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Post by Frenchie on May 1, 2009 13:00:32 GMT 1
A new military training camp which replicates situations which troops could face on operations in the Middle East has opened in Norfolk. The £14m site at the Stanta Training Area, near Thetford, is made up of two villages replicating the sights and sounds which troops could face. Story Here >>Who remembers Lydd and Hythe? Can anyone tell us if that training area is still there, and since the end of Op. Banner, has it been changed?
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Post by cammy on May 1, 2009 15:25:31 GMT 1
I remember Lydd and Hythe? and being trained on CLARABELLE (shot direction indicator) and sitting in a land rover having shots fired over head to show it working.... Dont know if it's still there or being used... Good bit of kit though... maybe they should use it in Afghan? ?
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bigstevie
Kingsman
Honorary Member
Posts: 197
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Post by bigstevie on May 1, 2009 19:27:30 GMT 1
Did a search on them - they appear to be still used by all three Services. Our battalions used to rotate a week at a time through these, every year. Great ranges. Folkstone was good craic too...... Always remember the Muff Range (great name), which was an old Martello tower, like an old castle. That had the sangars and the o.p. positions for practicing reporting contacts and terrorist weapon recognition. The Garand was as loud as hell!
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Post by Frenchie on May 1, 2009 20:32:01 GMT 1
I watched my first 'car bomb' go off on that range. 5lb of plastic under the bonnet. I thought that was violent at the time. Boy was I in for a surprise. The martello tower was the one we used to sit around in while the instructors fired the different weapons over our heads wasn't it? An old Napoleonic war relic?
It wasn't all urban warfare with 'empty' ? beer cans being chucked at us though, no, we also had physical training - full packs along those bloody horrible pebble beaches. Pebbles? they were the size of goose eggs.
The video's (Latest technology) after each session during debriefing were a laugh as well.
Good times.
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bigstevie
Kingsman
Honorary Member
Posts: 197
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Post by bigstevie on May 1, 2009 21:39:29 GMT 1
We used the village down at Ballykinlar for our foot patrol training - 'Newtown'. it was good craic too. Loads of 'empty' cans chucked at us too, with 'crowd sound effects', that rising roar put shivers up your back. Some of our lot got the full treatment up at the village at Hythe but I only got a quick run around it, no contacts. I know the 'Regs' worked around the clock for a week at a time in the village, with all the 'toys'. We didn't do public order so we never got the riot training. (Sulk) I will always remember being on a regimental competition at Ballykinlar and we had gone firm at the 'pub' - I was doing cover when an Austin 1800 (remember them?) pulled across the road about 50 metres away, a bloke pointed an SMG out the window and emptied the mag at us. Blanks of course, but my God it struck me rigid - it drove off without any of us getting a round off, we were just stunned.
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