I'm an ex RCO, i used to work with the Air Cadets. Our Squadron was blessed that we had our own 25yrd/m twin tube range which allowed us to use the Lee Enfield No.8 boltaction .22 rifles. The funniest part was, they were quite heavy, so the smaller cadets used to overbalance whilst in the prone position, so sandbags were always on standby. I also attended a couple of summer camps at certain RAF stations. I vividly remember the "horror" bags, we used to dish them out to the cadets! whilst the staff enjoyed Range Stew, thanks to a little visit the day before to the JNCO/Junior Ranks mess with a slab of beers for the cooks.
I was also an RCO with the Air Cadets. When I did my training course, on an RAF station and run by the RAF (a Fg Off, FS and a Cpl), the safety aspect was vividly brought home by the instructing staff. One day, after lunch, the officer was late back and apparently the worse for a liquid lunch. This officer was about to demonstrate something when the Flight Sergeant noticed something amiss with the targets. "I'll get it Flight" calls the Cpl and runs off down the range just as the officer lets go the round (LE No.4 .303). The Cpl goes down like a sack of spuds and barrels down the hill. All sorts of reactions from the students from shocked immobility to attempted murder of the officer. The round was, of course, a blank. A graphic but effective training technique that probably wouldn't be allowed today.
Range stews were the thing. Absolutely wonderful. I had goat when working with the Gurkha's! Running an APWT on Hythe ranges in driving snow! The ETR's kept disappearing in the blizzard and the SUSAT's filled with snow. Amazingly, everyone passed. Hurrah! 😉
I swear the cookhouse would put all the leftovers into our range stews. But I loved it! Loved the steam and smell of the food when they took the lid off that norgie.
On the range taking part in an SMG shoot when a guy had a stoppage . The NCO shouted at him “ what’s your problem you know the drill “ then the guy turned around pointing the weapon at the NCO and all the guys behind him”. You can imagine the panic and the verbal responses . This particular guy ended up in the officers mess as a waiter or something never to be trusted again on the ranges.
We had a WSBA (Cyprus) Garrison shooting competition. The 2nd Batt Scott Guards had not long come back (18 months) from the Falkland War. With the garrison group were a section from the RAF. First figure 12 screen came up from the 600m gallery range. The idea was the gun teams fired, then that target would be lowered then a figure 11 target would be raised. At that point the fire team would run down range to the 400m point and the rifle section would fire. Sadly it didn't go to plan. When the figure 11 targets were raised, the army teams ran forwards to adopt a new fire position, the RAF team opened up with both gun fire and rifle fire. I was in lane 2 so a few lanes away from them. The Scott Guards were diving for cover like I have never seen before. Some diving into the gun emplacement trenches. Many broke they legs. It was scary as shit. One of the ranger supervisor ran and kick the gun team member straight in the head and grabbed the weapon. On the second attempt, when the screen target went down and the figure 11 went up (were everyone was meant to advance) everybody didn't move and we all looked at the RAF lads. When they got up to advance, we did, but we made sure we were behind them on the advance.
Doesn’t matter if UA-cam ever pay you a penny: your content is GOLD! I never really liked shooting, I had a very healthy respect for firearms, despite being a good shot. I remember one time at thetford the ds emptying mags full of 5.56 blanks with the cases going into helmets!
Hullo. Hope you are well. Two of my mates were range wardens. One on Salisbury and one on Yoxter. They could tell you some stories,mind. 😉 My mate on Salisbury was sat in his Landy and ran over by a tank. He survived, but was pretty shaken up. And when the Gurkhas came in for training days, the wild life use to disappear. They never looked hungry.😉 All the best.😉👍🏾🇬🇧
@@LetsTab59-bd4fd I remember on company range days if you werent in the butts or actually shooting they would have us doing Round Robin training or sometimes our PC would have each bloke stand up and giva 5 minute lecturette on any subject the bloke liked...some were lousy but some were fascinating...it was all to keep us busy and out of mischief...also it was geared to gain confidence in public speaking...great days...I had forgotten having to collect the brass😄
Thank you for the memories. Range stew in a mess tin. Couldn't beat it especially on a cold Leyburn range. Favourite range was the LMG range at Whitburn. Had a shoot off with the TA Para's which was really good fun. The Ranges are now a farmers field and the range cabins are now a housing estate (see Google Earth). The butts are still visible though and you shot out to sea! I was a terrible shot though, just barely scraping through my TOETS!
Great subject. Never did electronic ranges, must have been fun. Remember open ranges around U.K. and Germany (poor sheep!): Remember pre NI ranges at Lydd & Hythe; (Red tops/ blue bottoms rail targets.🤣) and the NI video screen scene which froze when you fired to show where your round had gone. .22 SLR IIRC? Remember the conversion kits for SLR and Sub munition Charlie G; Remember falling plate competitions. Working in the butts was fun especially if you rigged up a basher and got her Hexe on the go for a brew; (remember putting false marker up for platoon Sgts shoot! 😇) Can anyone remember the small black plastic block with a mirror in it which slide over the SLR rear iron sight and allow an instructor to lay at 90 degrees to you, look into the block and see exactly what sight picture/sight alignment you were taking? Targets down, paste up! Wolfgang! 🤣🤣🤣 1BR 👍🏻 Sally Bash and NAAFI in U.K. 👍🏻 Witnessed a near fatal ND in NI in a gate sangar, squaddy with a 9milly! 😖 Exactly the same declarations as you’ve described. Pyro! Defo a subject for another vid pal?
I used to love volunteering to be a lookout on the Field firing Range on Dartmoor, when the Squads were doing their Commando Course. It was brilliant in the Summer, up on the Tors, on your own with a Radio and Binoculars, Few Sarnies and a flask. Now and again the mist would drop and you had to find your own way down but that was nothing to an old hand like me😁😁. Happy days.
"I have no live rounds, empty cases, pyrotechnics or parts there of in my pocession sir!" all said whilst wearing a grenade ring on my smock zip! Lol. I remember endless cups of tea, smoke breaks and doubling to and from the ranges. I remember Otterburn where the devil lives and Spade Adam RAF bombing ranges practicing calling in air strikes from fast air. Competitions at grisly Bisley. Range plans, qualification shoots where Private Crap Hat had to be coaxed through and CSM Oneyeartoretirement had to be fudged through lol. I remember being wet, muddy and happy. If you appreciate us Keith it's double back at you, despite implied deformation against the Maroon machine lol 😉🏴🇬🇧
Only a civvie. Loving the talk about the food. The "Horror Bag!" lol. Thank God for Wolfgang and his sausage van. Nice to hear him get a mention again The Range Stew sounds good. Once I get rid of the last of my ageing meal prepped stir fries I will unleash my slow cooker to run off some stews for freezing. THaw one out when required and it's "job done"Fired 22 rifles in the scouts at Bucmore Park near Rochester and pistols with a club near Dartford. DOn't laugh, had a Sheridan 0.20 air rifle. it shot well and would look good on a mantlepiece. Gave it up when I moved to a flat without a garden (and next to a school)
Never had a ND, never seen a ND, but the first time on the range with live ammo, it kept crossing my mind. The scene from Clint Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge. lol
I remember the first time going to the rande during training, straight into 7.62 rounds, I was very apprehensive. We also had to do walk to contact on all terrain range with a 9mm pistol, jumping into ditches, etc. We did use a .22 SLR, they projected a movie image on a screen and when you fired the movie stopped, they then checked where the holes were in the screen. The instructor said I frightened the enemy. I have been in the butt's, we put those frames with the targets on up and down, but we also had targets on buttons that we had to hold in the air. When we went for our tank training, we used a cutaway turret with a .22 gun, we fired at a sand pit with models on it. When we needed more ammunition the instructor sent someone to get more and eas asked if he need HESH or Sabot, we went to Warcop to do live firing, after listening to how much noise they made we were apprehensive, when it was our turn we waited inside for our turn, the tank next to us fired hits .303 Browning ranging gun, it was like someone hitting our tank with a sledgehammer, then the main gun went off and 52 tons of tank rocked side to side, then it was our turn and it turned out there was less noise from inside our tank than the tank next door. When we went to the ranges with the regiment I had a misfire, went through all the rigmarole, emergency on, nothing, then wait 30 min I got the blame, but when they opened the breach after 30 min, all the cordite fell on the floor, the loader had not pushed the bag charge fully in and sliced it open when he closed the breach.
Love your videos mate, they connect a lot of ex squaddies from all regiments and the banter is good. We all have a lot in common such as places we've served and people we've met along the way, Wolfgang now there's a blast from the past. 😂😂
It’s been 45yrs since I was on the ranges you’ve bought all the memories flooding back. Like you I loved range days, ETR , running man ect all with the SLR fantastic rifle, 500yrds open sights watching the range flags aiming off a yard to get into the bull. Shot at Bisley 3 times for the battalion. Picked up a load of medals and trophies, best young soldier , gold medals for sitting match , figure twelve at 300 yards wow. Came third best shot on camp, the soldier that came first was carried around the camp in a chair on the shoulders of the Gurkha,s, thanks you’ve made my day.
I spents a ridiculous amount off time on ranges about 4 months off the year in training instruction as a unit & a shooting team competing at Bisley & the NRA meet. What I learnt from that. Was the enormous benifits it provides. Winning the army tickle shoots regularly, including a double with regular & TA. The confidence it brings. The accuracy & consistency. Not one ND for all involved. Real weather conditions. Hated the indoor stuff as you lost so much to a computer. Range stew , Gurka curries, & lots off laughs. Training has to be relevant realistic interesting & demanding. That got lost many times to cuts, poor planning & rescources reduced. You have fantastic memory & a sense off fun. Liked your appraisal as it sums up the average experience. Thank you.
Having an AD was a serious charge.As 12 year old kids we used to sneak through the boundry fence after school onto the firing range at the Cranborne Barracks,home of the RLI-Rhodesian Light Infantry and look for ammo an also dig in the sand bunker for live ammo.I found one live 7.62 and one live 9mm rounds.Took them home put them in an old paraffin tin,nicked petrol out the lawnmower and thenput the 2 rounds in the tin with the petrol,and lit a match and ran for cover.A few minutes later 2 bangs.When i worked in the foundry i made a brass eagle wall plack from 7.62 cartriges.I was a Sapper during my NS,bangs seemed to follow me .
No joy in November on a wet windy range in North Yorkshire trying to use up all the surplus ammo. Fox ran across the top of the range and survived about twenty soldiers firing at it. In Hythe some jokers decided to shoot the wooden poles we were using to indicate the where on the target it was hit, one ricochet was a bit close in the butts. In NI the Major cocked his browning before removing magazine and discharged it into the sand on a couple of occasions requiring the sergeant to take over this clearing procedure , don't think he charged himself !
I remember being embedded with 1st Queens at Albuera Barracks at Wickede roundabout 1979 for a couple of weeks and used their miniature range using a sub calibre SLR. If I recall correctly a film was projected onto the range stop and every time you fired the film stopped and a small spot of light shone through the screen to give you an idea of where you hit. Happy memories of the Bratty Wagen.
I remember that the 1st live hand Granade you threw down the range keeping the ring pull and putting it through the hole in your combat jacket zip pull, and being quite shocked at the load bang and shock wave from your first granade, also wasn’t much fun for the range officer to go out and make safe a granade that failed to detonate
Hi mate another great talk / tab . In the 70s I was a cadet Sgt and remember shooting the lee Enfield 303 cal at the outdoor range and working in the butts . I could shoot all day I was a big lad so the recoil didn't bother me but I wasn't to keen on working in the butts I rather be shooting . Hahahahah I was ready to join the regular army ( paras ) because of family history but my dad moved us all to Canada oh well things happened for a reason I've had a great life here in canada and now iam retired and looking at videos like yours.👍
I was a cadet in the 80s and we did our skill at arms with a No4 and Brens and shot the .22s once every few months ,but what cheesed us off is the air cadets we're allowed to play with the SLRs and Sturlings ,yet we were the Army Cadets, I would love to find the cadet booklet we used to have ,even if I could remember what it was called ,I have no live rounds or empty cases in my possession sir lol puttys were full of them lol
Mate. You just brought back so many excellent memories on the ranges. Tea NATO, NI training at Lydd and Hythe, FIBUA and more. Loved every minute of it, even when it was cold, raining and generally minging outside. Eddie Bluhme got to ping off a LAW at a target 300 yards away. I wasn't expecting to get winded by its back fire even though I was well to the right of it. Great fun, brilliant times that I wouldn't change for anything in the world. Wish I could remember his real name, but Pocket Rocket had a blank ND in basic training. He buggered up his seven point check and earned himself 10 days of ROPS after normal duty, but he passed out with us. The phrase Meeting Derek in Pokey became infamous. Derek was a stripped down floor polisher and he had to polis the ceiling of one of the rooms in the guard house.
Saying about the ranges at Ballykinlar If you can't see the mountains of Mourne, it's raining and if you can see the mountains of Mourne it's about to rain
Remember being on Warcop ranges with l96a1 on sniper course . 2 reg lads getting pulled for shooting on each others targets
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Range stew was the boyo ,few bits of bread and brown sauce. Another trick to the gravel method was ,my mate was garbage at 300 yards I was mint and was vice Versa at 100 so used to hit each others target at them ranges
Always used to train at Bisley and it was always a sunny day and a great chance to relax. Remember when onbutt duty when sitting on the bunker bench a round hit the steel frame of the target and came into butts and ricochet and went back out again . Pretty hairy experience.
A quaranc nurse had a ND with her browning on the pistol range in Gibraltar.....and hit me in the upper left thigh!!!...(Some would say my arse) ...we stuck a field fressing on it and i was taken to the naval hospital, luckily i wasnt too badly injured. We never saw her again. Ive still got the scar now, i used to show it off in the pub when i was pissed when i was younger lol. We all got a collective bollocking because people from our unit were discussing it with other units in the naffi and around town in the evenings. I also found the pin of a smoke grenade id thrown on the fibua village....after declaring i didnt😬...a complete mistake. Ive still got that on my key ring.
In the Long Valley/Sugarloaf Hill area near the RAE in Aldershot, there are some very old unused ranges dating back to the late Victorian era. One had high earth berms around it and you could often find musket balls, the small arms geeks will probably know the origins, possibly the rifled muskets ? Before the introduction of cartridges? Ah ranges stew, what a delight that was! And the Coff-Tea flavoured Norwegians. I did see a guy in my Sqn doing apwt on Smg 25m. Hand went up. Stoppage The Snco said well go on Hesh, stop hook and look. So Hesh cocks the weapon, then rotated the weapon 180 degrees and looked down the barrel. Snco- Hesh, place the weapon gently on the ground and stand up. Hesh stands up. Wham A dig in the cakehole.
At 7' 35" you mention "pebble range". As we are from the same part of the World I suspect you are referring to the Hythe ranges. And the tented billets there, in winter the washrooms all had water pipes frozen solid. Morning wash, "Yes, I'll do what I can with what I have in my water bottle". Thanks for these great videos. Brings back great (and sometimes not so great) memories. Thanks again.
Much the same when I was there in 1984. We had to run down to the beach and make like snakes into the sea in October/November and run back 😮😊. I was that num, I couldn't feel the cold 😂, the good old days. Great at the time, but f#cked my joints. Odear what a pity never mind 😅😊.
1983/4. I can well remember doing a live shoot CQBR in Belize. We were using AR 15's, CQBR. Funny thing was, the range was a 360. A suitable area was found and a range was made. Just you and the range safety who never wondered more than a couple feet from where you were. The targets were planted everywhere. fair enough you can see a fig 11/12 face on but sideways on? you miss and walk past it, then you see it and shoot it.
I've never been in the military but stumbled upon your channel and have been enjoyably going through your videos and I thank you for the enjoyment and information that they give. You spoke about the Hythe range, we would holiday in Dymchurch during the 70's and as a small child remember hearing the 'crack, crack, crack' of the guns in the distance from where we were in the caravan park. I don't know if you ever drank in the Neptune Inn but that was the pub my family would always go into. Happy memories.
We used to have the gallery ranges when I first joined up. (target up. targets down 7.62 SLR). then later in life as a platoon Sgt at ATR Bassingbourn we have a physical range up the road, but mostly the training was on the SAT system. I hated it.
Thank you for that. I remember in the 70s firing the presumably .22 modified SLR in an indoor range which had a film projected urban scene where you had to shoot the baddie not the hostage type civvies. The projector stopped when you fired so you could see where you had hit on the screen.
I knew a guy in my platoon who did an ND at Hythe Ranges. He had only just been promoted to Lance Jack earlier in the month and it was gone the following week. We had our own version of the declaration. It went like this. I have no light browns or empty crates in my possession, sir!
Its very important when coming off the range not to have a pocket rocket. Sorry non service person humour. Love your army stories each and every one, merry xmas!
First experience of the range was RAF apprentice Shool ( Hereford ) back in 67. Taught how to strip, clean and fire the .303 Enfield. Next into RAF man service...yesrly GDT ( Ground defense training) now issued with a personal weapon the 7.62 SLR. First ..a morning traing in the wearing of gas mask ..session in the gas chamber. Second. Afternoon trained on the SLR..taught to fire the weapon in different positions standing ,laying, kneeling ..etc 3rd..back to the training room. Strip the weapon, clean it, and return it to the armoury. Did this every year , unless you were goimg to NI then the traing was more intense . 9mm hand gun. SMG , LMG. Plus SLR.
Royal Signals. The only live fire we did was on our annual range classification day which was a good day out. Was interested in your take on empty cases. We were issued ammunition which we had to load into magazines in different quantities. Some as small as 5 rounds. We were broken down into small parties. We had to pick up our own empties after every shoot and hand back as many empties as we had been issued live rounds. Then we made our declarations to the duty range safety officer. Timeline mid 70's. Location Tidworth ranges.
Love this channel Keith - only went on the ranges a few times as a snotty 14 year old kid in the Army Cadets at my school and on the weekend / summer camps . Our little CCF unit had the 2nd RTR cap badge who we all looked up to . Never ever saw an actual tank though despite all the promises 😂.
Did my basic training in Cattarick. It was winter, and snow! I remember my hands being do cold I couldn't feel my fingers at all. I had no choice but to p*ss on my hands! It was heaven 😅 I only fired the SLR 7.62, the 9mm Browning and SMG.
Hello again Serge, Top video, one of which I can relate to for so many reasons. The one thing you spoke about, and regrettably I was guilty of was the ND on the range, I was on the range for a whole day down at Pirbright I think it was, and it was a bright but Baltic morning, shooting in all the supported and un-supported positions, I was knocking it out the park, until I was shooting from the prone position, live 5.56 rounds, shooting 200 meters. I had a blockage shortly after changing mag. So I did the usual safety on, removing mag, clear blockage, 7 point check, ease springs. Reload mag, I had reported blockage before doing all of that. For some reason which I still don’t know why, I wasn’t on my metal as they say, re-cocked the weapon, forward assist, take the safety off and fired the weapon in a safe manner, I hadn’t been told to commence firing. All the squad were stopped immediately and asked to retreat, I was left on the range to explain my actions. Then dragged off the the control tower for the rest of the morning, and lunch time, I was told that my actions and judgment day would be in the hands of the Agitant, fortunately my second lieutenant female 😊 loved me, decided to represent me and I got fined £100 out of my pay. The upside of this whole saga is, I was allowed back on the range in the afternoon having lost my lunch break, I was made to guard 30 weapons while everyone else had a jolly good laugh at my expense. However the afternoon shooting session was moving targets at various speed and distance, and I was definitely on my metal and scored the highest score of the day. And a cosy night in the naffi with my second lieutenant , you know how is, tall beautiful blonde with blue eyes, turn the hardest of squaddy to putty 😊. Happy days.
25 metres? 25 yards! Am I showing my age? We used an indoor range at a TA centre in Romford and the long range at Purfleet. Our instructor had joined the army (Essex Regiment) in 1936 and taught us the same way that he had been taught. One memory of the range in Romford was that there was a sign with the word 'safety' neatly sign written with the word 'saftey'. I also had the 'pleasure' of shooting at Middlebrook Ranges near Penhale Sands camp. We got caught in a hail storm and all the officers were shouting that we needed to keep the rifles dry. 'Mr' Hawkins took a very keen interest in our 'musketry skills', and if one of us was getting a little bit good with just a few odd shots, he would stand behind us (we always fired prone) with his toe nestling against our chunkies. If you got 4 bulls and a miss, he would nudge us with his toe just to make his point. Probably not allowed in 2024. We all became very good at putting five in the same spot.
We done a lot of range work in the RAF Regt, vid brought back a lot of memories. Loved a range stew, couldn't get enough of it 😋 And your right, if the weather was good it was usually a good day out, maybe finishing off with some 9mm Browning practice. Halcyon days
Milton Ranges Gravesend was the first ranges I went to in basic also did Lydd & Hyhe ranges on the coast for a couple of days ……went back 3 more times 2 to do NI range package , best range I went too was STANTA in Norfolk during NI training only time in 12 years I did a range package without my waterproofs on , used to love range stew ….and 2 slices of bread and a brew out a norgie urn or a horror bag with out of date crisps in it 😂👌
I was at Gravesend sea college in the late eighties...you heard the gunfire...but the men who were going to the range were always in civilian clothing, very hush hush.
The indoor cinema range at Pirbright had two paper screens, one scrolled up / down and the other sideways. When you fired, a microphone picked up the crack and stopped the screens and a back light shone through the hole that the bullet had made. The priest and the mother and baby used to get hit a lot...
I did something similar as a TA Recruit. I jumped into a trench with the weapon still in hand. Luckily I didn't have an ND but I got a massive bollocking off the range officer and told if i did anything like that again, I was on the next bus home. No wombats in my combats was another declaration I used to hear.
The state I live in there are multiple public outdoor ranges dotted all over the place. The one I often go to has 0-50 yards, 0-100 yards and 0-500 yard targets. I try to go at least twice a month and shoot pistol, rifle and my a MP5 that I recently got.
ND:… Canadian Forces with UN in Cambodia 🇰🇭 around June/July 1993. Couple of months into our tour. I had a morning run into town to pick stuff up, got it done back around lunchtime, did lunch went to my bed space which was in the rear corner of the building. As I walked in I saw 2 new holes about chest height in the wall, said to the guys what’s with the holes?. We had a roving sentry set up every day, and this day it was “MR MY SHIT DONT STINK” (eastern Canadian 20? Yrs old) I know everyone know the type of guy I’m mentioning here. As usual sentry is boring so he starts playing with the rifle (C7 .223) safety on safety off, you get the idea, we have all done it lol. Only this numpty decides he is going to include cocking the weapon (round in the chamber) . When he got round the back of the accommodation and got to my area he decides he wants to chat to his buddy just inside the French doors to our room. While he is chatting he is still safety on safety of with his weapon, he should have unloaded it as SOP, “BUT FORGOT IT WAS LIVE” he turned to leave the room after his little chat, and did the safety off and pulled the trigger, he was so scared he pulled it a second time. Other guy walked up took the rifle from him and cleared it. When he pulled the trigger both times there were 3 guys on there beds between the shooter and my wall, “NO CASUALTIES”. “NO CHARGES” he got a stern warning not to do that again. F***ing transport unit chain of command, pretty sure there was not a spine amongst them….💂♂️🪖⛑️🏴🇨🇦
And the current declaryion still says "Queens regualtions", bit slow to update these things. Remember sitting in the butts dodging the stones and crap that would rain down when the new firers were on the line. Great video mate
Great video again Keith. I always found that the DCCT was never working properly, and I tried as much as possible to use the on camp 25m range. I think that using live ammunition over the DCCT had better results. Looking forward to the next video mate. Keep tabbing buddy.
I always used to enjoy a day in the butts with my big Stanley flask as long as I had my cups of tea I was happy in eager anticipation of awaiting tasting of the Norwegian container and trying to guess how many days old the contents where.
The Swiss use electronic scoring in their ranges. Uses microphones around the target holder to triangulate the round impact point and display on a small tv screen. Can only handle semi not full auto. Due to narrow valleys they shoot over roads in places. Discipline, prone only, and plastic tubes for shooting through ensure rounds only go over the top.
Never saw an ND myself in 25 years service with British troops, but heard about a very small number. However, on a NATO deployment, in an HQ, I had a Swedish chap in my team. Like all places, we had the clearance point, sand bags, sand piles, with a length of 100mm plastic sewer pipe to point the barrel in to clear etc next to the entry point, you know. Well more than once, we heard the muffled clang of a glock going off as said Swede did a bit of personal practice on the one metre pipe range 😂. Incredible. Good chap too, but it was always him. Many years earlier as a young gunner, I think on hythe ranges, I was in the butt party for LMG firing practice. The guy stood next to me, caught a ricochet off the sand bank, still with enough power in it to go through his combats. It only bruised him thankfully, but caused a heck of a stir. Range was closed immediately and they found that flint chunks had gradually risen up through the sand closer to the surface. Very dodgy. So many memories, more so with Javelin practice down at Manobier ranges. We managed to land a couple on Caldy Island and frighten the monks in the abby 😂. Many years later, I went to Caldy, beautiful place. Stayed there actually (different story) but I walked around the island to the beach that faces Manobier. Had a little hunt around and found various bits of blowpipe and javelin missiles. Amazing. Like all of us I could go on and on...... thank you RSM for the memories. You continue to serve in what you provide. Good job!
Someone had an ND on the range in Fingringhoe, Essex. The shot went down range and no one was hurt. The only reason they knew it was an ND was because all the targets were down at the time.
When I was at Odiham on the 25m range in the mid-90s we were popping away when suddenly there was a screech and a car came through the side fence, not an inject we were expecting! Needless to say that stopped proceedings for the rest of the day.
For me as an Infantry man, i hated the ranges. Turning live rounds into empty cases, i always thought of it as a waste of money 💰. Although i knew it was required from time to time. Your memories of the ranges were similar to mine.
In the butts with a mug of tea, stew or sandwich...pot of glue, brush and different coloured pieces of paper...rounds flying overhead...lovely day out..." I have no live rounds, empty cartridge cases or pyrotechnics in my possession sir"
As a RSM he commands more respect as he is God and the CO (colonel) only thinks he is God. But I understand your gratitude and respect for him, as we all do.
Alas, I remember it well. I eventually qualified as a firing point supervisor. I luved my shooting and I was a marksman - much to the disgust of many of my TA mates and superiors - because they were not! In the Army Cadet Force we usually fired on the older ranges and 'worked the butts'. During the long breaks we dug around in the bullet stop for fun - and a REAL bullet. I managed to find a couple of .45" Martini-Henry bullets too! Most of these older ranges are closed and flattened now. At least one is a housing estate! BTW - I repeated all those declarations verbatim - 25 years after my last range day! Watch and shoot! Watch and shoot!
Etr an gallery ranges!! Sim screens etc hiveranges is still there was on them last wknd etc bizley did of rages as i was range officer!! N the bod in charge!! 😊😊 mint video brother!! Lots of memories lol'lmao winks lol 😊😊
Ha yea.relate to that..i got an empty. 22 shell down my back.doing indoor range. .hot hot... Doing the butt's had a 7.62 round come back and hit my shoulder...luckily it lost alot of power by then but still had a big bruise for a while. Glad it didn't hit my face..... Enjoyed on the range tho..
Used to shoot at Bisley….. but while training we’d go to Whittington ranges…… we were shooting the LMG an used to change over with the sections down the Butts…… but some wally down the butts forgot his small pack….. so the officer said those due to fire were told magazine of 30 rounds load !……. Target small pack at 200yds commence firing ….well you imagine 10 lmg’s opening up on the small pack which had his mess tins mug….. packed lunch ground sheet….. there weren’t much left😂……. I hasten to add nobody from that point on left their pack in the Butts😎👌🏽
RAF Halton used to have a inside range but demo, RAF Halton have a 30m range for rifle and pistol. New people to Halton and Wendover do not the range to be used As STAB I did love the 1000m range near Oxford.
I got interviewed twice in 2016. The 1st one was just over an hour long for the Military Museum in Calgary Alberta Canada. It was about Reservist (TA) who deployed with Regular Force units can’t remember how many guy volunteered for it, but the Lcol who was doing the interviews turned them all into about a 2hr movie which had a limited release in Alberta Cinemas. I didn’t make the movie as I was the only reservist (TA) guy from the Cambodia deployment, Yugo was where most of the guys interviewed and the Lcol could not figure out how to put me in with it. First Lcol that “EVER” apoligized to me in public lol😂….. (side note my younger brother (British Army RE REG FORCE) was in Yugo around the same time. Unknown to me). (Side side note a WO2 RE who was in Cambodia actually knew my brother 33 Sqn and that’s how I found out my Brother was actually in the Army lol) 2nd video was for Chat TV station in Medicine Hat (BATUS), interview was done by officers of The Southern Alberta Light Horse (SALH) which was aired on Remembrance Day 2016. I haven’t had cable tv since 2006 so I wasn’t able to watch it on tv. A couple of years later the officer running all the equipment in the background turned up as the property manager in my condo complex, mentioned to him I never saw the interview he sent it by email, it got corrupted after a while. But I bumped into him again and he sent me a dvd which I think still works. Anyhow another long winded adventure in my mind 😂😂😂🤓🤓🤓😎😎😎….💂♂️🪖⛑️🏴🇨🇦
Reckon that range days were, for the most part, the finest example of the "hurry up and wait" syndrome. Draw weapons and ammo at dark o'clock then wait around for a couple of hours. Get on the wagons and drive to the ranges, debus and wait around for a couple of hours. Field firing ranges were much better, although a lot more knackering. Memories..
They once let me loose on a 100m range with L98 and about 21 of left-over rounds. After my session the butts reported 19 on target. I retorted that they'd failed to count the same-hole hits :) Only recall one ND (not mine) and yes - I remember the range declaration etc.
We were on the rangers freezing cold zeroing in our personal weapon in (SLR). After putting 2 warmer rounds into the bank, our sgt major told us to to put 10 rounds into the the target. After that we all dressed forward to look at the grouping, the sgnt major said to me you have missed with every round, yes sir i replied i only ment to scare the shit out of him, then in no uncertain terms told me to bollocks.
The WRVS van used to appear in Cyprus. To go with the sunshine. Anywhere, ranges to be avoided. I was posted to a TA regiment for my last four years. Fired my SMG in the first year, I volunteered my rounds thereafter to the TA chaps and chapesses, no ranges for me.
Deerpark ETR near Catterick. Although I didn't see it (I was behind the range at the time). I certainly heard it. Beyond the 300mtr targets, there's a large dip. When the range is in use. The Sheep farmer who has the field beyond the range, herds his Sheep into the dip. As I had already finished qualifying. I was at the rear, cleaning my SLR. Another group was in the Butts firing up the Range. All of a sudden. There was a mad blast of gunfire. Some of the Sheep had escaped their enclosure! You can guess the rest.
I hope they faced the full wraith of their actions. Self discipline is not only for the ranges, but in live contact situations. This is what makes a good soldier (Self Discipline. You cannot be shown this, you have to learn it, and yes, it can be very testing at times. But that is the difference between being a soldier, or an OUTSTANDING soldier). Stay safe and have good day.
Happy days - you forgot "You are reminded that it is a Courts Marshal offence to leave this range with any live or blank rounds, however, if you should find one later, hand it in to an NCO or Officer and no more will be said" :o)
@@davidkelly8299 No it was gen. Not unknown to find a stray round when unpacking kit or cleaning vehicles. We had a contraband box outside the armoury where small items could be dropped in. But on the other hand, if someone did get found with stuff at home, they could expect to visit the big house.
The .22RF HK SLR was ace, it got me on the shooting team, cant remember the full target but the head n shoulders was a type 12C........Do you have dandruff, no I use a type 12 C....what's that, heas n shoulders........Bringing memoirys back.
Nice one 59, you snuck right up on me with Wolfgang. Set up in tactical locations, noise disciple enforced. My first field ex around 10am went something like, Hey Sgt what’s with the Blue van coming towards us honking his horn. The Rumour was Wolfgang had been buying ex military radios and did the old frequency shuffle to find and active one then using military maps triangulated the units position and “Guten Tag Ich Bin” (insert the local guys name) I don’t even remember if I actually met Wolfgang but loved those Blue Vans heading towards me.💂♂️🪖⛑️🏴🇨🇦
Doing the butts on the ranges was the first experience of what effective enemy fire would sound like
Crack and Thump Lesson for Free 😊
Sobering !
My memory is terrible and I thought I must have made things up in my mind about doing the butts, till I watched this video.
Range stew.
They tried putting foil meals into norgis but hot stew plenty of bread and maybe rice pudding after Troops were happier.
I'm an ex RCO, i used to work with the Air Cadets. Our Squadron was blessed that we had our own 25yrd/m twin tube range which allowed us to use the Lee Enfield No.8 boltaction .22 rifles. The funniest part was, they were quite heavy, so the smaller cadets used to overbalance whilst in the prone position, so sandbags were always on standby. I also attended a couple of summer camps at certain RAF stations. I vividly remember the "horror" bags, we used to dish them out to the cadets! whilst the staff enjoyed Range Stew, thanks to a little visit the day before to the JNCO/Junior Ranks mess with a slab of beers for the cooks.
I was also an RCO with the Air Cadets. When I did my training course, on an RAF station and run by the RAF (a Fg Off, FS and a Cpl), the safety aspect was vividly brought home by the instructing staff. One day, after lunch, the officer was late back and apparently the worse for a liquid lunch. This officer was about to demonstrate something when the Flight Sergeant noticed something amiss with the targets. "I'll get it Flight" calls the Cpl and runs off down the range just as the officer lets go the round (LE No.4 .303). The Cpl goes down like a sack of spuds and barrels down the hill. All sorts of reactions from the students from shocked immobility to attempted murder of the officer. The round was, of course, a blank. A graphic but effective training technique that probably wouldn't be allowed today.
The met office publish their forecasts determined on range days. You knew it was going to rain on the days you were at the ranges!
Range stews were the thing. Absolutely wonderful. I had goat when working with the Gurkha's! Running an APWT on Hythe ranges in driving snow! The ETR's kept disappearing in the blizzard and the SUSAT's filled with snow. Amazingly, everyone passed. Hurrah! 😉
I swear the cookhouse would put all the leftovers into our range stews. But I loved it! Loved the steam and smell of the food when they took the lid off that norgie.
I remember SLR, converted to .22 indoor range , with film ....
👍
On the range taking part in an SMG shoot when a guy had a stoppage . The NCO shouted at him “ what’s your problem you know the drill “ then the guy turned around pointing the weapon at the NCO and all the guys behind him”. You can imagine the panic and the verbal responses . This particular guy ended up in the officers mess as a waiter or something never to be trusted again on the ranges.
Great video as ever , cheers for the memories keep safe 🎉🎉🎉
We had a WSBA (Cyprus) Garrison shooting competition. The 2nd Batt Scott Guards had not long come back (18 months) from the Falkland War. With the garrison group were a section from the RAF. First figure 12 screen came up from the 600m gallery range. The idea was the gun teams fired, then that target would be lowered then a figure 11 target would be raised.
At that point the fire team would run down range to the 400m point and the rifle section would fire.
Sadly it didn't go to plan. When the figure 11 targets were raised, the army teams ran forwards to adopt a new fire position, the RAF team opened up with both gun fire and rifle fire. I was in lane 2 so a few lanes away from them. The Scott Guards were diving for cover like I have never seen before. Some diving into the gun emplacement trenches. Many broke they legs. It was scary as shit. One of the ranger supervisor ran and kick the gun team member straight in the head and grabbed the weapon.
On the second attempt, when the screen target went down and the figure 11 went up (were everyone was meant to advance) everybody didn't move and we all looked at the RAF lads. When they got up to advance, we did, but we made sure we were behind them on the advance.
Doesn’t matter if UA-cam ever pay you a penny: your content is GOLD!
I never really liked shooting, I had a very healthy respect for firearms, despite being a good shot. I remember one time at thetford the ds emptying mags full of 5.56 blanks with the cases going into helmets!
Hullo. Hope you are well.
Two of my mates were range wardens.
One on Salisbury and one on Yoxter.
They could tell you some stories,mind. 😉
My mate on Salisbury was sat in his Landy and ran over by a tank. He survived, but was pretty shaken up.
And when the Gurkhas came in for training days, the wild life use to disappear. They never looked hungry.😉
All the best.😉👍🏾🇬🇧
BRILLIANT vid LT59 thankyou ...took me back 40 years...love the comments of the troops below😂..used to love range days...brilliant days
Glad it brought back some memories, thanks mate 👍
@@LetsTab59-bd4fd I remember on company range days if you werent in the butts or actually shooting they would have us doing Round Robin training or sometimes our PC would have each bloke stand up and giva 5 minute lecturette on any subject the bloke liked...some were lousy but some were fascinating...it was all to keep us busy and out of mischief...also it was geared to gain confidence in public speaking...great days...I had forgotten having to collect the brass😄
Great videos cheers 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thank you for the memories. Range stew in a mess tin. Couldn't beat it especially on a cold Leyburn range. Favourite range was the LMG range at Whitburn. Had a shoot off with the TA Para's which was really good fun. The Ranges are now a farmers field and the range cabins are now a housing estate (see Google Earth). The butts are still visible though and you shot out to sea! I was a terrible shot though, just barely scraping through my TOETS!
I remember the old saying in the butts. Paste up, Patch up, and Piss off.
👍🤣🤣
Brings back so many memories.
Great subject.
Never did electronic ranges, must have been fun.
Remember open ranges around U.K. and Germany (poor sheep!):
Remember pre NI ranges at Lydd & Hythe; (Red tops/ blue bottoms rail targets.🤣) and the NI video screen scene which froze when you fired to show where your round had gone. .22 SLR IIRC?
Remember the conversion kits for SLR and Sub munition Charlie G;
Remember falling plate competitions.
Working in the butts was fun especially if you rigged up a basher and got her Hexe on the go for a brew; (remember putting false marker up for platoon Sgts shoot! 😇)
Can anyone remember the small black plastic block with a mirror in it which slide over the SLR rear iron sight and allow an instructor to lay at 90 degrees to you, look into the block and see exactly what sight picture/sight alignment you were taking?
Targets down, paste up!
Wolfgang! 🤣🤣🤣 1BR 👍🏻
Sally Bash and NAAFI in U.K. 👍🏻
Witnessed a near fatal ND in NI in a gate sangar, squaddy with a 9milly! 😖
Exactly the same declarations as you’ve described.
Pyro! Defo a subject for another vid pal?
I used to love volunteering to be a lookout on the Field firing Range on Dartmoor, when the Squads were doing their Commando Course. It was brilliant in the Summer, up on the Tors, on your own with a Radio and Binoculars, Few Sarnies and a flask. Now and again the mist would drop and you had to find your own way down but that was nothing to an old hand like me😁😁. Happy days.
Brilliant comment thank you
I enjoyed my army time met some bloody good life long friends memories to last a life time for sure.
"I have no live rounds, empty cases, pyrotechnics or parts there of in my pocession sir!" all said whilst wearing a grenade ring on my smock zip! Lol. I remember endless cups of tea, smoke breaks and doubling to and from the ranges. I remember Otterburn where the devil lives and Spade Adam RAF bombing ranges practicing calling in air strikes from fast air. Competitions at grisly Bisley. Range plans, qualification shoots where Private Crap Hat had to be coaxed through and CSM Oneyeartoretirement had to be fudged through lol. I remember being wet, muddy and happy. If you appreciate us Keith it's double back at you, despite implied deformation against the Maroon machine lol 😉🏴🇬🇧
Only a civvie. Loving the talk about the food. The "Horror Bag!" lol. Thank God for Wolfgang and his sausage van. Nice to hear him get a mention again The Range Stew sounds good. Once I get rid of the last of my ageing meal prepped stir fries I will unleash my slow cooker to run off some stews for freezing. THaw one out when required and it's "job done"Fired 22 rifles in the scouts at Bucmore Park near Rochester and pistols with a club near Dartford. DOn't laugh, had a Sheridan 0.20 air rifle. it shot well and would look good on a mantlepiece. Gave it up when I moved to a flat without a garden (and next to a school)
Do you remember the pipe ranges in the city camp in Belfast, the concrete drain pipes. Great chat stag on.
Ixworth army cadets in Suffolk had a lipid range. It was the only time I have ever seen one.
Moscow camp Belfast 75 .R C T .
I was there too! 78 & 79@@northwalesmod
I do remember the pipe ranges, cheers Dave 🍻
Never had a ND, never seen a ND, but the first time on the range with live ammo, it kept crossing my mind. The scene from Clint Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge. lol
Cracking movie
Love the stories. Thanks very much
Your very welcome 🙏
I remember the first time going to the rande during training, straight into 7.62 rounds, I was very apprehensive.
We also had to do walk to contact on all terrain range with a 9mm pistol, jumping into ditches, etc.
We did use a .22 SLR, they projected a movie image on a screen and when you fired the movie stopped, they then checked where the holes were in the screen. The instructor said I frightened the enemy.
I have been in the butt's, we put those frames with the targets on up and down, but we also had targets on buttons that we had to hold in the air.
When we went for our tank training, we used a cutaway turret with a .22 gun, we fired at a sand pit with models on it. When we needed more ammunition the instructor sent someone to get more and eas asked if he need HESH or Sabot, we went to Warcop to do live firing, after listening to how much noise they made we were apprehensive, when it was our turn we waited inside for our turn, the tank next to us fired hits .303 Browning ranging gun, it was like someone hitting our tank with a sledgehammer, then the main gun went off and 52 tons of tank rocked side to side, then it was our turn and it turned out there was less noise from inside our tank than the tank next door.
When we went to the ranges with the regiment I had a misfire, went through all the rigmarole, emergency on, nothing, then wait 30 min
I got the blame, but when they opened the breach after 30 min, all the cordite fell on the floor, the loader had not pushed the bag charge fully in and sliced it open when he closed the breach.
Love your videos mate, they connect a lot of ex squaddies from all regiments and the banter is good. We all have a lot in common such as places we've served and people we've met along the way, Wolfgang now there's a blast from the past. 😂😂
Roger that
Nice one Kev, thanks for your support and all the best mate 👍
An unofficial declaration to the range officer………” I have no rockets in my pockets or Schermuleys round my goodies……Sir!”
I meant to say “ no Schermuleys round my GOOLIES……….Sir!
That's the badger
yes memorys
one time i did not shoot , and took home 4 mags 80 rounds i did not do a deckicationm lol
It’s been 45yrs since I was on the ranges you’ve bought all the memories flooding back. Like you I loved range days, ETR , running man ect all with the SLR fantastic rifle, 500yrds open sights watching the range flags aiming off a yard to get into the bull. Shot at Bisley 3 times for the battalion. Picked up a load of medals and trophies, best young soldier , gold medals for sitting match , figure twelve at 300 yards wow. Came third best shot on camp, the soldier that came first was carried around the camp in a chair on the shoulders of the Gurkha,s, thanks you’ve made my day.
I spents a ridiculous amount off time on ranges about 4 months off the year in training instruction as a unit & a shooting team competing at Bisley & the NRA meet. What I learnt from that. Was the enormous benifits it provides. Winning the army tickle shoots regularly, including a double with regular & TA. The confidence it brings. The accuracy & consistency. Not one ND for all involved. Real weather conditions. Hated the indoor stuff as you lost so much to a computer. Range stew , Gurka curries, & lots off laughs. Training has to be relevant realistic interesting & demanding. That got lost many times to cuts, poor planning & rescources reduced.
You have fantastic memory & a sense off fun. Liked your appraisal as it sums up the average experience. Thank you.
Having an AD was a serious charge.As 12 year old kids we used to sneak through the boundry fence after school onto the firing range at the Cranborne Barracks,home of the RLI-Rhodesian Light Infantry and look for ammo an also dig in the sand bunker for live ammo.I found one live 7.62 and one live 9mm rounds.Took them home put them in an old paraffin tin,nicked petrol out the lawnmower and thenput the 2 rounds in the tin with the petrol,and lit a match and ran for cover.A few minutes later 2 bangs.When i worked in the foundry i made a brass eagle wall plack from 7.62 cartriges.I was a Sapper during my NS,bangs seemed to follow me .
No joy in November on a wet windy range in North Yorkshire trying to use up all the surplus ammo. Fox ran across the top of the range and survived about twenty soldiers firing at it. In Hythe some jokers decided to shoot the wooden poles we were using to indicate the where on the target it was hit, one ricochet was a bit close in the butts. In NI the Major cocked his browning before removing magazine and discharged it into the sand on a couple of occasions requiring the sergeant to take over this clearing procedure , don't think he charged himself !
Cheers Peter 🍻
I remember being embedded with 1st Queens at Albuera Barracks at Wickede roundabout 1979 for a couple of weeks and used their miniature range using a sub calibre SLR. If I recall correctly a film was projected onto the range stop and every time you fired the film stopped and a small spot of light shone through the screen to give you an idea of where you hit.
Happy memories of the Bratty Wagen.
I remember that the 1st live hand Granade you threw down the range keeping the ring pull and putting it through the hole in your combat jacket zip pull, and being quite shocked at the load bang and shock wave from your first granade, also wasn’t much fun for the range officer to go out and make safe a granade that failed to detonate
Hi mate another great talk / tab . In the 70s I was a cadet Sgt and remember shooting the lee Enfield 303 cal at the outdoor range and working in the butts . I could shoot all day I was a big lad so the recoil didn't bother me but I wasn't to keen on working in the butts I rather be shooting . Hahahahah I was ready to join the regular army ( paras ) because of family history but my dad moved us all to Canada oh well things happened for a reason I've had a great life here in canada and now iam retired and looking at videos like yours.👍
Thanks for your support 🙏 hope you are enjoying Canada 🇨🇦 I've never been there but heard great things 👍
I was a cadet in the 80s and we did our skill at arms with a No4 and Brens and shot the .22s once every few months ,but what cheesed us off is the air cadets we're allowed to play with the SLRs and Sturlings ,yet we were the Army Cadets, I would love to find the cadet booklet we used to have ,even if I could remember what it was called ,I have no live rounds or empty cases in my possession sir lol puttys were full of them lol
Mate. You just brought back so many excellent memories on the ranges. Tea NATO, NI training at Lydd and Hythe, FIBUA and more. Loved every minute of it, even when it was cold, raining and generally minging outside. Eddie Bluhme got to ping off a LAW at a target 300 yards away. I wasn't expecting to get winded by its back fire even though I was well to the right of it. Great fun, brilliant times that I wouldn't change for anything in the world.
Wish I could remember his real name, but Pocket Rocket had a blank ND in basic training. He buggered up his seven point check and earned himself 10 days of ROPS after normal duty, but he passed out with us. The phrase Meeting Derek in Pokey became infamous. Derek was a stripped down floor polisher and he had to polis the ceiling of one of the rooms in the guard house.
Cheers Bret, glad you liked it 👍
Saying about the ranges at Ballykinlar If you can't see the mountains of Mourne, it's raining and if you can see the mountains of Mourne it's about to rain
I can agree with that.
Loving your show bruv, bringing back fond memories
Remember being on Warcop ranges with l96a1 on sniper course . 2 reg lads getting pulled for shooting on each others targets
Range stew was the boyo ,few bits of bread and brown sauce. Another trick to the gravel method was ,my mate was garbage at 300 yards I was mint and was vice Versa at 100 so used to hit each others target at them ranges
Always used to train at Bisley and it was always a sunny day and a great chance to relax. Remember when onbutt duty when sitting on the bunker bench a round hit the steel frame of the target and came into butts and ricochet and went back out again . Pretty hairy experience.
A quaranc nurse had a ND with her browning on the pistol range in Gibraltar.....and hit me in the upper left thigh!!!...(Some would say my arse) ...we stuck a field fressing on it and i was taken to the naval hospital, luckily i wasnt too badly injured. We never saw her again. Ive still got the scar now, i used to show it off in the pub when i was pissed when i was younger lol. We all got a collective bollocking because people from our unit were discussing it with other units in the naffi and around town in the evenings. I also found the pin of a smoke grenade id thrown on the fibua village....after declaring i didnt😬...a complete mistake. Ive still got that on my key ring.
In the Long Valley/Sugarloaf Hill area near the RAE in Aldershot, there are some very old unused ranges dating back to the late Victorian era.
One had high earth berms around it and you could often find musket balls, the small arms geeks will probably know the origins, possibly the rifled muskets ? Before the introduction of cartridges?
Ah ranges stew, what a delight that was!
And the Coff-Tea flavoured Norwegians.
I did see a guy in my Sqn doing apwt on Smg 25m.
Hand went up.
Stoppage
The Snco said well go on Hesh, stop hook and look.
So Hesh cocks the weapon, then rotated the weapon 180 degrees and looked down the barrel.
Snco- Hesh, place the weapon gently on the ground and stand up.
Hesh stands up.
Wham
A dig in the cakehole.
Love your up loads Keith thank you 😊LETS TAD 59👍👍👍
Your are welcome and thanks for your support 🙏
At 7' 35" you mention "pebble range". As we are from the same part of the World I suspect you are referring to the Hythe ranges. And the tented billets there, in winter the washrooms all had water pipes frozen solid. Morning wash, "Yes, I'll do what I can with what I have in my water bottle". Thanks for these great videos. Brings back great (and sometimes not so great) memories. Thanks again.
Much the same when I was there in 1984. We had to run down to the beach and make like snakes into the sea in October/November and run back 😮😊. I was that num, I couldn't feel the cold 😂, the good old days. Great at the time, but f#cked my joints. Odear what a pity never mind 😅😊.
1983/4. I can well remember doing a live shoot CQBR in Belize. We were using AR 15's, CQBR. Funny thing was, the range was a 360. A suitable area was found and a range was made. Just you and the range safety who never wondered more than a couple feet from where you were. The targets were planted everywhere. fair enough you can see a fig 11/12 face on but sideways on? you miss and walk past it, then you see it and shoot it.
I've never been in the military but stumbled upon your channel and have been enjoyably going through your videos and I thank you for the enjoyment and information that they give. You spoke about the Hythe range, we would holiday in Dymchurch during the 70's and as a small child remember hearing the 'crack, crack, crack' of the guns in the distance from where we were in the caravan park. I don't know if you ever drank in the Neptune Inn but that was the pub my family would always go into. Happy memories.
Thank you for your support. Yes I've been known for visiting the Neptune 🍻
We used to have the gallery ranges when I first joined up. (target up. targets down 7.62 SLR). then later in life as a platoon Sgt at ATR Bassingbourn we have a physical range up the road, but mostly the training was on the SAT system. I hated it.
Thank you for that. I remember in the 70s firing the presumably .22 modified SLR in an indoor range which had a film projected urban scene where you had to shoot the baddie not the hostage type civvies. The projector stopped when you fired so you could see where you had hit on the screen.
Thanks for your support Bill all the best mate 👍
I knew a guy in my platoon who did an ND at Hythe Ranges. He had only just been promoted to Lance Jack earlier in the month and it was gone the following week. We had our own version of the declaration. It went like this. I have no light browns or empty crates in my possession, sir!
😂
@@Hedgerow-Media-UK On my first promotion to Lance Jack I was told to sew the tape on with Velcro as it’s easier to lose than gain!
FAB
Ian
Its very important when coming off the range not to have a pocket rocket. Sorry non service person humour. Love your army stories each and every one, merry xmas!
First experience of the range was RAF apprentice Shool ( Hereford ) back in 67.
Taught how to strip, clean and fire the .303 Enfield.
Next into RAF man service...yesrly GDT ( Ground defense training) now issued with a personal weapon the 7.62 SLR.
First ..a morning traing in the wearing of gas mask ..session in the gas chamber.
Second. Afternoon trained on the SLR..taught to fire the weapon in different positions standing ,laying, kneeling ..etc
3rd..back to the training room. Strip the weapon, clean it, and return it to the armoury. Did this every year , unless you were goimg to NI then the traing was more intense . 9mm hand gun. SMG , LMG. Plus SLR.
Royal Signals. The only live fire we did was on our annual range classification day which was a good day out. Was interested in your take on empty cases. We were issued ammunition which we had to load into magazines in different quantities. Some as small as 5 rounds. We were broken down into small parties. We had to pick up our own empties after every shoot and hand back as many empties as we had been issued live rounds. Then we made our declarations to the duty range safety officer. Timeline mid 70's. Location Tidworth ranges.
We had .22 ranges .
Started off with ww2 lee enfield 303.
Slr,
Sa80 came much later after my discharge cold war defence cuts RN.
Love this channel Keith - only went on the ranges a few times as a snotty 14 year old kid in the Army Cadets at my school and on the weekend / summer camps . Our little CCF unit had the 2nd RTR cap badge who we all looked up to . Never ever saw an actual tank though despite all the promises 😂.
Cheers Johno glad you like the videos mate 👍
Did my basic training in Cattarick. It was winter, and snow! I remember my hands being do cold I couldn't feel my fingers at all. I had no choice but to p*ss on my hands! It was heaven 😅 I only fired the SLR 7.62, the 9mm Browning and SMG.
Range stew lovely!!!!!
Can't beat a Neil Diamond!!!!
Hello again Serge, Top video, one of which I can relate to for so many reasons.
The one thing you spoke about, and regrettably I was guilty of was the ND on the range, I was on the range for a whole day down at Pirbright I think it was, and it was a bright but Baltic morning, shooting in all the supported and un-supported positions, I was knocking it out the park, until I was shooting from the prone position, live 5.56 rounds, shooting 200 meters.
I had a blockage shortly after changing mag. So I did the usual safety on, removing mag, clear blockage, 7 point check, ease springs. Reload mag, I had reported blockage before doing all of that.
For some reason which I still don’t know why, I wasn’t on my metal as they say, re-cocked the weapon, forward assist, take the safety off and fired the weapon in a safe manner, I hadn’t been told to commence firing.
All the squad were stopped immediately and asked to retreat, I was left on the range to explain my actions. Then dragged off the the control tower for the rest of the morning, and lunch time, I was told that my actions and judgment day would be in the hands of the Agitant, fortunately my second lieutenant female 😊 loved me, decided to represent me and I got fined £100 out of my pay.
The upside of this whole saga is, I was allowed back on the range in the afternoon having lost my lunch break, I was made to guard 30 weapons while everyone else had a jolly good laugh at my expense.
However the afternoon shooting session was moving targets at various speed and distance, and I was definitely on my metal and scored the highest score of the day.
And a cosy night in the naffi with my second lieutenant , you know how is, tall beautiful blonde with blue eyes, turn the hardest of squaddy to putty 😊. Happy days.
Cheers Nick, good comment and cracking story with a nice ending 👍
Nice one Nick.
25 metres? 25 yards! Am I showing my age?
We used an indoor range at a TA centre in Romford and the long range at Purfleet. Our instructor had joined the army (Essex Regiment) in 1936 and taught us the same way that he had been taught. One memory of the range in Romford was that there was a sign with the word 'safety' neatly sign written with the word 'saftey'.
I also had the 'pleasure' of shooting at Middlebrook Ranges near Penhale Sands camp. We got caught in a hail storm and all the officers were shouting that we needed to keep the rifles dry.
'Mr' Hawkins took a very keen interest in our 'musketry skills', and if one of us was getting a little bit good with just a few odd shots, he would stand behind us (we always fired prone) with his toe nestling against our chunkies. If you got 4 bulls and a miss, he would nudge us with his toe just to make his point. Probably not allowed in 2024. We all became very good at putting five in the same spot.
Yes Purfleet, a wind sweeped desolate place. Always cold enough to freeze the balls of a ball-bearing 😊.
We done a lot of range work in the RAF Regt, vid brought back a lot of memories. Loved a range stew, couldn't get enough of it 😋
And your right, if the weather was good it was usually a good day out, maybe finishing off with some 9mm Browning practice.
Halcyon days
Slick move Keith enemy contact!😅
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Milton Ranges Gravesend was the first ranges I went to in basic also did Lydd & Hyhe ranges on the coast for a couple of days ……went back 3 more times 2 to do NI range package , best range I went too was STANTA in Norfolk during NI training only time in 12 years I did a range package without my waterproofs on , used to love range stew ….and 2 slices of bread and a brew out a norgie urn or a horror bag with out of date crisps in it 😂👌
I was at Gravesend sea college in the late eighties...you heard the gunfire...but the men who were going to the range were always in civilian clothing, very hush hush.
The indoor cinema range at Pirbright had two paper screens, one scrolled up / down and the other sideways. When you fired, a microphone picked up the crack and stopped the screens and a back light shone through the hole that the bullet had made. The priest and the mother and baby used to get hit a lot...
Do remember “Polly Perks” Ex Coldstreamer rip everyone off 50p for a MARS Bar when they 15p in the Naafi ? Ha Ha
I did something similar as a TA Recruit. I jumped into a trench with the weapon still in hand. Luckily I didn't have an ND but I got a massive bollocking off the range officer and told if i did anything like that again, I was on the next bus home.
No wombats in my combats was another declaration I used to hear.
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The state I live in there are multiple public outdoor ranges dotted all over the place. The one I often go to has 0-50 yards, 0-100 yards and 0-500 yard targets. I try to go at least twice a month and shoot pistol, rifle and my a MP5 that I recently got.
ND:… Canadian Forces with UN in Cambodia 🇰🇭 around June/July 1993. Couple of months into our tour. I had a morning run into town to pick stuff up, got it done back around lunchtime, did lunch went to my bed space which was in the rear corner of the building. As I walked in I saw 2 new holes about chest height in the wall, said to the guys what’s with the holes?. We had a roving sentry set up every day, and this day it was “MR MY SHIT DONT STINK” (eastern Canadian 20? Yrs old) I know everyone know the type of guy I’m mentioning here. As usual sentry is boring so he starts playing with the rifle (C7 .223) safety on safety off, you get the idea, we have all done it lol. Only this numpty decides he is going to include cocking the weapon (round in the chamber) . When he got round the back of the accommodation and got to my area he decides he wants to chat to his buddy just inside the French doors to our room. While he is chatting he is still safety on safety of with his weapon, he should have unloaded it as SOP, “BUT FORGOT IT WAS LIVE” he turned to leave the room after his little chat, and did the safety off and pulled the trigger, he was so scared he pulled it a second time. Other guy walked up took the rifle from him and cleared it. When he pulled the trigger both times there were 3 guys on there beds between the shooter and my wall, “NO CASUALTIES”. “NO CHARGES” he got a stern warning not to do that again. F***ing transport unit chain of command, pretty sure there was not a spine amongst them….💂♂️🪖⛑️🏴🇨🇦
Enjoyed the walk ,goid for the soul and buck she , i liked it at Sealand on rrange with the good old SLR .those were the days of my life 👍
Right on
And the current declaryion still says "Queens regualtions", bit slow to update these things. Remember sitting in the butts dodging the stones and crap that would rain down when the new firers were on the line. Great video mate
Thanks for commenting and your support mate 👍 it's very much appreciated 👍
Great video again Keith. I always found that the DCCT was never working properly, and I tried as much as possible to use the on camp 25m range. I think that using live ammunition over the DCCT had better results. Looking forward to the next video mate. Keep tabbing buddy.
I always used to enjoy a day in the butts with my big Stanley flask as long as I had my cups of tea I was happy in eager anticipation of awaiting tasting of the Norwegian container and trying to guess how many days old the contents where.
I only turned up for the all in stew, enough said. 😊
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The Swiss use electronic scoring in their ranges. Uses microphones around the target holder to triangulate the round impact point and display on a small tv screen. Can only handle semi not full auto. Due to narrow valleys they shoot over roads in places. Discipline, prone only, and plastic tubes for shooting through ensure rounds only go over the top.
That was my REG m8t iknow all them ranges an PLACES ur on about brother 😊
Hey Jay me old mucker, was hoping you would pop up in the comments, always great to hear from you 👍
Never saw an ND myself in 25 years service with British troops, but heard about a very small number. However, on a NATO deployment, in an HQ, I had a Swedish chap in my team. Like all places, we had the clearance point, sand bags, sand piles, with a length of 100mm plastic sewer pipe to point the barrel in to clear etc next to the entry point, you know. Well more than once, we heard the muffled clang of a glock going off as said Swede did a bit of personal practice on the one metre pipe range 😂. Incredible. Good chap too, but it was always him. Many years earlier as a young gunner, I think on hythe ranges, I was in the butt party for LMG firing practice. The guy stood next to me, caught a ricochet off the sand bank, still with enough power in it to go through his combats. It only bruised him thankfully, but caused a heck of a stir. Range was closed immediately and they found that flint chunks had gradually risen up through the sand closer to the surface. Very dodgy. So many memories, more so with Javelin practice down at Manobier ranges. We managed to land a couple on Caldy Island and frighten the monks in the abby 😂. Many years later, I went to Caldy, beautiful place. Stayed there actually (different story) but I walked around the island to the beach that faces Manobier. Had a little hunt around and found various bits of blowpipe and javelin missiles. Amazing. Like all of us I could go on and on...... thank you RSM for the memories. You continue to serve in what you provide. Good job!
Bless you sir.
The old pen through the patch on the target when in butts 🤔 ( No you never did that did we )😁
A friend in the Butt's, very important
Someone had an ND on the range in Fingringhoe, Essex. The shot went down range and no one was hurt. The only reason they knew it was an ND was because all the targets were down at the time.
When I was at Odiham on the 25m range in the mid-90s we were popping away when suddenly there was a screech and a car came through the side fence, not an inject we were expecting! Needless to say that stopped proceedings for the rest of the day.
For me as an Infantry man, i hated the ranges. Turning live rounds into empty cases, i always thought of it as a waste of money 💰. Although i knew it was required from time to time. Your memories of the ranges were similar to mine.
Cheers Stuart, much appreciated mate 👍
Must be said, train hard, fight easily. That was a great asset to most of us in a live contact situation.
Another great vid. Mintu Wanta (My units moto)
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In the butts with a mug of tea, stew or sandwich...pot of glue, brush and different coloured pieces of paper...rounds flying overhead...lovely day out..." I have no live rounds, empty cartridge cases or pyrotechnics in my possession sir"
Did find a belt of blanks hidden under a burnout stalwart. On Salisbury plain.near imber village .Wasn't that a surprise. Keep up the great work Keith
Any tales from operation banner? Love the channel colonel thanks all.
As a RSM he commands more respect as he is God and the CO (colonel) only thinks he is God. But I understand your gratitude and respect for him, as we all do.
@davidkelly8299 lol well said great channel very refreshing
@@davidkelly8299 Amen.
Alas, I remember it well. I eventually qualified as a firing point supervisor. I luved my shooting and I was a marksman - much to the disgust of many of my TA mates and superiors - because they were not! In the Army Cadet Force we usually fired on the older ranges and 'worked the butts'. During the long breaks we dug around in the bullet stop for fun - and a REAL bullet. I managed to find a couple of .45" Martini-Henry bullets too! Most of these older ranges are closed and flattened now. At least one is a housing estate! BTW - I repeated all those declarations verbatim - 25 years after my last range day! Watch and shoot! Watch and shoot!
Remember the officers 1 mtr range, or as we called it, the unloading Bay lol
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Another fine post. Always a reminder to ranges visited over the years. Sent you an email, hope its of some use.
Got it! I've emailed you back 😀 awesome mate 👍
Etr an gallery ranges!! Sim screens etc hiveranges is still there was on them last wknd etc bizley did of rages as i was range officer!! N the bod in charge!! 😊😊 mint video brother!! Lots of memories lol'lmao winks lol 😊😊
Cheers Jay, all the best mate 👍
Ha yea.relate to that..i got an empty. 22 shell down my back.doing indoor range. .hot hot... Doing the butt's had a 7.62 round come back and hit my shoulder...luckily it lost alot of power by then but still had a big bruise for a while. Glad it didn't hit my face..... Enjoyed on the range tho..
What about the stew!!!😂😂😂 Jhon, that was the important bit. Sorry, you were very like.
Used to shoot at Bisley….. but while training we’d go to Whittington ranges…… we were shooting the LMG an used to change over with the sections down the Butts…… but some wally down the butts forgot his small pack….. so the officer said those due to fire were told magazine of 30 rounds load !……. Target small pack at 200yds commence firing ….well you imagine 10 lmg’s opening up on the small pack which had his mess tins mug….. packed lunch ground sheet….. there weren’t much left😂……. I hasten to add nobody from that point on left their pack in the Butts😎👌🏽
I was going to suggest you do one of the ranges Keith. Hope you've covered off range stew!
Oh yes, Range Stew a favourite
RAF Halton used to have a inside range but demo, RAF Halton have a 30m range for rifle and pistol. New people to Halton and Wendover do not the range to be used As STAB I did love the 1000m range near Oxford.
I got interviewed twice in 2016. The 1st one was just over an hour long for the Military Museum in Calgary Alberta Canada. It was about Reservist (TA) who deployed with Regular Force units can’t remember how many guy volunteered for it, but the Lcol who was doing the interviews turned them all into about a 2hr movie which had a limited release in Alberta Cinemas. I didn’t make the movie as I was the only reservist (TA) guy from the Cambodia deployment, Yugo was where most of the guys interviewed and the Lcol could not figure out how to put me in with it. First Lcol that “EVER” apoligized to me in public lol😂….. (side note my younger brother (British Army RE REG FORCE) was in Yugo around the same time. Unknown to me). (Side side note a WO2 RE who was in Cambodia actually knew my brother 33 Sqn and that’s how I found out my Brother was actually in the Army lol) 2nd video was for Chat TV station in Medicine Hat (BATUS), interview was done by officers of The Southern Alberta Light Horse (SALH) which was aired on Remembrance Day 2016. I haven’t had cable tv since 2006 so I wasn’t able to watch it on tv. A couple of years later the officer running all the equipment in the background turned up as the property manager in my condo complex, mentioned to him I never saw the interview he sent it by email, it got corrupted after a while. But I bumped into him again and he sent me a dvd which I think still works. Anyhow another long winded adventure in my mind 😂😂😂🤓🤓🤓😎😎😎….💂♂️🪖⛑️🏴🇨🇦
"TARGETS WILL FALL WHEN HIT"!
Did a range management course had to be the worsted course in the British Army glad when that was passed and back to the Battalion
Reckon that range days were, for the most part, the finest example of the "hurry up and wait" syndrome. Draw weapons and ammo at dark o'clock then wait around for a couple of hours. Get on the wagons and drive to the ranges, debus and wait around for a couple of hours. Field firing ranges were much better, although a lot more knackering. Memories..
They once let me loose on a 100m range with L98 and about 21 of left-over rounds.
After my session the butts reported 19 on target. I retorted that they'd failed to count the same-hole hits :)
Only recall one ND (not mine) and yes - I remember the range declaration etc.
We were on the rangers freezing cold zeroing in our personal weapon in (SLR). After putting 2 warmer rounds into the bank, our sgt major told us to to put 10 rounds into the the target. After that we all dressed forward to look at the grouping, the sgnt major said to me you have missed with every round, yes sir i replied i only ment to scare the shit out of him, then in no uncertain terms told me to bollocks.
The WRVS van used to appear in Cyprus. To go with the sunshine.
Anywhere, ranges to be avoided.
I was posted to a TA regiment for my last four years. Fired my SMG in the first year, I volunteered my rounds thereafter to the TA chaps and chapesses, no ranges for me.
7th 👍 Australia 🇦🇺 🔥 23:00 hrs
Deerpark ETR near Catterick. Although I didn't see it (I was behind the range at the time). I certainly heard it.
Beyond the 300mtr targets, there's a large dip. When the range is in use. The Sheep farmer who has the field beyond the range, herds his Sheep into the dip. As I had already finished qualifying. I was at the rear, cleaning my SLR. Another group was in the Butts firing up the Range. All of a sudden. There was a mad blast of gunfire. Some of the Sheep had escaped their enclosure! You can guess the rest.
I hope they faced the full wraith of their actions. Self discipline is not only for the ranges, but in live contact situations. This is what makes a good soldier (Self Discipline. You cannot be shown this, you have to learn it, and yes, it can be very testing at times. But that is the difference between being a soldier, or an OUTSTANDING soldier).
Stay safe and have good day.
@@davidkelly8299 I've no idea of the detail of the outcome. However. I did hear that the farmer was compensated for the loss of the Sheep.
Nice to know Armadaon. Thank you for taking the time and trouble, to get back to me, thank you and have a great day😊.
Happy days - you forgot "You are reminded that it is a Courts Marshal offence to leave this range with any live or blank rounds, however, if you should find one later, hand it in to an NCO or Officer and no more will be said" :o)
Ye right 😮😊. I think, that wouldn't be good to put it to the test.
@@davidkelly8299 No it was gen. Not unknown to find a stray round when unpacking kit or cleaning vehicles. We had a contraband box outside the armoury where small items could be dropped in. But on the other hand, if someone did get found with stuff at home, they could expect to visit the big house.
Why are you wearing your warmers on an 8 miler?
I'm old and cold 😆
The .22RF HK SLR was ace, it got me on the shooting team, cant remember the full target but the head n shoulders was a type 12C........Do you have dandruff, no I use a type 12 C....what's that, heas n shoulders........Bringing memoirys back.
Nice one 59, you snuck right up on me with Wolfgang. Set up in tactical locations, noise disciple enforced. My first field ex around 10am went something like, Hey Sgt what’s with the Blue van coming towards us honking his horn. The Rumour was Wolfgang had been buying ex military radios and did the old frequency shuffle to find and active one then using military maps triangulated the units position and “Guten Tag Ich Bin” (insert the local guys name) I don’t even remember if I actually met Wolfgang but loved those Blue Vans heading towards me.💂♂️🪖⛑️🏴🇨🇦