THE widow of Westcountry bomb disposal hero Olaf Schmid has spoken of her heartache at losing her "best friend", writes the WMN's Graeme Demianyk.

Christina Schmid, 34, who wore her husband's medals during his repatriation ceremony this week, told how they had discussed the possibility he could die in action and how that meant they must make the most of whatever time they had to spend together.

The 30-year-old explosives expert from Truro, Cornwall, was attempting to defuse an improvised roadside bomb in the Sangin region of Helmand province, Afghanistan, when the device went off.

Staff Sergeant Schmid's body was repatriated through RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, with his friends acting as pallbearers for a private ceremony at the base's chapel.

Mrs Schmid said: "I'm happy to have Oz back on English soil. It's ironic he would've been coming home around now anyway, just in a different fashion.

"We'd spoken about the repatriations. Oz said he'd love for me to stand there and watch him come back. 'You'd better be there', he'd said."

The soldier, known to friends and family as Oz, lived in Winchester, Hampshire, with his wife and stepson Laird, five.

They had planned to one day move to Truro, where S/Sgt Schmid was born.

Mrs Schmid said: "I feel short-changed. We had all these plans and they've been taken away.

"We wanted a big family, two or three more kids. But we didn't try before Oz went away because of the high risk involved with his job."

Mrs Schmid described how she was told the terrible news of his death.

As she tucked Laird into bed on Saturday night, she got the knock on the door she had been dreading.

Leaning out of the window, she spotted two men wearing the green military berets of the Royal Logistics Corps, and her heart sank.

In desperation, she shouted down to the officers: "Tell me he can talk. Tell me he's lost his arms and his legs, but just tell me he's not dead."

She said: "They asked me to come downstairs and that's when I knew Oz was dead.

"I didn't want to let the officers in. I couldn't see the point. I knew Oz was dead and that's all I needed to know."

S/Sgt Schmid was blown up by the 65th Taliban bomb he dealt with during his five-month tour of duty. It was his last day on the front line.

Mrs Schmid said: "There was a pressure to make the most of the time we did have and we never wasted time arguing.

"We never swore at each other. We did so much together that I'm sure a lot of married couples wouldn't do in a lifetime."

She added: "I'm so proud of him for what he did and who he was. He saved lives and he saved people from horrible injuries and that does bring me comfort.

"I know what Oz was doing out there made a difference to people and saved them.

"He was so sensitive and modest. He'd laugh to think of everyone calling him a hero now – he just got on with it."