Page 53 - South Issue 12

5353
didcot
Neater Cleaners
Your local dry cleaners where personal service counts.
All Dry Cleaning undertaken on premises including:
Curtains • Duvets • Furnishing Covers
Also repairs and alterations carried out.
144 Broadway, Didcot, Oxon
01235 812955
Road named after
fallen soldier
A new road in Didcot has been named after a soldier who was based
just a short distance away from it before being killed in Afghanistan.
Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, who grew up in Truro, died instantly
when he was defusing a roadside bomb on the very last day of his
tour of service. When the Great Western Estate was planned in
Didcot, the Mayor at the time, Tony Harbour, worked with developers
to name many of the new streets after soldiers from the local 11
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment that were killed in action.
Olaf started his career in the Royal Logistics Corps but soon after
transferred to bomb disposal. In his career, he served in Northern
Ireland, Yugoslavia and Kosovo before arriving in Afghanistan in June
2009. Later in the tour, after defusing over 70 bombs in five months
he was defusing a device in Helmand Province which exploded, killing
him instantly. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross.
The road sign was officially unveiled last month and members of
Olaf’s family were there to see the sign unveiled.