A ROYAL Marine who threw himself on to an exploding grenade to save the lives of his patrol will make a guest appearance in Malvern.

Lance Corporal Matt Croucher avoided serious injury as his rucksack and body armour took the force of the blast earlier in the year in the Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was invested with the George Cross last month.

Now the reservist from Birmingham will switch on the Malvern Rotary Club Tree of Light in Priory Park on Monday, December 1.

Rotary president Brian Curtis said: “I am delighted at the prospect of our meeting him and later in the evening he will share his experiences with us at our weekly meeting. This is an honour for the club and the town.”

L/Cpl Croucher will tell how he was with a group of four comrades when he stepped into a tripwire that pulled the pin from a booby trap grenade. As the others dived for cover, he lay down on the grenade to smother the blast. When the grenade went off it blew L/Cpl Croucher’s rucksack more than 30ft and sent a burning radio battery shooting into the air.

But apart from a bleeding nose and shock he was unscathed.

Malvern Rotary Club has provided the Tree of Light for many years as a symbol to celebrate the lives of loved ones.

Names of sponsors and those sponsored will be listed on the display boards at Malvern Theatre and The Hub in the library building and on the website of Worcester News sister paper malverngazette.co.uk♠

Funds raised will go to Acorns Children’s Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support and other Rotary charities.

Businesses willing to support the project should call 01684 568287 or 01684 563429.