Beschreibung:

Gaz was already a veteran of Iraq, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and two tours in Helmand. He was a legend in the counter-IED world even before he arrived in Afghanistan. Blazoned across his broad shoulders was a tattoo: “Living the Dream”. It was his motto... Gaz was the first A.T.O. to be killed in Afghanistan, and everyone who worked in bomb disposal knew from that moment on that his death wouldn’t be the last” (Extract from Bomb Hunters, by Sean Rayment) The unique and outstanding ‘Iraq’ G.M. and ‘Afghanistan’ Bar group of nine awarded to Warrant Officer G. J. ‘Gaz’ O’Donnell, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Royal Logistic Corps, a specialist at defusing home-made bombs who was described as ‘one of the country’s most experienced and talented bomb disposal specialists’ - On one occasion in July 2008 whilst making the ‘long lonely walk’ to defuse an I.E.D. in Afghanistan the Taliban attempted to trigger it with a command pull, but it failed to go off - undeterred, he went on to defuse the device anyway - Two months later, on 10 September 2008 he was killed in action in Afghanistan by the detonation of a booby-trapped bomb George Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue, with second award bar, dated ‘2009’ (25018197 S/Sgt, RLC); General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (25018197 Cpl., RLC); Operational Service Medal, Sierra Leone (25018197 S Sgt, RLC); Iraq 2003, no clasp (25018197 S Sgt, RLC); Operational Service Medal, clasp, Afghanistan (25018197 WO2, RLC); NATO Medal, clasp, ISAF; Jubilee 2002; Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (25018197 S Sgt, RLC); Regular Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (25018197 WO2, GM, RLC) extremely fine (9) £40000-60000 Footnote G.M. London Gazette 15 December 2006. ‘Staff Sergeant O’Donnell was employed as an Improvised Explosive Device Disposal operator in Southern Iraq. He was tasked to thirty incidents, including ten explosions, which resulted in five deaths. He also personally rendered safe five devices and was involved in the high-risk recovery of the crashed Lynx helicopter in Basra City on 11 May 2006. On 23 May 2006, he rendered safe in the shortest time possible a rocket and firing system, thereby reducing the danger to the four-thousand personnel accommodated in Basra Air Station. On 9 June 2006, he was called to meet an Iraqi Army team who had rendered safe a device discovered on a main supply route to the west of Basra City. On 10 June 2006, he was re-tasked to a suspect device located on another main supply route. He deployed to the scene and elected to render safe the device with his remote vehicle which overheated and shut down. His second remote vehicle did likewise. He was then faced with the prospect of making a manual approach to a live radio-controlled improvised explosive device. In an act of calculated bravery, in the full knowledge that it could lead to instant death, he approached the device and placed a disruptive weapon next to it. Unfortunately the weapon failed to operate for reasons beyond his control and he was forced to make a second approach into the killing zone to place a second weapon. This time the weapon worked as planned and the device was subsequently rendered safe with the maximum recovery of forensic evidence.’ Bar to G.M. London Gazette 6 March 2009. ‘Warrant Officer Class 2 O’Donnell deployed in Afghanistan as part of the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Group. On 10 May 2008 he was deployed in support of the Danish Battlegroup in the Upper Gereshk Valley. Before Danish tanks could move into a key fire support position O’Donnell was tasked to clear the position of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s). Having found and cleared one, O’Donnell sensed that there may be more. Over the next nine hours he found seven IEDs all of which he neutralised. On 23 July 2008 a large logistics convoy was on a deliberate move carrying critical stores to a Forward Operating Base. When the EOD operator supporting the convoy collapsed due to exhaustion, O’Donnell was immed