It’s perhaps no exaggeration to say that bomb-disposal experts from Didcot’s 11 EOD Regiment have the toughest job in the world.

They risk life and limb on a daily basis in combating the deadly threat of the Taliban.

And the memorial wall at the town’s Vauxhall Barracks pays tribute to soldiers from the regiment who have died trying to defuse devices.

The least the soldiers can do to protect themselves is to wear their body armour.

But this was not an option for Captain James Fidell, who faced having to crawl into a tight tunnel to deactivate a 50kg bomb.

Capt Fidell must have known that he would die if the bomb, or another device, had exploded.

But he forgot about his own safety and concentrated for eight hours on removing the bomb from beneath a vital road link.

And he did all this while his comrades on the surface nearby came under enemy fire.

It is entirely fitting that the bravery of soldiers like Capt Fidell is properly recognised.