You had a De Lorean?
I'm afraid not, souped up Opel Senator and very good drivers.
You had a De Lorean?
BRIXMIS turned up at 38 Sqn once with some interesting toys they’d picked up on a Soviet Dems range and they wanted an opinion.
One was a fuze from a piece of naval ordnance (identified by the ATO), the other was an ITALIAN anti personnel mine, the VS-50. What was even more interesting was that it was a very rare anti-handling version. We had no idea where they got them from.
Six years later I was employed on ‘outside areas’ in Kuwait. Saddam had left quite a few VS-50 there. He could have gifted a sample to the Sovs.
Here’s a pic of the VS-50 from the IWM site:
![]()
BRIXMIS turned up at 38 Sqn once with some interesting toys they’d picked up on a Soviet Dems range and they wanted an opinion.
One was a fuze from a piece of naval ordnance (identified by the ATO), the other was an ITALIAN anti personnel mine, the VS-50. What was even more interesting was that it was a very rare anti-handling version. We had no idea where they got them from.
Six years later I was employed on ‘outside areas’ in Kuwait. Saddam had left quite a few VS-50 there. He could have gifted a sample to the Sovs.
Here’s a pic of the VS-50 from the IWM site:
![]()
Did you ever use any cars that would not stand out, trabbies and wartburgs etc ?I'm afraid not, souped up Opel Senator and very good drivers.
Did you ever use any cars that would not stand out, trabbies and wartburgs etc ?
park the big wheels up and swap to low key ?
@bob_the_bomb & @Brotherton Lad
This is absolutely fascinating stuff, I'll look forward to BLs book.
A question on the VS-50 and indeed similar stuff you pick up.
How risky was it picking up UXB/Ordnance? Clearly we're all told not to pick stuff up out on the ranges, indeed squaddies have been killed picking up bomblets etc on Ops.
So its difficult enough when you actually recognise what you are picking up. Did you have a "safe box" in the boot or similar or was it a case or wrap it in a blanket and hope for the best?
I know on the ForcesTV piece they were hunting ERA, which is essentially a big lump of HE, albeit pretty insensitive. But fuses, dets, mines, those can be fairly unpredictable.
Any preference between the Gibson book or Geraghety?I'm already in a book. Called Tim, not my real name. Dave B picked up the ERA box.
Sensitive stuff I found would be parked in a wood and picked up on the way back home and stuck in the boot.
I'd place a marker on the fence and then it was 10 metres into the trees on the other side of the lane.
Any preference between the Gibson book or Geraghety?
I read the opening of the Gibson book on Amazon, its pretty gripping stuff.
I think I would have felt safer on the ground in XMG!
Was the Sov sample of minimal metal spec?
@bob_the_bomb & @Brotherton Lad
This is absolutely fascinating stuff, I'll look forward to BLs book.
A question on the VS-50 and indeed similar stuff you pick up.
How risky was it picking up UXB/Ordnance? Clearly we're all told not to pick stuff up out on the ranges, indeed squaddies have been killed picking up bomblets etc on Ops.
So its difficult enough when you actually recognise what you are picking up. Did you have a "safe box" in the boot or similar or was it a case or wrap it in a blanket and hope for the best?
I know on the ForcesTV piece they were hunting ERA, which is essentially a big lump of HE, albeit pretty insensitive. But fuses, dets, mines, those can be fairly unpredictable.
@bob_the_bomb & @Brotherton Lad
This is absolutely fascinating stuff, I'll look forward to BLs book.
A question on the VS-50 and indeed similar stuff you pick up.
How risky was it picking up UXB/Ordnance? Clearly we're all told not to pick stuff up out on the ranges, indeed squaddies have been killed picking up bomblets etc on Ops.
So its difficult enough when you actually recognise what you are picking up. Did you have a "safe box" in the boot or similar or was it a case or wrap it in a blanket and hope for the best?
I know on the ForcesTV piece they were hunting ERA, which is essentially a big lump of HE, albeit pretty insensitive. But fuses, dets, mines, those can be fairly unpredictable.
The statue is Neptune.The building in the background is the Dom, on Museum Island in what was the Soviet Sector. It is a Protestant Cathedral, seen here (1980) undergoing restoration. I was told that it was where Goering got married. Not sure what the statue arrangement in the foreground is.
View attachment 541078
A 360 degree tour can be seen here:
360° virtual tour of the dome | Berliner Dom
Himmlisch – mittig – Dom: Die Oberpfarr- und Domkirche zu Berlin in der Mitte der Stadt. Besichtigung, Gottesdienste und vielfältige Veranstaltungen.www.berlinerdom.de
Thanks - I was wondering why it was where it was. I'm sure the answer is in Google!The statue is Neptune.
Thanks - I was wondering why it was where it was. I'm sure the answer is in Google!