Marine who saved 30 comrades by tackling suicide bomber to receive Military Cross

[thedrifter]

Marine who saved 30 comrades by tackling suicide bomber to receive Military Cross
Royal Marine sergeant Noel Connolly, who saved the lives of 30 comrades by rugby-tackling a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, is to be awarded the Military Cross.

The father-of-two is one of a several members of 3 Commando Brigade who will receive medals for their bravery in an announcement expected from the Ministry of Defence on Friday.

He is expected to receive his medal from the Queen at Buckingham Palace later this year.

Sgt Connolly, 41, hauled the bomber from a motorbike packed with 150lb of explosives to prevent the attack while on duty in Kandahar in November.

The marine, Manchester, and his unit were occupying an abandoned school when they received warning of an impending attack.

Speaking shortly after the foiled attack, Sgt Connolly said: "I was near the school when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a motorbike. I told all my lads to expect a bomber. The motorcyclist looked lost.

"He turned the bike around up the track and came back. I grabbed two lads and went to intercept him. I had no idea if he was the bomber. The only way of finding out was to challenge him."

The sergeant said he then stepped into the road and ordered the man to stop.

He added: "He stalled the bike and fell off, then started pushing it away from us. Eventually he stopped again, straddled it and turned to face us. I closed in on him and as I got to within ten metres there was a loud crack from halfway down the bike.

"That's when I saw a small toggle switch had been fitted to his handlebars. As soon as he went for the toggle again I rushed him. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him off."

The motorbike's frame was found to contain 154lbs of explosive. The bomber was handed to police and jailed for 18 years.

Sgt Connolly played down his actions so much that he begged his sister not to tell their 81-year-old mother, Mary, to avoid causing her worry.

Married with two teenage daughters, he joined the Marines 22 years ago.

Ellie

[Sgt Jim]

Ooorhaa

[Petz]

royal commandos... nice job.

[FistFu68]

OUTSTANDING

[Wyoming]

****ing Brother Marines.

Get some!!

[thedrifter]

Marine's medal is 'for every lad'

A Royal Marine who saved the lives of his comrades by tackling a would-be suicide bomber in Afghanistan has been named on the military honours list.

Sgt Noel Connolly, 41, of Manchester, threw himself at a Taliban fighter and knocked him off his bike.

The father-of-two, based in Plymouth, will receive the Military Cross from the Queen later in the year.

"I will wear the medal for every bloke in the troop, it's a collective honour, I am humbled and privileged," he said.

"The medal's not just for me, it's for every lad in 42 Commando and the entire Royal Marine Corp," he added.

If the Taliban fighter, who had 150lb of explosives strapped to his body, had succeeded, he could have killed Sgt Connolly along with his 30 comrades who were based in a disused school.

Shortly after he came face-to-face with the Taliban fighter, the soldier's sister Breda Connolly, who lives in Manchester, praised him for his bravery.

She told the BBC: "We are so, so proud of him, what he did out there was amazing.

'Incredibly brave'

"It truly is terrifying what they have to face on a daily basis.

"He will just say it's part of his job and that is what he is paid to do, it was just incredibly brave."

The soldier has been in the Royal Marines since he was 19 and has served in Iraq, Congo and Northern Ireland.

He lives in Plymouth with his two daughters and wife, Lorraine.

Ellie