South Shields-born Mortensen went to war in 1939 as a wireless operator and overcame an injury - sustained when his RAF bomber crashed, leaving him as the only survivor - to become one of England's best post-war players.
During the war, he scored dozens of goals before making a strange piece of history by switching teams to play for Wales when they needed a reserve during a game against England on 25 September 1943 [REF].