No4 (T)s in Belfast '72

[brown dog]

Just saw this. Sharing, both because I think it's a great photo, and because I was surprised to see No4s in use in 1972

 2nd Fd Regt RA, Belfast 1972: RSM in centre.

[Roy W]

Strangely Brown will be along in a minute, he was there!

They must be true 'Long Range Snipers!'

[brown dog]

Mick probably took the pic!

[Hobbit]

A great photo

I am reading Steve Houghton's "The British Sniper" at the moment, a Christmas present.

https://www.swiftandboldpublishing.co.uk/the-british-sniper-a-century-of-evolution/

It covers the SMLE rifles through to the AI AW's via the No.4 T and then L42

There is an interview with a NI deployed Marine from 1972 who explains that the No.4 was being replaced by the L42 at that very time '72 and both still existed in his company.

The book covers in detail the kit and tactics and the forces behind their development, key personalities and first person anecdotes / diary entries as well..A great book if you like that sort of thing.

[Roy W]

On 1/2/2021 at 8:46 PM, brown dog said:

Mick probably took the pic!

Nah, he'd have been on his resettlement by 1972! 😂

[Strangely Brown]

Late to the party as always...

Brown Dog; I'll see your 1972 and raise you a 1978! 

 

[Dellboy]

4 hours ago, Strangely Brown said:

Late to the party as always...

Brown Dog; I'll see your 1972 and raise you a 1978! 

 

whats the scopes on the No 4's ?

 

[Roy W]

They are no.4T rifles so the scopes will be No.32 scopes. By then I would expect they had all been upgraded to Mk3's 

[Popsbengo]

For the enlightenment of an ex- Scaley;  why did the RA deploy as 'close observation' duties in NI ? 

 

[Strangely Brown]

12 minutes ago, Popsbengo said:

For the enlightenment of an ex- Scaley;  why did the RA deploy as 'close observation' duties in NI ? 

 

By the time this had happened the regiment had done at least three tours and lost one lad, I guess we were ready for close ops? 

[brown dog]

1 hour ago, Popsbengo said:

For the enlightenment of an ex- Scaley;  why did the RA deploy as 'close observation' duties in NI ? 

 

RA and RAC deployed in NI inf role all the time throughout the 'troubles', and when doing so, delivered all the same inf capabilities/roles; so if a COP was part of that particular deployment's ORBAT, a COP would be formed, just as people would be roled/trained for low risk search etc.  RA and RAC were pretty unique for deploying in inf role, as everyone else deployed 'in role'  .. ie engrs went in engr role, loggies in log role, scaleys in scaley role etc

[Popsbengo]

5 minutes ago, brown dog said:

RA and RAC deployed in NI inf role all the time throughout the 'troubles', and when doing so, delivered all the same inf capabilities/roles; so if a COP was part of that particular deployment's ORBAT, a COP would be formed, just as people would be roled/trained for low risk search etc.  RA and RAC were pretty unique for deploying in inf role, as everyone else deployed 'in role'  .. ie engrs went in engr role, loggies in log role, scaleys in scaley role etc

We had Scaley street patrols as well as doing Sigs core work.  I was a Bruin tech specialist so never left Germany (I think this is why Russia never invaded 😉) but many mates toured through NI.  Thank goodness that's all behind us - it would be terrible to see a rise of a similar form of sectarian terrorism in the USA.

[brown dog]

5 hours ago, Popsbengo said:

We had Scaley street patrols as well as doing Sigs core work.  I was a Bruin tech specialist so never left Germany (I think this is why Russia never invaded 😉) but many mates toured through NI.  Thank goodness that's all behind us - it would be terrible to see a rise of a similar form of sectarian terrorism in the USA.

Yep, my point was at unit / bn level;  ie no scaley/engr/log etc regt ever deployed as a formed NI inf bn; but was normal-jogging for RA / RAC.  We sometimes backfilled with non-capbadge or attached capbadges, eg, in the COP pic, a Cfn and a couple of Cpls (probably from regtl wksp) are part of the pl.

Bruin line made me laugh!😂😊

[Strangely Brown]

At the risk of going off topic; the platoon sergeant is the anchor who bubbled me to the WRAC girls in the Grand Central Hotel in 1973. 

It started when one of the girls asked if I could print a negative of her and some young gunner standing guard on a segment gate, which naturally I did. What she didn't know was that I also printed off the other negatives of her and her mates having a pillow fight in their undies.

Once printed up I sent the lot down to the Mission Hall in the lower markets to go on the notice board; the CO and his bodyguard (the bloke that became platoon Sgt) came down for a visit and he recognised the girls concerned. 

The bollocking has stayed with me after 48 years. I can still hear my TC saying; not only have you let me down, the battery down more importantly you have let yourself down.

And people wonder why I never made lance jack! 

[brown dog]

54 minutes ago, Strangely Brown said:

At the risk of going off topic; the platoon sergeant is the anchor who bubbled me to the WRAC girls in the Grand Central Hotel in 1973. 

It started when one of the girls asked if I could print a negative of her and some young gunner standing guard on a segment gate, which naturally I did. What she didn't know was that I also printed off the other negatives of her and her mates having a pillow fight in their undies.

Once printed up I sent the lot down to the Mission Hall in the lower markets to go on the notice board; the CO and his bodyguard (the bloke that became platoon Sgt) came down for a visit and he recognised the girls concerned. 

The bollocking has stayed with me after 48 years. I can still hear my TC saying; not only have you let me down, the battery down more importantly you have let yourself down.

And people wonder why I never made lance jack! 

😂😂

[Roy W]

5 hours ago, brown dog said:

Yep, my point was at unit / bn level;  ie no scaley/engr/log etc regt ever deployed as a formed NI inf bn; but was normal-jogging for RA / RAC.  We sometimes backfilled with non-capbadge or attached capbadges, eg, in the COP pic, a Cfn and a couple of Cpls (probably from regtl wksp) are part of the pl.

Bruin line made me laugh!😂😊

My first tour was 1987 (RE), which was a construction tour where we built a new HQ for 14 Int, along with RUC Police Stn builds in Plumbridge and Rosslea.

We were on Ballykelly base with 2 Grenadier Guards. They were short of numbers and asked us if we could supply some PAX to assist them. We gave them a section, who went off in Guards berets, did some basic trg and spent a few weeks trogging around the south.

It was a hard choice for many.....................laying some blocks, bit of concreting, some painting then knock off, into the bar that was built in week 1 and attend the NAAFI for the weekly stomp along with the local female 'Coleraine Commandos' ..............OR...............live rough on compo, trogging over the countryside in the wet winter pretending to know what you were doing!

Needless to say, there were not many volunteers!