Hmm..

Canadians + Plod = any opportunity to claim compensation IHMO

...that said, the use of "silver sound units" as training aids is not to be condoned!

As a result of the loss of crown immunity, I am franky suprised we are allowed to use anything much more than a party popper in training these days (held at arms length, wearing appropriate PPE, having passed the appropriate course, submitted a written hazard evaluation and formulated, submitted and having had approved an appropriate safe system of work...)

On the other hand, reducing your audience to a gibbering mass, terrified of touching anything or even breathing and with ringing ears is probably not the best way of setting up an appropriate or receptive environment to impart knowledge about IEDs..!


Fun though!

Meanwhile in China..........

China soldiers pass 'live grenade' in training exercise - YouTube

Not explosives as such...but the old compo tins of sugar were great fun when thrown onto a fire. As the sugar inside heated up and melted the tin would usually give way and burst open at one end. The can would then fly off on a jet of hot burning sugar to a distance of 100m.

Apparently, according the SSM, civpol and the camp commandant, the bang could be heard over a mile away.

While observing such entertainment (from a distance of about 10m) I felt a slight burning sensation on my neck but being suitably numb after umpteen beers I thought nothing of it. Six months later a small piece of compo tin shrapnel worked its way out...



Rodney2q

Originally Posted by Tinman74

Also vaguely remember some biff hitting a fuse gripped in a vice?

indeed - the film to which you refer is an 80s' classic - "The Stupidity Factor" presented by Shaw Taylor!

My university mates and I used to play tricks on eachother by breaking into eachother's rooms, and rigging them with party poppers in unusual places. There was a time when I could barely open a wardrobe door or drawer without cringing for fear of getting a facefull of paper ribbons.

For real jolly explosive japes, try visiting an Israeli range. I remember watching in horror as a range technician who was burning off cordite artillery propellant in bigs lots inside upended hollow shells (which resulted in a satifying whooomp, and massive flare stack) walked back to one that hadn't gone off after less than a minute, and stuck his head over the top to have a look...I really was expecting A Wile E. Coyote moment as he tapped the damn thing to see what was going one!

In a similar vein I guess...

Originally Posted by Danny_Dravot

indeed - the film to which you refer is an 80s' classic - "The Stupidity Factor" presented by Shaw Taylor!

Any link??

Originally Posted by toryboy

In a similar vein I guess...

Ended in tears, as they always do!! Big Bang tho!!

I am surprised more Alberts have not posted on this? I've shied away from a lot of the explosives horseplay myself although I did manage to get some of the training area turf to fly over Dingers head once.
On the subject of horseplay, I met a retired Gunner who was something like the range warden on the sub-calibre range in Tidworth, as he told it to me...

“He asked an AT if there was a way he could make a cake explode for his sons 18th birthday. The AT gave him 2 simulators and said 1 to test on a cake and 1 for Ops. The birthday came, the family were in attendance, in an 18x24 in the back garden, and the cake with lit candles was on the table. The trial run seemed all too much like hard work so he had just put both simulators into the cake. He called his son over and said to blow out his candles, the son leaned in to blow...

The explosion was apparently quite loud, the cake was evenly distributed around the inside of the tent (so everyone got some), ears were ringing and there were aunties with babies in arms with cake splattered up the sides of their heads”
He told me that he was not flavour of the month but his son has never forgotten his 18th!!!

Not horse play but bad timing on the C.O.
Was in charge of the SPALS for a NBC range, all set up with then to' burst over the trenches at a godo height, covering the shooters in agent. No worry except the CO decider to' visit and was very late, very very late.
So when the range started , and the RSM was showing the CO how it went, behind the trenches, and I was given the signal to' "Fire" I did,
Shame the first charge was by now wet and only sent the bottle and bursting charge just over the RSMs head, he was ok as he was wearing a skid lid and hearing protectors but he was very wet.