Royal Marine Commando Snipers

[Sully]

Chas, when I was in the snipes course involved 'just' fieldcraft and marksmanship - as you say to an extraordinarily high standard. A FOO party (artillery spotter team) would normally be provided by 29 Cdo RA or 148 Bty and aircraft fire control missions would be directed by FAC or TACP teams of signallers from HQ&Sigs Comms Troop. It's probably been re-jigged since then but I don't think snipers would ever be trained to do these things as it's not something you can do on the fly - you need the kit and the TACP stuff (for example) is 'kin heavy

[Chas]

Sully,

Thanks interesting post. Point taken. However
when doing similar course I was instructed
on bringing in fire support on local coy net.
Comms were however very basic and nothing
like those of today. I played at Sennybridge,
1959. Hawker Hunters if my memory serves me
correctly straffing for effect/demo to our immediate
front. Nothing like today but talk about shock and awe
this little piglet was impressed and was shitting bricks
over the co-ordinates.

Chas.

[Artist]

Sully,

Thanks interesting post. Point taken. However
when doing similar course I was instructed
on bringing in fire support on local coy net.
Comms were however very basic and nothing
like those of today. I played at Sennybridge,
1959. Hawker Hunters if my memory serves me
correctly straffing for effect/demo to our immediate
front. Nothing like today but talk about shock and awe
this little piglet was impressed and was shitting bricks
over the co-ordinates.

Chas.

Well remember the old Hawker Hunter Chas. I lived at an RAF base called West Raynham in North Norfolk as a Kid. We had 54 Sqn and 1 Sqn both flying the Hunter.

As to Snipers being taught the role of FOO's & FAC's. I wasn't, but as all Bootnecks are taught how to give fire orders to the RA or the unit MFC's a quick request to your unit's HQ CP for aide from the CAP or NGS would and could get the required result. All you needed to do was give them a Map reference and the rest would happen ASAP.

Artist

[Chas]

Artist,
Maj. David Langley MC., RM Coy Cdr on net
with 88 set. We with 4 channel 31 set. One
send and receive button. Just give our own
six figure grid ref and then enemy location
with their grid and estimated range. 31 set
range was 3 miles with extended aerial 9 ft.
Via his 88 set at Coy HQ he would call in the
support. All very basic. Langley was Coy Cdr
at the Perce officer school on exchange. He
always pitted RM officer cadets against Perce
and was a bloody hard taskmaster. Took 3
rounds in Malaya, won his MC and as a gravel
belly claimed the CTs' grouping was piss poor.
Chas.

[JR]

Heyup Chas!,The mention of Major D Langley MC brushed away some cobwebs,Lt D Langley MC as he was back in the mist of time was with X troop 40 Commando RM when he won his MC in the January of 1952 in one of the last actions of the 3rd Commando brigade in Malaya before the move back to the Middle East (Malta).
Two sub sections led by Lt Langley were operating in waist deep mangrove swamp when the two sub sections came under Bren gun fire,and as you well know Lt Langley was wounded and two Marines killed.

RIP Cpl J.C.Ireland and Mne C. Alexander.


As a point of interest Lt Langley MC was the officer who received the Queens Colour from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh when the three units of the brigade were awarded colours.

Lt Langley MC also coached the unit shooting team and went on to win the coverted British Troops Egypt command shooting trophy.

Sorry about hi-jacking the thread, but always been bit of a piratical b'stard
Aye JR

[Chas]

Respect JR to your generation and all those Royals.
Just a tad and a half older than me.
There a 4 in our village and one ex SBS who is your age
and was invalided out. He could eat me for breakfast since
he is about 6'4" and 18 stones. We all imbibe together!
My eleven years including R was a mere dog watch.
Never to be forgotten though