Kim Hughes, 34, is considered to be Britain’s bravest bomb hunter. In 2010 the warrant officer was awarded the George Cross – the highest accolade for gallantry not in the face of the enemy – for heroism on the battlefield.

His heroics were described in the Ministry of Defence citation as “the single most outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) ever recorded in Afghanistan”.

On the morning of August 16 2009, British troops were taking part in a mission to reclaim a chunk of Sangin, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand.

All hell broke loose after Lance Corporal James Fullarton, 24, stepped on a bomb.

The wounded soldier was quickly placed onto a stretcher to be evacuated. As squad members Fusilier Simon Annis, 22, and Fusilier Lewis Carter, 18, carried him away they tripped a second blast – killing them both and wounding three more.

WO Kim Hughes was then called upon to rescue the four maimed soldiers that were stranded in the middle of the field littered with IEDs.

Disregarding his own safety, the bomb disposal expert began clearing a path so that the wounded group could be evacuated and the dead men retrieved.

Against a backdrop of insurgent fire, Hughes shunned protective clothing to save time, and picked his way across the field dotted with deadly mines.

He managed to dismantle seven consecutive IEDs that morning using only his bare hands and the wire-cutters on his pocket knife.

His ‘utterly selfless action’ allowed the casualties to be recovered. Tragically, L/Cpl Fullarton later died from his injuries.

In total, WO Hughes cleared more than 80 buried bombs on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. His actions prevented a countless number of deaths in the process.