Protective combat glove worn by Sapper Sean Laidlaw, 101 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), 2012

Protective combat gloves are issued to all troops to protect against the heat and rough terrain of Afghanistan. Laidlaw cut off two glove fingers so that he could better feel the ground to find buried Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). In six months he searched for so many devices that he wore out three pairs of gloves. Faeces and other objectionable substances are frequently used to discourage effective search procedures.