6:30am Wednesday 4th November 2009
“HE WAS the bravest of the brave...”
Those were the words of Jim Lewendon, county vice-chairman of the Royal British Legion, as he urged people to line the streets of Oxford tomorrow to pay tribute to Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid who died trying to defuse a bomb in Afghanistan.
The soldier, who was based with 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment at Vauxhall Barracks, in Didcot, died on Saturday after a bomb exploded in the Sangin region of Helmand Province.
Tomorrow his body will be repatriated to RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, before being taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington for a post mortem.
Mr Lewendon said: “It would be a fitting tribute if hundreds of members of the public turned up to pay their respects — I would love to see hundreds lining the end of the route in Headington.
“He was the bravest of the brave, and there will also be people paying their respects in Cherwell Drive and Marsh Lane.
“Staff Sgt Schmid was a special guy — he must have been fearless because he made 64 bombs safe during his last tour.
“It’s tragic that he died on the last day of his tour, leaving another family without a father. By lining the route to pay our respects we are doing all we can to show we care, and perhaps the family might draw some comfort from that.”
Staff Sgt Schmid was married and lived with wife Christina and stepson Laird, in Winchester.
About 70 troops from the regiment in Didcot will pay their respects at RAF Lyneham, and in Wootton Bassett, near Swindon.
Mr Lewendon said Royal British Legion members would lower their standards as Staff Sgt Schmid’s coffin was driven past at about 2.30pm.
Capt Richard Gardener, of 11 OED Regiment, said: “Staff Sgt Schmid was a very popular bloke and his death has been hard to take in... it will be for a long time.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/trade_directory/