought a one way ticket to Vietnam to document the impending US defeat.

Her picture – Corpsman In Anguish became one of the iconic images of the time made her much sought after by picture editors according to Nhan Dan News

During the 1968 Tet offensive she was captured by the Vietcong but managed to turn the event into a opportunity which resulted in a spread for Life Magazine.

After Vietnam, she covered conflicts in several countries including Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Libya.

Subsequently Leroy co-authored the book “God Cried” with Tony Clifton, about the siege of West Beirut by the Israeli army in 1982.

Among her many honours are the George Polk award for Best Reporting Requiring Exceptional Courage and Enterprise Abroad. She was also the first woman to receive the Robert Capa Award for her coverage of the civil war in Lebanon in 1976.