Military service

[Ben Evans]

23 years in the RAF Regiment (Rockape) from 1983 to 2006, loved it

[HARRY THE MOLE]

To us a Flak Jacket was a Flak Jacket. We were always told it would protect us from low-velocity ammunition, nail bombs and so-on. But usually, when on guard, we would wear a US-made jacket which weighed in at about 25lb. If I remember correctly it had two ceramic plates fitted, but we only used the front one. It was claimed to be capable of stopping a .30 Garand round at point-blank range. It was far too heavy to use on patrol though!

As for why they showed us how useless the jackets were... The way's of the British Army are indeed strange at times! I recall an incident in July 1974 in New Lodge when a Sergeant was shot dead while on foot patrol. The MO went out to pick up the body, and then came on the radio describing the extent of the wounds. I found that to be really sick. I sometimes think of the whole incident when I hear anything that sounds like gunshots. I still find that episide to be very upsetting when I think about it.

[Paul D]

Harry i'm an ex Gunner also which Regiment were you with ?

Looking forward to the book mate . it will be great to see something written about the Gunners in NI as most books tend to be about the Infantry , most people don't realise how many Tours the Gunners did as bricks on the streets of NI and what casualties we took 64 Killed in action including the first and last !!

Me and a couple of guys from our old Troop have been talking about a similar project for the Falklands as again all the history is about 2 Para , 3 Para , Marines etc and nothing about the Gunners who supported them all !!

I wish you success for the book and look forward to it coming out to represent all those from the Royal Regiment who served on Op Banner , once a Gunner always a Gunner !!

cheers

Paul

[Poromies]

I hope I get to prove this in 1 year and six months, but I have heard a lot of stories about how the Finnish Defence Forces use alot of the small things that were used during WW2, such as the spoon/fork things. My brother said that he was issued one that had a date 1942! And that some of the older strechers were dated to the Winter War! You may think that sounds poor, but why fix something that isnt broken

[Stinkpotpete]

I started out in 1983 in the National Guard, Military Police, then went active in 1988, was stationed in germany unti 1990 then got out and finished school. in the Guard we spent as much time in the field as the Infantry, we did alot of field support, I was an M-60 gunner and we rode alot of "rat patrol" in our M151A1s(newer version of the Willys jeep) and got activated for riot control during a labor strike. In Germany I guarded nukes and learned the language, and did a little traveling, wish I'd done more. I really kick myself for not going to the UK when I had the chance, but there's still time for that

[HARRY THE MOLE]

[QUOTE=Paul E;629697]Harry i'm an ex Gunner also which Regiment were you with ?
Hi Paul,

I was with 12th Lt AD Regt - 9(Plassey)Bty. Andersonstown from November 71 to march 72. Then New Lodge June to October 74. A small number of us were attached to 4th Regt for that tour, as they were short of men. They called us 13 TROOP.

[Paul D]

I also served with 4th mate , G Troop but in the Aldershot days , i was too young for the 74 Tour !!

As you know the Regiment lost 2 blokes on the 74 Tour , now i know it will feature 4th i'm looking forward to the book even more

[M422A1]

USMC & USMC-R 1983-1989. Never went in harm's way. I got out the year before my unit was activated for Desert Storm. The things I remember the most are riding in a Huey in the side jump seat at tree-top level at Camp Lejuene feeling like I was in a Viet Nam movie and hitting the beach in a landing craft. The Navy coxswain driving the craft tried everything to get us Marines seasick but the only guy that puked was a Navy doctor...

Semper Fi
Mike

[AMTG]

U.S. Navy 1995-2000 as hospital corpsman. 2 1/2years at Balboa Naval Hospital S.D.(shore duty,life was good) 2 1/2 years with 1st batt. 11th Marines (arty) !st Mar Div. What I remember most was with the Marines on deployment (11th MEU) to persian gulf and how frickn hot it was in Saudi (109 in the shade), flying in the back of CH-53, riding in the hovercraft, shooting the 155mm howitzer,50 cal, and 240 gulf,2-3 weeks in field no shower, and getting diverted from our last port of call in Bali to East Timore in 99 and sitting off shore for 80 days while order was restored there not to mention the brutal atrocities that were going on there. Literally heads on sticks and barbaric rape and defilement of female victims, horrendous.

I was there in 99 ( east Timor) nasty place

[AMTG]

I remember getting the plates for my flak jacket before East Timor and being don't not to drop it as I may break it!