An army bomb disposal expert who saved countless lives in Afghanistan was killed on his final mission in the warzone.
Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, died instantly when a roadside bomb he was trying to disarm blew up.
The
Improvised Explosive Devices are the favoured weapon of the Taliban and
since June Sergeant Schmid had successfully dealt with 64 of them.
Legendary figure: Olaf Schmid was renowned for
his expertise in disarming explosive devices. Colleagues described him
as an inspiration
Senior military officers described the Royal Logistics Corps warrior as
a 'legend' who 'stared death in the face on a daily basis'.
He was on his last operational day of a five-month stint when he
lost his life. He was due to fly home for a two-week break with his
family this Saturday before returning to Afghanistan for a final month.
Offering a chilling insight into the mortal dangers he faced,
Sergeant Schmid - nicknamed 'Oz' - told ITN News before he deployed
of the gruelling 'mental, emotional and physical challenge' of
disarming bombs.