Highest honours for bravest soldiers (From The Oxford Times)

Highest honours for bravest soldiers

8:37pm Thursday 18th March 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

MILITARY heroes from Oxfordshire were last night awarded some of the nation’s highest honours.

Bomb disposal expert Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid, who was killed in October while defusing his 65th bomb in Afghanistan, was posthumously awarded the George Cross.

The 30-year-old, from Didcot’s 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, was killed on October 31 just a week before he was due to fly home to his family.

The medal, presented for acts of great heroism while not in the presence of the enemy, ranks alongside the Victoria Cross as Britain’s highest award for bravery.

Former mayor of Didcot Tony Harbour, a friend of Staff Sgt Schmid, said: “It shows Oz’s character that on his last day on duty, he was out trying to help his colleagues.”

The medal was also awarded to a fellow member of the regiment, Staff Sgt Kim Hughes, for “the singlemost outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan”.

Last August, the 30-year-old dismantled seven insurgent bombs, without wearing protective clothing, so four seriously wounded soldiers and the bodies of two dead comrades could be recovered.

The regiment’s adjutant, Captain Richard Gardner, said: "The whole regiment is incredibly proud of both Olaf and Kim.

“They join a unique and exclusive union of soldiers who have knowingly and courageously risked their lives to save others, and it is desperately sad that Olaf paid the ultimate price for his heroic and selfless actions.”

Meanwhile Flight Lieutenant Adrian Parkinson, from Oxford, has been Mentioned In Despatches for night-time Chinook-flying under enemy fire in Afghanistan.

Flt Lt Parkinson, of RAF Brize Norton, was praised for “outstanding leadership, gallantry and calmness under repeated enemy fire”.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)