The bomb-disposal specialist remembers Second Lieutenant Richard Shearer and Privates Leon Spicer and Phillip Hewett, who were killed by a roadside bomb. His recollection turns technical expertise into a personal account of loss and explains why criticism from people unfamiliar with soldiers' experience could feel especially painful. He also describes how the combined smell of blood and explosives returned unexpectedly while he viewed photographs from another task. His closing fatalism acknowledges that correct procedure can reduce risk without eliminating the inherent danger of bomb disposal.
Notable Point · 2:42-4:25
Loss, risk, and the memory of bomb disposal
The same account follows the death of soldiers who found roadside bombs and explains the fatalism and sensory memories carried home by disposal personnel.