Olaf Schmid

Who was Olaf Schmid?

Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid GC was a British Army bomb disposal expert who was killed in action in the Afghanistan conflict. Schmid was posthumously awarded the George Cross after he made safe 70 devices before his death in October 2009. The citation was presented to Schmid's widow, Christina Schmid, by the Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Jock Stirrup on 18 March 2010 in a ceremony in the City of London. The announcement of the award of the GC to Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes was made at the same time. In certain unspecified circles, feelings persist, that the Victoria Cross would have been a more appropriate award, for both Schmid and Hughes.