A BOMB disposal expert who saved his comrades by defusing buried roadside bombs with two broken fingers has been awarded the Military Cross.

Staff Sergeant Gareth Wood, 29, of Didcot’s 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, lacerated his hand while wrenching a bomb from the ground in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

But he refused to return to base for treatment until he had made five IEDs (improvised explosive devices) safe to let a stranded Mastiff vehicle get to safety.

SSgt Wood completed the task on March 30 with his arm in a sling and his fingers strapped to a splint whileunder heavy Taliban fire.

He was flown by helicopter into a minefield after the fully-manned armoured vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb and marooned.

With four hours of daylight remaining, he set about clearing the IEDs, insisting other soldiers took cover while he defused the first bomb.

He broke his fingers while pulling out a second bomb at the scene with his bare hands.

His citation reads: “He refused to be evacuated and insisted upon completing his task with nothing more than the crudest of first aid.”

After he defused the bombs, the Mastiff was able to escape under the cover of darkness.

Shortly before the incident in March, SSgt Wood told the Herald in an interview: “It is all about keeping your cool. You cannot rush, no matter what the threat.”