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307:. On 23 May 2006, rockets on a timing device were being fired at Basra Air station. When a rocket was discovered with the timer set, O'Donnell decided to minimise the risk to the airbase by manually disabling it as quickly as possible, which meant placing himself in the line of fire of the rocket.
372:
May 2008 – where he had to deal with a booby-trapped bomb in the Upper
Gereshk Valley. After he defused this device he continued to search for others eventually finding and defusing 7 more devices. The task took 9 hours and was carried out in 40 °C
1022:
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summarised O'Donnell's career by noting that " was personally responsible for saving thousands of the family, friends and comrades of others from the anguish that is currently being felt by his own."
992:
792:
229:, for "acts of great bravery" not "in the face of the enemy". His second George Medal was the first such award in 26 years and the first ever posthumous bar. O'Donnell was killed in an
262:
154:
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in 2004 he passed the RLC No 1 IEDD Course as a high-threat operator at the first attempt, one of a small percentage of candidates to do so. He subsequently undertook tours in
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33:
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987:
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to his George Medal for "repeated and sustained acts of immense bravery" in
Afghanistan. His Bar was the first to the George Medal awarded in 26 years.
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July 2008 – he was called to deal with a roadside bomb that was blocking the path of a convoy. He worked for 24 hours and found 11 devices. The
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1027:
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642:"Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary O'Donnell GM, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, killed in Afghanistan"
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338:
His body was returned to the UK and his funeral service was held on 29 September 2008. The service was accompanied by full
32:
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WO2 Gary O'Donnell—Bomb disposal officer whose technical expertise saved many lives in Iraq and won him the George Medal
491:
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and was posted to 3 Base
Ammunition Depot in Germany. After three tours of ammunition depots, he moved to
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By 2006 O'Donnell was employed as an IEDD operator in southern Iraq. He was awarded his first
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O'Donnell served one tour in
Afghanistan in 2007 and returned in 2008. He worked defusing
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In
September 2013 O'Donnell's set of ten of his medals together with three letters on
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British military personnel killed in the War in
Afghanistan (2001–2021)
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attempted to detonate one as he approached, but it failed to go off.
225:
twice. The George Medal is the second highest decoration, after the
594:"Killed in Afghanistan: a man bigger than life and brave as a lion"
327:. In September 2008 O'Donnell was attempting to disarm an IED near
323:, defusing 50 of the devices. On 26 August 2008 he was awarded the
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719:"WO Gary O'Donnell: Soldier and decorated bomb disposal expert"
919:
342:, and was followed by a cremation at Oakley Wood Crematorium,
257:
O'Donnell enlisted in the
British Army in 1992, trained as an
249:, O'Donnell was educated at St Thomas of Aquin's High School.
1018:
British Army personnel of the War in
Afghanistan (2001–2021)
765:"Posthumous award for bomb disposal expert Gary O'Donnell"
331:, Helmand Province, when he was killed as he approached a
793:"Heroes make history in latest operational honours list"
696:"Scots bomb disposal hero Gary O'Donnell laid to rest"
361:
On 6 March 2009, O'Donnell was posthumously awarded a
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823:"Soldier Gary O'Donnell's medals sell for £110,000"
630:(Supplement). 26 August 2008. pp. 12966–12967.
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384:O'Donnell's medals are in order of precedence;-
535:, 19 September 2008. Retrieved on 9 March 2008.
582:(Supplement). 15 December 2006. p. 17359.
8:
668:"He was a brave man… I'll tell our children"
404:Operational Service Medal for Sierra Leone
31:
20:
753:(Supplement). 6 March 2009. p. 4083.
414:Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan
303:for "persistent courage" for his work in
214:(21 July 1968 – 10 September 2008) was a
519:
426:Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
263:11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment
155:11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment
1013:British Army personnel of the Iraq War
937:"Brave as a warrior – a true warrior"
915:"Posthumous honour for brave soldier"
7:
510:, was sold at auction for £110,000.
270:Improvised Explosive Device Disposal
978:20th-century British Army personnel
437:Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
325:Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
988:Royal Army Ordnance Corps soldiers
848:Boyle, James (16 September 2009).
717:Boyle, James (16 September 2008).
432:Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
14:
983:Military personnel from Edinburgh
893:"Killed soldier had George Medal"
368:The award was for two incidents:
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998:Recipients of the George Medal
799:. 6 March 2009. Archived from
506:, the colonel-in-chief of the
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1003:Royal Logistic Corps soldiers
400:With "Northern Ireland" clasp
287:as well as two tours of both
231:improvised explosive device
221:expert who was awarded the
1044:
354:The UK Defence Secretary
30:
420:NATO Non-Article 5 medal
416:With "Afghanistan" clasp
1028:Burials in Warwickshire
1008:Bomb disposal personnel
199:Warrant Officer Class 2
135:Warrant Officer Class 2
602:. London. 6 March 2009
398:General Service Medal
259:Ammunition Technician
123:Years of service
508:Royal Logistic Corps
266:Royal Logistic Corps
159:Royal Logistic Corps
16:British Army soldier
901:. 12 September 2009
850:"WO Gary O'Donnell"
797:Ministry of Defence
698:. 30 September 2009
648:. 12 September 2008
646:Ministry of Defence
554:. 13 September 2008
532:The Daily Telegraph
268:as a Joint Service
202:Gary John O'Donnell
25:Gary John O'Donnell
750:The London Gazette
627:The London Gazette
579:The London Gazette
502:headed paper from
344:Bishop's Tachbrook
311:War in Afghanistan
177:War in Afghanistan
546:"Death of a hero"
500:Buckingham Palace
291:and Afghanistan.
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71:10 September 2008
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321:Helmand Province
289:Northern Ireland
272:No. 1 Operator.
233:(IED) attack in
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83:Helmand Province
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945:. 6 March 2009
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842:External links
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773:. 6 March 2006
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676:. 6 March 2009
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947:. Retrieved
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903:. Retrieved
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881:. Retrieved
875:
860:. Retrieved
855:The Scotsman
853:
829:21 September
827:. Retrieved
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805:. Retrieved
801:the original
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775:. Retrieved
770:Daily Mirror
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727:. Retrieved
723:The Scotsman
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700:. Retrieved
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678:. Retrieved
671:
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650:. Retrieved
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604:. Retrieved
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588:
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556:. Retrieved
551:The Scotsman
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389:George Medal
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367:
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301:George Medal
298:
281:Sierra Leone
274:
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227:George Cross
223:George Medal
216:British Army
201:
197:
187:George Medal
165:Battles/wars
117:British Army
73:(2008-09-10)
58:21 July 1968
18:
973:2008 deaths
968:1968 births
858:. Edinburgh
745:"No. 58999"
725:. Edinburgh
622:"No. 58804"
574:"No. 58183"
235:Afghanistan
40:Nickname(s)
962:Categories
877:The Herald
825:. BBC News
673:The Herald
514:References
409:Iraq Medal
356:Des Browne
241:Early life
103:Allegiance
63:, Scotland
54:1968-07-21
329:Musa Qala
247:Edinburgh
126:1992–2008
97:, England
79:Musa Qala
61:Edinburgh
898:BBC News
295:Iraq War
245:Born in
173:Iraq War
146:25018197
111:Service/
949:9 March
927:9 March
905:9 March
883:9 March
862:9 March
807:6 March
777:9 March
702:9 March
680:9 March
652:6 March
606:9 March
558:9 March
378:Taliban
350:Legacy
335:bomb.
209:&
189:&
183:Awards
113:branch
90:Buried
729:8 May
373:heat.
305:Basra
275:As a
77:near
951:2009
929:2009
907:2009
885:2009
864:2009
831:2013
809:2009
779:2009
731:2009
704:2009
682:2009
654:2009
608:2009
560:2008
441:Army
428:(UK)
391:and
285:Iraq
283:and
151:Unit
131:Rank
68:Died
48:Born
920:ITN
393:Bar
363:Bar
319:in
211:Bar
191:Bar
43:Gaz
964::
939:.
917:.
895:.
874:.
852:.
795:.
767:.
747:.
721:.
670:.
644:.
624:.
596:.
576:.
548:.
529:,
346:.
237:.
207:GM
204:,
157:,
81:,
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931:.
909:.
887:.
866:.
833:.
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706:.
684:.
656:.
610:.
562:.
443:)
439:(
56:)
52:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
