Bridgnorth bomb disposal hero who parachuted on to QE2 inspiring a movie of his exploits has died aged 86

A former Bridgnorth man who parachuted onto the Queen’s yacht to defuse a bomb, which became the basis of a 1970’s thriller starring Anthony Hopkins and Richard Harris, has died aged 86.

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Major Clifford Oliver was born in Bridgnorth on July 8 1939.

He joined the military after leaving school, where he eventually made his way to the SAS and on May 17, 1972, he and three other military personnel made headlines when they parachuted on to the QE2.

The ship was in the middle of the Atlantic at the time and the previous day operator Cunard had received a call from a man demanding $350,000 or he would set off six bombs planted on the ship.

Clifford Oliver who was a staff sergeant at the time, along with Lieutenant Richard Clifford , Corporal Tom Jones and Captain Robert Williams had to parachute on to the luxury liner as it did have a helicopter pad.

On arrival over the ship weather conditions were found to be adverse and it was necessary for the aircraft to carry out several trial runs before the jumps could be made.

The team faced three problems: the presence of an “inexperienced” parachutist in Captain Williams, adverse weather conditions requiring a drop from minimum height through cloud, and the carriage of unusually heavy and bulky loads.

It took seven attempts for Staff Sergeant Oliver and Corporal Jones to make the jump.

Lieutenant Clifford supervised Captain Williams' parachute drill and when they arrived in the sea he supported him until they were picked up.

Once on board, the team started their search of the ship and the suspect cargo but the men discovered there were no explosive devices and whole thing had been a hoax.

The hoaxer, Joseph Lindisi a shoe salesman from New York, was eventually arrested while Major Clifford Oliver received the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct.

The story became the basis of the 1974 film, "Juggernaut", starring Richard Harris and Omar Sharif and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

In his obituary in the Telegraph, the paper reports that Clifford Reginald Oliver was originally a farmer, he joined the army after being offered more money at the recruiting office in Wolverhampton.

He joined the Seaforth Highlanders and was posted to the 1st Battalion at Minden in West Germany.

In 1960 Oliver joined the SAS. Between 1964 and 1967 did operations in Borneo, Radfan and Aden, and in the early 1970s he was a member of the British Army Training Team during the Dhofar rebellion in Oman.

The paper reports that on his return to the SAS he assumed a number of appointments, including second in command of a squadron, regimental adjutant and commander of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Wing and Training Wing, before finishing his service at the London Headquarters of Special Forces.

After leaving the SAS, he worked for SAS founder, Sir David Stirling, looking after country estates and was then involved in selling protective equipment, including body armour and clothing, to the police and Armed Forces.

He spent the later years of his life in West Northamptonshire and Banbury.

He died in Banbury aged 86 on March 4.