Medal for bomb hero

Captain Phil Nolan - and medal

A soldier who led a team of bomb-disposal experts on a six-month tour in Afghanistan has been awarded an Operational Medal.

Capt Phil Nolan (26), a former pupil at St Edward’s RC Primary School in Lees, travelled to Afghanistan in September as an bomb disposal adviser, leading a team whose job was to disarm improvised explosive devices laid by Taliban insurgents.

He was awarded the medal back at his barracks in Maidstone, Kent after the end of his tour.

His mother Margaret said: “It was a very nice ceremony and quite emotional really because the troops have shared a lot out there.

“We’ve always been a military family. You can try to get used to them being away, but you are never fully used to it. Phil has done us very proud.”

Capt Nolan attended St Edward’s in 1992-93, when his parents moved to the area after working in the RAF.

He eventually took up an Army career and trained at Sandhurst before being commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers in 2010.