Page 3 Profile: Patrick Hyde, soldier

Patrick Hyde, soldier (PA)

Is he the bravest man in Britain?

The 37-year-old father of two has just been awarded the Military Cross. He’s called “the bomb magnet” by his fellow soldiers.

So what exactly does he do?

He is a Warrant Officer Class 1 with the 4th Battalion the Rifles and has been on the receiving end of 16 explosions in Afghanistan as well as a close shave in Iraq. On a dawn patrol in Afghanistan last year with his CO and an Afghan general, he came under fire from the Taliban. He took shelter down an alley; an Afghan soldier came running past and Hyde stepped back to let him through.

This isn’t going to end well, is it?

The Afghan soldier stepped on an IED. Hyde and Sergeant Tim Tyler, who was standing next to him, sustained superficial injuries.

And then what happened?

Hyde ordered his team to get out pronto. He told the Sunday Mirror: “I don’t know if I was blown up or down, left or right.”

So is he unlucky or lucky?

“All I have is minor scars. I was hoping to have something better to brag about in the pub.”

Has anyone been blown up more?

As far as we know, he holds the title. He was also mentioned in dispatches for rescuing colleagues in Afghanistan in 2010.