Ah, a nutter then
- there has to be something seriously wrong with someone who would choose to leap out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft...!Or, as is said, there's only two things come out of the sky: c***s and bird shoite
SLRs and 7.62 (split thread)
- Thread starter megawatt
- Start date
- there has to be something seriously wrong with someone who would choose to leap out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft...!Or, as is said, there's only two things come out of the sky: c***s and bird shoite
Sponsored Links
No, it was partly Euro-army standardisation and also that the 7.62 was too powerful: it takes more people out in the rear lines to care for injured personnel than just killing someone, was the Cold War rationale. If you got hit by a 7.62 up to about 500 to 600 yds in the shoulder and it would take your arm clean off, with death generally following fairly quickly thereafter.
Unfortunately for the sinustrally-challenged amongst us (like me), you can't fire the SA80 as a cack-hander (ditto the old SMG), but you could the SLR.
I never ever did get a left-handed holster for the occasions I was carrying a Browning in NI either - good job I never had occasion to actually try and get the thing out to use it!
The things we lefties have to put up with...
As mentioned above about the amount of personnel tied up looking after the injured was the very reason that Nato devised a round that was constructed in such a way that on impact it split into hundreds of needle like shrapnel shards(more modern variation on a dum dum) that inflicted a wound that not only immobilised but also that the person's wound would not heal easily ensuring they tied up medical staff for longer.
This round inflicted terrible wounds when used and was soon withdrawn on humanitarian grounds.
This round inflicted terrible wounds when used and was soon withdrawn on humanitarian grounds.
V
vinty
The AK47 is the most common automatic rifle in the world. It has iconic status among terrorists world wide, it may not be the most sophisticated or accurate weapon ever but it is said to be the most reliable and i suppose thats what matters if you are up against it.
The bloke who designed the AK was marketing a vodka called Kalashnakov, named after himself he said it blows your head off.
The bloke who designed the AK was marketing a vodka called Kalashnakov, named after himself he said it blows your head off.
Sponsored Links
Regarding range/power I seem to recall that the 7.62 round used in the SLR was a long cartridge round whilst those fired by the likes of AK47's etc. have a shorter cartridge and therefore reduced power.
Also the SLR's long barrel was what made it effective at longer ranges - apparently they are still used by some of the army snipers.
Also the SLR's long barrel was what made it effective at longer ranges - apparently they are still used by some of the army snipers.
Yes, the "logic" of the battlefield is somewhat strange: it's ok to kill someone outright, but not to inflict terrible injuries...
Ah, a nutter then
Or, as is said, there's only two things come out of the sky: c***s and bird shoite
Ah but the Para pay was an extra 20p a day - such riches!!!!!!!
Tried and failed I'm afraid. Combination of injury and a very unhappy lady.
Funny, when I joined up RE's was my first choice, Guards second and the Para's third. Same with my son, when he joined they told him he was too dense for the RE's, and stuck him in the PARA's. He did 6 years, left and is now a helicopter engine mechanic!
Where did you serve in NI?
Funny, when I joined up RE's was my first choice, Guards second and the Para's third. Same with my son, when he joined they told him he was too dense for the RE's, and stuck him in the PARA's. He did 6 years, left and is now a helicopter engine mechanic!
Where did you serve in NI?
At least you had a go at selection, good on you. Started it for 23 after coming out, but jacked it for exams. I've got a client who was a rupert in your mob, went on to do four years with them, just came out into civvy strasse last month. Really nice guy, fit as a butcher's dog and built like a whippet!
I was based in Castledillon just outside Armagh, an old Georgian place with a lake out the back, beautiful countryside all around. Was tasked to do measured surveys of various bases all over the place as well as drive lead landy on replens to XMG and FKL when the plod shops were being built; experienced the paint-filled milk bottles and have never cacked myself so much anticipating roadside/culvert bombs.
One of your mob was killed at FKL when we were there (80), horsing around with a mate and a jimpy, got three through one eye apparently, died being casevac'd to the Royal Vic, unsurprisingly. Boggies promptly hung a banner out IRA 1:0 Army - nice...
Where/when were you out there?
I was based in Castledillon just outside Armagh, an old Georgian place with a lake out the back, beautiful countryside all around. Was tasked to do measured surveys of various bases all over the place as well as drive lead landy on replens to XMG and FKL when the plod shops were being built; experienced the paint-filled milk bottles and have never cacked myself so much anticipating roadside/culvert bombs.
One of your mob was killed at FKL when we were there (80), horsing around with a mate and a jimpy, got three through one eye apparently, died being casevac'd to the Royal Vic, unsurprisingly. Boggies promptly hung a banner out IRA 1:0 Army - nice...
Where/when were you out there?
Couple of months in Belfast at the end of a Tour in '73. 4 Months in '75, again Belfast, Springfield Road and The Murph.
Then 2 years in '79 and '80 at Ballykinler with the wife and kids. Months at FKHL and XMG. Few several week stints in Newry. Most of the time was laying ambushes up in the mountains or the North/South railways.
Recall that incident you were talking about. Few weeks before that an idiot in my section had an ND with an M79. The bomb fired across a small barn and buried itself in haybales near me. Didn't travel enough to arm.
Needless to say he was dogmeat and was sent back to the UK. I Left in late '80 and joined Old Bill.
There... my life in a few paragraphs!
Now your turn?
Then 2 years in '79 and '80 at Ballykinler with the wife and kids. Months at FKHL and XMG. Few several week stints in Newry. Most of the time was laying ambushes up in the mountains or the North/South railways.
Recall that incident you were talking about. Few weeks before that an idiot in my section had an ND with an M79. The bomb fired across a small barn and buried itself in haybales near me. Didn't travel enough to arm.
Needless to say he was dogmeat and was sent back to the UK. I Left in late '80 and joined Old Bill.
There... my life in a few paragraphs!
Now your turn?
Your accompanied tour was when 2PARA got hit at Warrenpoint then... . We did our tour not long after that, saw photos of the event, not nice at all (massive understatement).
Just did the one tour in NI, 80, most of it spent in civvies, driving ruperts to meetings all over the place, never knew why; other times doing measure-ups of bases across the province, where I learnt how to use a tape measure really fast outside the site screens! Stumbled into secret squirrels' lair at Bessbrook, physically ejected at great speed - managed to purloin my drawings for the base, which have a rather large blank area on them! Also did RE search team (claim to fame: checked over the lorries containing the Undertones kit!), and numerous episodes of filling skips with concrete and angle iron on the roads crossing the border only to see them get blown up by PIRA by the following morning...
On one of the XMG replens, was stuck on top of a squirrel macralon-lined horsebox used to take out illegal IRA ambushes, outside on the helipad, putting tilts over it (it was u/s and had to be taken to the Maze for reasons unknown) as dawn broke. Felt v vulnerable, knowing PIRA would be watching what was going on; two hours later, one of the Pioneers attached to us was shot on top of the plod building, which by then was above the site screen. He was ok (ish!), turned just as they shot him so bullet hit ribs and went round the side and out the back, but more damage done to him getting him off the roof - they somehow managed to drop him face first 8' onto concrete...! Often wonder just how close that was to being me getting popped at.
Had PVR in before the tour and was out a week after getting back, which all felt very strange. Still miss a lot of it, still keep in touch and occasionally meet up with oppos from AAC Chepstow days.
Do you ever visit this site?
. We did our tour not long after that, saw photos of the event, not nice at all (massive understatement).Just did the one tour in NI, 80, most of it spent in civvies, driving ruperts to meetings all over the place, never knew why; other times doing measure-ups of bases across the province, where I learnt how to use a tape measure really fast outside the site screens! Stumbled into secret squirrels' lair at Bessbrook, physically ejected at great speed - managed to purloin my drawings for the base, which have a rather large blank area on them! Also did RE search team (claim to fame: checked over the lorries containing the Undertones kit!), and numerous episodes of filling skips with concrete and angle iron on the roads crossing the border only to see them get blown up by PIRA by the following morning...
On one of the XMG replens, was stuck on top of a squirrel macralon-lined horsebox used to take out illegal IRA ambushes, outside on the helipad, putting tilts over it (it was u/s and had to be taken to the Maze for reasons unknown) as dawn broke. Felt v vulnerable, knowing PIRA would be watching what was going on; two hours later, one of the Pioneers attached to us was shot on top of the plod building, which by then was above the site screen. He was ok (ish!), turned just as they shot him so bullet hit ribs and went round the side and out the back, but more damage done to him getting him off the roof - they somehow managed to drop him face first 8' onto concrete...! Often wonder just how close that was to being me getting popped at.
Had PVR in before the tour and was out a week after getting back, which all felt very strange. Still miss a lot of it, still keep in touch and occasionally meet up with oppos from AAC Chepstow days.
Do you ever visit this site?
You describe that vulnerabilility feeling very well. Horrible wasn't it. Yeah, I was QRF at Warrenpoint. Not nice. Had a couple of close shaves and thought it would be 3 times unlucky so put my notice in.
Hated doing search Team stuff. Wandering along with a metal detector and a Dubloon wondering if I would find an IED by stepping on it!
I still have maps from Operations on the border, all briefed at Forkhill. Dunnow how we managed to take it all, being young helped I suppose. I intend going back at some stage to visit a couple who I got on very well with on the quiet. Looking forward to it. the countryside is wonderfull.
Thanks for the link. Never seen it before but will have a good scan. Still got a couple of mates still in. One, who got a gong in the Falklands, is a Major on Temp secondment to the Jordanian Army. He's moved his family to Australia and is due to retire soon.
Now, Source Handling... there's another story!!!
Hated doing search Team stuff. Wandering along with a metal detector and a Dubloon wondering if I would find an IED by stepping on it!
I still have maps from Operations on the border, all briefed at Forkhill. Dunnow how we managed to take it all, being young helped I suppose. I intend going back at some stage to visit a couple who I got on very well with on the quiet. Looking forward to it. the countryside is wonderfull.
Thanks for the link. Never seen it before but will have a good scan. Still got a couple of mates still in. One, who got a gong in the Falklands, is a Major on Temp secondment to the Jordanian Army. He's moved his family to Australia and is due to retire soon.
Now, Source Handling... there's another story!!!
It was certainly a very strange feeling, going from the "safe" mainland to the province in a matter of hours on some boat or other and being constantly told don't let the convoy get split up going through traffic lights in Belfast. There were insufficient mags and flak jackets when we landed, so I was driving a landy having neither and not having a clue where we were going, I seem to remember being both exhilarated and sh*t-scared at the same time!
But, I guess at that age you do feel immortal - and, the same as you were presumably constantly told during training, that statistically there was less chance of being taken out than getting run over by a bus! All things considered though, think I would rather have been in when I was, as opposed to today with all the tours in Stan and Iraq.
I can remember being shocked at the hatred in so many people's eyes and the abuse was unbelievable, yet it wasn't as if we were there through choice; indeed, it was easy to have sympathy for the republican cause, at least in the early days, although I lost that when they killed my best mate who was an ATO in Belfast. 20 years ago on 8th June this year, as it happens; he was 29 and not long married.
My overall memory is of beautiful countryside and some really lovely people - but such a terrible accent!
I have to say I loved the training down at Romney Hythe - Tin City in particular, getting videoed with those dayglo numbered vests on and looking dead warry on the playback, just like on the news
Warning: Arrse is very adictive - check out NAAFI forum and it will take you right back!
But, I guess at that age you do feel immortal - and, the same as you were presumably constantly told during training, that statistically there was less chance of being taken out than getting run over by a bus! All things considered though, think I would rather have been in when I was, as opposed to today with all the tours in Stan and Iraq.
I can remember being shocked at the hatred in so many people's eyes and the abuse was unbelievable, yet it wasn't as if we were there through choice; indeed, it was easy to have sympathy for the republican cause, at least in the early days, although I lost that when they killed my best mate who was an ATO in Belfast. 20 years ago on 8th June this year, as it happens; he was 29 and not long married.
My overall memory is of beautiful countryside and some really lovely people - but such a terrible accent!
I have to say I loved the training down at Romney Hythe - Tin City in particular, getting videoed with those dayglo numbered vests on and looking dead warry on the playback, just like on the news
Warning: Arrse is very adictive - check out NAAFI forum and it will take you right back
!Sponsored Links
Similar threads
- Lincsbodger
- General Discussion
