Hero Royal Marine saved 130 soldiers by rugby tackling suicide bomber



A Royal Marine has been recommended for a gallantry medal after saving 130 soldiers from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan (file pic)



A hero Royal Marine saved 130 soldiers from certain death when he rugby tackled a suicide attacker before he could detonate a huge motorcycle bomb.

The 40-year-old Marine saw the Afghan insurgent reaching for a yellow detonator button on the bike and leapt into action to drag him away.

He foiled a cunningly planned attack in which the same motorcycle had been checked by the same troops just hours earlier when its panniers had been packed with potatoes instead of explosives.

The suicide bomb contained 70 kilograms of explosives and was so huge it would have destroyed everything within 180 metres and left a huge crater.

The 20-year-old Taliban fighter had driven it into the middle of a group of 130 Marines and Afghan Army soldiers.

He tried to set off the first of the two bombs but it failed to go off and the Marine was

alerted by the distinctive pop of the detonator.

He spotted wires running from the bulging saddlebags to another yellow button on the petrol tank and he hauled the bomber off the bike as he reached to press it.

The Marine grappled the insurgent to the ground and comrades rushed in to detain him.

Explosives experts later made safe two huge bombs each weighing 35 kilos or five and a half stone, which were packed into each of the panniers on either side of the red 50 cc bike.

The Marine, from Devon, who has asked not to be identified, has now been recommended for a gallantry medal.

Senior officers believe he saved the lives of most of the 130 men in the area, near the Arghandab River, west of Kandahar, including all those in his own L Company of the Bickleigh based 42 Commando.

The marine said: 'I can't really tell you what was going through my head at the time.



"My immediate assumption was that he was a spotter for the Taliban who were planning an ambush.

'I just didn't want him to push the button again to detonate the other charge.



'I had my weapon on him and I shouted for him to stop in Pashtu. He did initially and that's why I didn't take the shot, you have to be sure.

'He then carried on walking away. I heard a popping sound like the electric sound when you connect a car battery it was him trying to set off the first of two charges.

'I ran forward and grabbed him, pushing him over the motorbike bringing him to the ground.

'I searched him, looked at the motorbike and realised I had searched it 24 hours earlier when the saddlebags which contained the explosives were full of potatoes.



'I looked up and noticed the yellow button in the centre of the motorbike and realised what was going on. I just went into automatic mode.

'I was angry that he tried to kill us and I was angry with myself for bringing young marines into the situation.

'We were very lucky, with that much explosive it would have caused a blast with a 180-metre radius.'

Major Rich Cantrill, Company Commander of L Company, said the marine saved many lives.

Major Cantrill said: 'He acted with conspicuous gallantry in the situation and put himself at great peril to get the suicide bomber away from the motorbike.



'He ran over and more or less rugby tackled him to the ground. I got on the radio and I heard mention of hand fighting.

'He had grabbed him away from the bike after seeing wires and switches. He quickly realised the full implications of it all.

'He showed great restraint in dealing with him especially as he had tried to kill him and the other lads around him.

'It was conspicuous gallantry. He saved multiple lives. Everyone thinks he's a hero.



'It was a bungled attempt at a suicide bombing but he still could have set off the other charge.

'Had it not been for this Marine's actions there would have been a massive explosion.'

The motorcyclist entered the area on November 19 at around 12.30pm and was looking for British, American or Afghan soldiers to target.

By the time he tried to detonate his bomb the bike had broken down and he was pushing it along the road.

At around the same time the Marines received a radio report giving intelligence of a suspected suicide bomber on a motorbike in the area.

During last week's five-day operation, the marines of L Company also found bomb-making equipment, weapons and ammunition.

The marine and his Major were interviewed by Tristan Nicholls of the Plymouth Evening Herald who is embedded with L company.