FLAG OFFICER SEA TRAINING 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron
Squadron provides essential answers
L
AND vehicles and deep, salty water do not normally mix.
But a small group of people in a picturesque corner of North
Devon might disagree. People like Mickey Niblett, who is typical of those who work RM Instow, home of 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron. The fabricator/welder has been at Arromanches Camp for 23 years, and has a track record in sorting out such problems. Broken engine part? Again, no problem – Mickey and colleagues like vehicle technician Steve Parkinson can between them design and fashion it in a trice, because they represent a valuable resource – practical skills allied to vast experience. That extends to a rapid design and build of armour for raiding craft for Iraq (one bootneck later sought Mickey out and shook his hand, saying Mickey’s work had saved his life in an explosion), boat-style fenders for JCBs or even marker buoys for exercises on the beaches. “It isn’t necessarily all that clever, but it is 40 years of experience,” said Mickey. As the OC 11(ATT) Sqn, Maj Mark Woosey RM, said: “My civilians are brilliant – they have fantastic knowledge, and their longevity is immense too. “The corporate knowledge is
unlike anywhere else I have been. This place does not forget. “Someone might suggest something, and someone else will say ‘You can’t do that – we tried that 15 years ago and it didn’t work then...’” The squadron has 54 people on its staff, of which 14 are military (13 RM, one RN), each adding a unique range of experiences to the services offered by the subunit of Plymouth-based 1 Assault Group RM (1 AGRM). And the pioneering outlook reflects the history of the base, created in 1942 as part of the Combined Ops Experimental Establishment (COXE). The focus at Instow was the Allied invasion of Europe, and the area – straddling the estuaries of the Taw and Torridge – was ideal because of the variety of coastline in a small area. And it is this variety (“every type of coast we use as Royal Marines is represented around here except ice, coral and mangrove swamp,” said Maj Woosey) and the sheltered waters that makes Instow an ideal base for specialised training. There are several strands to the work carried out by 11(ATT), grouped around equipment trials and training staff on how to maintain and operate the vehicles upon which the success of an amphibious landing depends. Most of those strands use the
l Instow’s Beach Recovery Vehicle emerges from the dip tank
‘dip tank’ to prove that vehicles and drivers can handle the crucial period between disembarkation from a landing craft and reaching dry land – “we make sure that vehicles can cross the water gap,” said Maj Woosey. A typical project would see a military vehicle brought in for waterproofing assessment, allowing it to operate through deep water (a watertight vehicle would float, rendering it difficult or impossible to move or steer). Projects Officer Paul Sherratt said: “If a vehicle is needed to enter service with the Royal Marines it comes down here for formal acceptance trials.” Paul explained that such a project could involve creating prototypes for kits to attach to the vehicle, working either with the base’s own workforce or in concert with industry – the squadron has a proud record in finding answers that can be used beyond the military sphere, acting as a trials facility for manufacturers. “Our JCBs are in the water longer than just about anyone else’s, so we can provide useful tips to the manufacturer,” said Maj Woosey. A fording depth of 1.5m (almost 5ft) is the NATOrecognised starting point, which a waterproofed Land-Rover will cruise through with relative ease. By designing a waterproofing kit, the squadron can upgrade a ‘weatherised’ vehicle – instead of having to apply grease and fit special parts before each dunking, most of the waterproofing is built in, saving time. There are beneficial spin-offs, too, such as the draught marks – Plimsoll lines for vehicles – which are being added to the Viking fleet, ensuring it is trimmed when ‘swimming’.
l Instow-designed armour on a Mk3 Rigid Raider (above) and a Land Rover goes through deep water (below)
And it is not just vehicles – they have waterproofed a Bowman radio compartment on a vehicle, and a 105mm gun. The squadron’s Training Wing trains maintainers in the art of waterproofing and maintenance of deep-fording kit, and also hosts associated elements of Defence driving courses. “We teach people how to use the equipment,” said Maj Woosey. “We train them in the dip tank, dry then wet, then on a sheltered beach by day, then by night, finally on to a beach with surf – progressive training. “My team are experts. We do it safely and progressively, teaching them to waterproof them and drive them off.” The camp’s main building is part workshop, part training area, and there is a teaching block, galley and a 60-berth accommodation unit for students. As well as the waterproofing, Instow also runs courses in the operation and care of plant, aimed at the RM Assault Squadron ABU (amphibious beach unit) fleet, which would normally deploy from the assault ships HMS Albion and Bulwark. This might be JCBs, military tractors or specialised tracklaying equipment, all designed to prepare the beach for offload from the ship and to keep it open under attack. The third set of courses – eight weeks long – revolves around the considerable bulk of the Hippo Beach Recovery Vehicle (BRV). This 50-tonne behemoth will recover any vehicle the Corps owns, and can push a 240-tonne landing craft off a beach or straighten it in a tricky surf. It can operate in water almost 3m (10ft) deep and, as only four of them were built (one
each for the assault ships, one spare and one with 11ATT for training) the Instow team are the acknowledged experts on their operation and maintenance, as well as producing bespoke replacements for broken parts. “They are based on a Leopard tank, and they are an amazing piece of kit. We love them,” said Maj Woosey. The squadron also supports the work of 10 Training Squadron, based at RM Tamar in Plymouth, which generates the coxswains and crews for landing craft and raiding craft. That support ranges from providing vehicles and staff to practise beach assaults to adding their local knowledge of tides, shorelines and conditions to those running landing craft navigation and seamanship exercises. Tidal factors and the intensity of the course mean that training is undertaken round the clock – “you could see someone pushing a broom around the hangar floor, but at 2am he could be manning the BRV in support of these courses,” said Maj Woosey. The Bosun in Command at Zeta Berth, a mile up the Torridge, is Peter Moore, who served in the Falklands Conflict as a Royal Marine and is now cox’n for all trials craft. Peter, a former junior bugler who retrained as a commando, rising to Warrant Officer, brings a wealth of experience, which is particularly exploited in support of 10 Training Sqn and the activities of 11ATT’s Craft Trials Wing. The squadron is also the Navy’s specialists in small craft trials – “the Navy Command HQ authority for all surface manoeuvre research, development, trials and acceptance...” From the two-berth pontoon,
usable by larger craft for five hours around each high tide, trials on such diverse matters as electronic navigation for small boats (it is difficult to use a satnav-style screen when a boat is bouncing around), systems to damp down vibration (which can be debilitating to crew) and remote weapons systems have been carried out in recent months. But the team – supplemented by a military crew to handle the landing craft – could just as easily be looking at the smallboat requirements of the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, welding experimental skegs on to a landing craft hull, the capabilities of a part-air-cushion fast landing craft, or new electric and diesel outboard engines for patrol boats. “You will not hear ‘I can’t do it because I am on my lunch break’ – that is not the attitude here,” said former RAF aircraft fitter Sid Kyte, who has been with the squadron in various roles since 1998. Sid added that as well as welcoming some 350 students in 2013-14, on courses ranging from three days to nine weeks, they also helped out civilian communities where possible – particularly the Isle of Lundy, in cases of storm damage or emergencies such as a fire. “We have had landing craft full of cows and sheep at times,” he said. There is a great sense of satisfaction in the squadron at a job well done, whether an engineering fix or a group of newly-trained personnel. “We might start with complete novices, but they go back out of the gates pretty au fait with the jobs,” said Sid.
l One of 11ATT’s plant vehicles proves its seaworthiness
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Call the team on 023 9262 8677 – or email: navypers-restpa@mod.uk 14 : APRIL 2015
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