A British Army bomb disposal expert who put the lives of others before his own in Iraq has been awarded the George Cross, the UK Government announced Friday. Captain Peter Norton, 43, of Gloucester, southern England, lost a leg and part of an arm while investigating a bombing which killed four US soldiers near Baghdad last July. He is among 70 members of the British Armed Forces being given medals for their role in operations around the world. The roll of honour includes men and women who served in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.Captain Norton, of the Royal Logistics Corps, becomes only the 22nd British Armed Forces member to receive the award since 1945. It ranks alongside the Victoria Cross as Britain's highest medal for gallantry.
On 24 July last year, a three-vehicle US patrol was rocked by a huge blast in the Al Bayaa district near Baghdad, which killed four and injured several others. Captain Norton, a married father-of-two, who lives at the Royal Air Force base of Innsworth, in Gloucester, led a team to the scene. Despite being told about the threat of a secondary explosion, he instructed the coalition forces to stay in their vehicles and alone went forward to confirm whether a command wire was present. An explosion caused extensive injuries to his legs, arms and lower abdomen. But as he lay injured he calmly instructed the others about which areas were safe and another bomb was discovered. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Seddon, made that device safe and was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery. He said Captain Norton's clear orders in the face of terrible injuries prevented the loss of seven more lives.