In Commando Training this was usually carried out on Jenny Cliff on the East side of Plymouth Sound with Instructors from the Mountain Leaders based in Stonehouse Barracks or CTCRM.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sun 13 Sep 2020 10:13:33 BST
This Acquaint starts with a walk through demonstrating the methods used followed by a full crack at it plus the run back to CTCRM.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sat 12 Sep 2020 21:10:24 BST
This is an Endurance Course Acquaint as evidenced by the fact that this is a demonstration by Royal Marines Instructors on the method used to negotiate the Water Tunnel with the personnel involved all RM and the Commando hopefuls watching technique used. A syndicate of three work together, one swimming, one pushing and the other pulling the swimmer through.The bearded guy is probably Royal Navy who has had permission to cease shaving, not as is popularly supposed, allowed to grow a beard!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Sat 12 Sep 2020 21:08:12 BST
You can see the long wooden truncheon carried pushed inside the body armour worn, it was a nasty place to be for a British Marine!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 11 Sep 2020 22:29:40 BST
A perfect picture of the .303 inch Vickers Medium Machine Gun not long before it was withdrawn from Service. The cloth belt holding rounds has been fed into the gun by the No: 2 , the can containing water for barrel cooling linked by pipe to the barrel lies underneath with the gun fitted onto the very heavy tripod. The No: 2 is wearing ‘58 Pattern Webbing but has a ‘44 Pattern water bottle, carrier and mug which was a popular “proff” item as the bottle and mug were aluminium so, you could both brew a wet and drink it from the mug. Being aluminium you had to stick some black masking tape on the mug lip or end up with burnt real lips I still have mine!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 11 Sep 2020 22:26:06 BST
Close examination of the two Grenades next to right hand man shows that Fuses have not yet been inserted into a Grenade base, ie. No Teeth !
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 11 Sep 2020 21:21:23 BST
This photo must have been taken quite early on as he is not wearing a Reserve (chest) packed Parachute.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 11 Sep 2020 21:18:07 BST
This is a ‘free’ climb and Marine Wellman is wearing heavily cleated J Army Pattern boots.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 11 Sep 2020 21:16:06 BST
This photo show the ‘new’ Combat Suits which came in. Plain drab green colour and being G1098 so could be exchanged one-for-one, most people preferred the Dennison Smock traditional Commando Dress.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 11 Sep 2020 20:51:50 BST
The string around the waists are Jack-Knife Lanyards which were issue items.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 10 Sep 2020 14:49:00 BST
Small point here it will be seen the Commissioned Officers are all carrying “Swagger” sticks and wearing fawn coloured short Puttees, the ORs are
wearing Khaki short Puttees. The “Swagger” sticks were leather covered going out of use in the 1970s.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 10 Sep 2020 11:01:18 BST
The goggles the men are wearing are taken from the standard issue
Respirator (gas mask) and made of celluloid. The attack on Suez by 45
Commando RM was the first time the Corps had used helicopters in an
Assault across water from an Aircraft Carrier and the goggles were used
to counteract the blinding dust thrown up on landing. An interesting point
regards these goggles is the Field Marshall Erwin Rommel can be seen wearing these British issue items having found them perfect for the same reason (dust) in North Africa during WW2.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 10 Sep 2020 10:35:36 BST
The Grenade in this picture is the No: 94 Energa Infantry anti-tank weapon which is fired from the .303” Lee Enfield No: 4 Rifle using a projector all
Men carried. The rocket shape can be seen with the tail-fins to the left of the picture. It was fired using a Ballastite Cartridge and was a ‘hollow
charge” action. It had a ‘graze-nose-fuse’ so did not have to hit square on the target. It could be fired at any target if necessary but the cartridge had
quite a kick’ so the trigger would only be stroked with a straight index finger
And the rifle butt dug into the ground if necessary.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Thu 10 Sep 2020 10:27:18 BST
They are...not me!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 13:57:09 BST
Should read ‘proffed’
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 11:29:02 BST
Alan Richardson was a very Senior Fire Chief in Gwent afterwards, may even have been Fire Chief for County.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 10:18:17 BST
I had great difficulty understanding what Jock was saying but every time I bumped into him after that he would buy me a pint! Drown away Royal!
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 10:16:32 BST
Yaffling scran (Marine term for eating food) NOT haggling,
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 10:10:41 BST
Dhala Camp - me goin g on overnight Sentry Duty carrying my beloved \Bren. You can see from the wet tentage that there had been a downpour. Always welcome cleared the air.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 10:05:56 BST
Dhala Convoy en route to Yemen Border. This is Tom Pennington from Nottingham he was on his second Commission (tour), the Ferret in the background is from the 11 Hussars (Cherrypickers).
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 10:04:10 BST
RMR Mountain Training Glencoe Area, one of the breaking-in Yomps.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 09:47:35 BST
RMR Mountain Training Glencoe area, two Regular RM Mountain Leaders, both Falklands Veterans. The one on the right is Corporal Fitzgerald RM.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 09:46:16 BST
RMR Mountain Training around Glencoe area, Alan Richardson still yaffling scran! People say this looked like rugged Country, it was and is still perfect for Commando Training, it was the hardest thing I ever did.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 09:43:28 BST
RMR Mountain and Arctic Warfare Training with 42 Commando RM. We were just going onto the Nursery Slopes to try and ‘crack’ skiiing not my strong point. I preferred “Yomping”, a modern Royal Marines term meaning Load-carrying with everything needed to fight and survive over any terrain In all weather conditions. Came in handy in the Falklands War! I did NOT serve in the Falklands War. There was a prohibition in force with regard to Reserve Forces (since lifted).
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 09:40:13 BST
RMR Mountain Training me fully rigged and armed. Those are 2 X 82 Smoke Grenades hanging off my Fighting g Order. The 7.72mm SLR is fitted with a Blank Firing Attachment (BFA) which allowed the rifle to re cock when firing blank ammunition, always painted bright yellow.
Posted by PrichardDavid R L on Fri 04 Sep 2020 09:35:07 BST
