Major Pete Norton GC: Baghdad IED

Tea & Medals

24th July, 2005, Al Bayaa District, near Baghdad, Iraq. Captain Pete Norton was used to dealing with explosives. By the time he deployed to Iraq he had spent more than 20 years working in bomb disposal. He was so well known for his cool head and unflappable nature he was given the nickname “Perfect Pete”. But one night investigating the scene of a devastating IED attack outside Baghdad, would change his life forever. Pete was checking for further devices when a secondary IED exploded almost killing him. But while he fought for his own life, he also fought for the safety of his team, giving them vital life-saving instructions and refusing to be evacuated until he was sure that everyone understood the danger. Darren talks to Pete and two of his multinational team members; Nick and Chris from the FBI, about the blast and how Pete also received an FBI Star for his actions. Contributors: Major Pete Norton GC Nick Boshears Chris Rigapoulos With thanks to The VC and GC Association, The Federal Bureau of Investigation Credits: Presented by Darren Coventry Written and produced by Josella Waldron and Simon Thornton Edited by Andy Prada Sound Design by Mark Pittam Original Music by Will Farmer Executive Producer Alex Griffiths