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George Cross for Army Afghanistan bomb heroes
Two Army bomb disposal experts have been awarded the
George Cross for their heroics in Afghanistan. A posthumous
honour goes to Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, who made
safe 70 devices before his death in October while defusing
a bomb near Sangin.
The GC, one of the UK's highest awards for gallantry, was also
conferred on his comrade in the Royal Logistic Corps, Staff
Sergeant Kim Hughes, 30. Last August, he cleared a minefield
to enable the rescue of five soldiers. His efforts were described
in the Ministry of Defence citation as "the single most outstanding
act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan".
He dismantled seven linked Taliban bombs by hand without any
protective clothing so the seriously wounded soldiers as well as
the bodies of two dead comrades could be recovered.
'Rare award'
The George Cross is the country's highest award for gallantry by
civilians, or by military personnel not in the presence of the enemy.
The George Cross has now been awarded a total of 161 times.
At a ceremony in the City of London, Chief of the Defence Staff Air
Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup said: "The actions of Staff Sgt Hughes
and the late Staff Sgt Schmid meet this most demanding test in full
measure. "Their selfless commitment, unswerving devotion to duty
and unsurpassed courage are both awe-inspiring and humbling."
Both recipients were deployed to Helmand Province as part of 19
Light Brigade. Their duties coincided with Operation Panther's Claw,
a counter-insurgency operation which saw an increase in Taliban actvity.
"Their selfless commitment, unswerving devotion to duty and
unsurpassed courage are both awe-inspiring and humbling."
Staff Sgt Schmid, who had been in the Army for 13 years and was a
member of the Oxfordshire-based 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Regiment, deployed to Afghanistan in June 2009. He was born in
Cornwall, and lived in Winchester with his wife and five-year-old
stepson. At the time of his death he was a week away from flying
back to the UK for a two-week break. He was killed during an
operation on a day in which he had already dealt with three devices.
His citation said his actions "probably saved the lives of his team".
It added: "These occasions are representative of the complexity and
danger that Schmid had faced daily throughout his four month tour.
"His selfless gallantry, his devotion to duty, and his indefatigable
courage displayed time and time again saved countless military and
civilian lives and is worthy of the highest recognition."
Staff Sgt Schmid's wife, Christina, was presented with his citation at
the ceremony. She later paid tribute to the work of her husband and
Staff Sgt Hughes and said she was "massively proud" of the awards.
"They're usually under fire... they're absolutely working at such a tempo
to keep our forces safe and moving around, and also for civilians," she said.
Their George Cross medals will be presented at a royal investiture at a
future date.
Staff Sgt Hughes, from Telford, Shropshire, is credited with defusing 80
devices during his tour. On 18 August 2009, he was deployed to secure
an emergency helicopter landing site south west of Sangin.
Staff Sgt Hughes told the BBC he had "just being doing his job". "It was
just a day that had an horrendous ending and we just cracked on and
dealt with what we needed to do. "There were casualties, fallen soldiers,
my rest and myself had to go and clear the injured soldiers and extract
the fallen. In doing so, we came across a number of devices."
In October, he made the news when he told Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth,
during a visit to Afghanistan, that more troops were needed on the ground.
On Friday, more than 150 other medals are expected to be announced by
the Ministry of Defence recognising the efforts of British service personnel
in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world.
Royal Marines reservist Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who risked
his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on a live grenade in
Afghanistan in February 2008, was the last recipient of the George Cross.
GEORGE CROSS
-Britain's highest award for gallantry, along with Victoria Cross
-It is the top bravery award that civilians can receive
-Also presented to members of the military for heroism not in
the presence of the enemy
-Introduced in 1940 by Winston Churchill to recognise the courage
of civilians during the aerial bombing of the UK
-The honour has been awarded 161 times
Two Army bomb disposal experts have been awarded the
George Cross for their heroics in Afghanistan. A posthumous
honour goes to Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, who made
safe 70 devices before his death in October while defusing
a bomb near Sangin.
The GC, one of the UK's highest awards for gallantry, was also
conferred on his comrade in the Royal Logistic Corps, Staff
Sergeant Kim Hughes, 30. Last August, he cleared a minefield
to enable the rescue of five soldiers. His efforts were described
in the Ministry of Defence citation as "the single most outstanding
act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan".
He dismantled seven linked Taliban bombs by hand without any
protective clothing so the seriously wounded soldiers as well as
the bodies of two dead comrades could be recovered.
'Rare award'
The George Cross is the country's highest award for gallantry by
civilians, or by military personnel not in the presence of the enemy.
The George Cross has now been awarded a total of 161 times.
At a ceremony in the City of London, Chief of the Defence Staff Air
Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup said: "The actions of Staff Sgt Hughes
and the late Staff Sgt Schmid meet this most demanding test in full
measure. "Their selfless commitment, unswerving devotion to duty
and unsurpassed courage are both awe-inspiring and humbling."
Both recipients were deployed to Helmand Province as part of 19
Light Brigade. Their duties coincided with Operation Panther's Claw,
a counter-insurgency operation which saw an increase in Taliban actvity.
"Their selfless commitment, unswerving devotion to duty and
unsurpassed courage are both awe-inspiring and humbling."
Staff Sgt Schmid, who had been in the Army for 13 years and was a
member of the Oxfordshire-based 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Regiment, deployed to Afghanistan in June 2009. He was born in
Cornwall, and lived in Winchester with his wife and five-year-old
stepson. At the time of his death he was a week away from flying
back to the UK for a two-week break. He was killed during an
operation on a day in which he had already dealt with three devices.
His citation said his actions "probably saved the lives of his team".
It added: "These occasions are representative of the complexity and
danger that Schmid had faced daily throughout his four month tour.
"His selfless gallantry, his devotion to duty, and his indefatigable
courage displayed time and time again saved countless military and
civilian lives and is worthy of the highest recognition."
Staff Sgt Schmid's wife, Christina, was presented with his citation at
the ceremony. She later paid tribute to the work of her husband and
Staff Sgt Hughes and said she was "massively proud" of the awards.
"They're usually under fire... they're absolutely working at such a tempo
to keep our forces safe and moving around, and also for civilians," she said.
Their George Cross medals will be presented at a royal investiture at a
future date.
Staff Sgt Hughes, from Telford, Shropshire, is credited with defusing 80
devices during his tour. On 18 August 2009, he was deployed to secure
an emergency helicopter landing site south west of Sangin.
Staff Sgt Hughes told the BBC he had "just being doing his job". "It was
just a day that had an horrendous ending and we just cracked on and
dealt with what we needed to do. "There were casualties, fallen soldiers,
my rest and myself had to go and clear the injured soldiers and extract
the fallen. In doing so, we came across a number of devices."
In October, he made the news when he told Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth,
during a visit to Afghanistan, that more troops were needed on the ground.
On Friday, more than 150 other medals are expected to be announced by
the Ministry of Defence recognising the efforts of British service personnel
in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world.
Royal Marines reservist Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who risked
his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on a live grenade in
Afghanistan in February 2008, was the last recipient of the George Cross.
GEORGE CROSS
-Britain's highest award for gallantry, along with Victoria Cross
-It is the top bravery award that civilians can receive
-Also presented to members of the military for heroism not in
the presence of the enemy
-Introduced in 1940 by Winston Churchill to recognise the courage
of civilians during the aerial bombing of the UK
-The honour has been awarded 161 times
