Royal Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher is to be awarded the George Cross for jumping on a grenade after he triggered a Taliban booby-trap in Afghanistan earlier this year - he and the rest of his patrol escaped with minor injuries.

He jumped on the grenade backwards and his backpack containing amongst other things, a 66mm rocket and a li-ion battery was shredded and he was thrown into the air - he suffered a nosebleed. refusing to leave the field he shot an insurgent during an attack less than an hour later.

a similar story:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/monsoor.asp

with the expeption of this chap not surviving.