Beschreibung:

WO2 Oldham had the most difficult and varied E.O.D. tasks of any contemporary operator.” An exceptional ‘Northern Ireland’ bomb disposal G.M. group of three awarded to Warrant Officer Class II Wilfred David Oldham, 321 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, who at the height of the troubles in 1973 dealt with an incredible variety of incidents achieving the greatest success ratio of any member of the corps, being tasked to 95 incidents, including 61 bombs of which he defused 38, including one particular terrorist outrage in which a 200 lb car bomb was placed outside a Christian Brother’s Orphanage containing 28 sleeping children and on which Oldham had to work throughout the night to make safe – on another occasion he successfully defused a bomb that was just eighteen inches away from a secondary device which had ‘obviously been placed as a booby-trap designed to kill him’ George Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (23503123 W/O 2 David Oldham, R.A.O.C.); General Service 1962, 2 clasps, Borneo, Northern Ireland (23503123 Sgt. W. D. Oldham, RAOC); Regular Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (23503123 W.O.Cl.2., GM, RAOC) mounted court style as worn, nearly extremely fine (3) £12000-15000 Footnote G.M. London Gazette 17 June 1974. In common with all Northern Ireland awards of the period no citation for Oldham’s G.M. was ever published in the London Gazette, however, unusually he was given an official copy of his citation which is sold with the lot and from which the following is taken: ‘Warrant Officer II Oldham served with No 3 Section, 321 E.O.D. Unit, R.A.O.C. from August to December 1973. He was tasked to 95 incidents, including 61 bombs of which he defused 38. This is the highest success ratio achieved by any Ammunition Technical Officer and he rendered safe over 2000 lbs of explosive during his tour. On 27 August in an operation lasting 12 hours he successfully neutralised a 400 lb ambush bomb with 200 lbs of metal scrap dug into the roadside and camouflaged with replanted gorse bushes. On 8 September he was tasked to an Orphan’s Home. A 200 lb car bomb had been placed outside the home housing 28 sleeping orphans. He worked through the night and successfully defused the bomb, attracting much favorable comment from local residents. On 19 September he successfully disposed of a booby-trapped getaway car left at a notorious ambush location near the border. He neutralised and recovered valuable evidence from three letter bombs on 26 September. The following day he neutralised a 40 lb bomb placed in a factory. On 2 October he neutralised and disposed of a 500 lb ambush bomb on a road, recovering invaluable proof that the bomb was radio controlled. The following day with an officer he successfully defused an 850 lb bomb rigged as a trip wire booby trap with the wire concealed beneath the surface of the water in a culvert. The next day he neutralised a 10 lb booby trap placed under a car. On 17 October six armed men raided a village and placed bombs in a Public House, Post Office and a supermarket. Two bombs exploded. In the supermarket were two packages, one, a cardboard box, contained 20 lbs of explosive which he successfully defused. Eighteen inches away was a Jeyes Fluid can, which the shop manager had described as containing petrol sprinkled on the floor by the terrorists. A line was attached and immediately the can moved an explosion of 5lbs occurred causing extensive damage inside the supermarket. Whilst defusing the first bomb he worked within inches of the second highly sensitive booby trap. WO2 Oldham had the most difficult and varied E.O.D. tasks of any contemporary operator. His cheerful willingness and competence in situations where he was exposed to great personal danger were an inspiration to everyone with whom he worked.’ The following is extracted from a more detailed account of Oldham’s exploits compiled by Major D.V. Henderson, G.M., R.A.O.C. contained in a letter to the recipient, dated 29 November 1979