A FYLDE volunteer soldier who disarmed an Iraqi suicide bomber has spoken of his pride at being commended for bravery during surprise St Georges Day honours.
Territorial Army Private Gary Smith, 38, of Beach Road, Cleveleys, received his Mention in Dispatches citation during a special ceremony at Kimberley Barracks, Preston, on Friday, April 23.
The award - which will be attached to his Iraq war medal - is in recognition of his bravery after coming face-to-face with a man carrying a live hand grenade in Basra last July.
The father-of-two was acting as bodyguard for senior army personnel when he noticed the man acting suspiciously among crowds of people waiting outside a bank in the Southern Iraq city.
Acting on his own initiative, Pte Smith - who runs his own martial arts centre, Kaikatsu-Ryv, on Ashfield Road, Bispham - wrestled the suspect away from the crowds only to find he had the explosive in his pocket primed for detonation.
It later transpired that the bomber was a serving Iraqi police officer who had decided to blow up the bank in protest of its closure during the conflict.
Among the praises included in Pte Smith's citation were: "His quick thinking and realisation that there was no time to warn his commander, prompted his positive action that undoubtedly prevented both civilian and British Army casualties."
Pte Smith - who has served in the TA's Lancaster and Cumbrian Volunteers Regiment for four years alongside wife, Alison - had no idea he was in line for the award which is second only to the army's highest honour, the Military Cross.
He said: "As far as I was concerned I was just doing my duty out there in Iraq. I certainly didn't expect to receive an award for my conduct.
"To be perfectly honest I didn't even know the guy was carrying a grenade when I tackled him. It was a bit of a shock to find it sat waiting in his pocket!
"If I didn't have years of military and martial arts experience to fall back on I might have panicked. Thankfully my training kicked in and I kept my cool.
"It was only later, when I had time to think of my wife and kids, that I realised the full extent of what could have happened.
"But my family and I are so proud to be offered the Mention in Dispatches. It's something we can show to future generations.
"Now I'm just waiting to see what kind of reaction I'm going to get from the lads at the barracks.
"No doubt they'll be pleased as punch for me but I bet I get a real ribbing from them at the same time."
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