Page 40 - Bugle Issue 20 Autumn 2022

6 RIFLES
The facility has over 2km of tunnels
A Tuesday night with a bang.
Riflemen from D Coy 7Pl (Truro) were treated to a drill night with a difference in
May after being given a time and a place to assemble on a Tuesday night with uncertainty and mystery as to what the evening may contain. The un-named facility in mid Cornwall is frequently used by UKSF, the Met Police
and other organisations as a testing ground for kit, weapons, ballistics, explosives and predominantly heavy breaching.
We were taken to an old quarry and greeted by an enormous block of steel re-enforced concrete three metres high and
a metre thick! Within the block was a gaping hole big enough to get a man through. We learned how the heavy breaching troops
from Poole had been practicing on it over
the previous few days. A combination of drilling, thermic lances and plastic explosives had created a successful breach through a ridiculously robust wall. Next to the successful breach was a previous failed attempt where the troops quickly learned they needed to drill deeper and use less explosive to create an accessible entry point.
Next, we were issued with mining helmets and torches and prepared to go underground. A brief history lesson revealed that this place used to be a ‘skunk works’ for Cornwall’s once mighty mining industry, testing heavy drilling and tunnelling equipment many years ago. With over 2km of tunnels under the surface, it has now become a perfect place to practice explosive entry.
Members of 7Pl together with facility staff
With no need to clear airspace and
with the blasting mostly sub-surface,
it doesn’t draw any public attention
and remains fairly secret. Mark, an
ex-miner with 30 years’ experience,
showed us round with every member
of the platoon having to sign in on a tag board to ensure no-one was left behind at the end. As we were led through the mine Mark pointed out the walls, which are built in preparation for breaching and to order, with every construction method from across the globe available.
It was explained that heavy breeching
is not as glamourous or glorious as it may seem, and that when the troops are ‘on
the clock’ they often work in unpleasant conditions, total darkness, extremely hot temperatures, full breathing apparatus, toxic fumes and excessive noise from the rock drills. Sometimes working for hours at a time. It was described as ‘medieval.’
After the fascinating tour and stories, it was our turn to do some blasting. We were led into a blasting chamber and were shown two types of cutting charge, one that looked like
a bell you would find on reception in a hotel. It was a shaped charge designed to destroy the biggest of locks. Using C8 plastic explosive it sends a jet of copper at ridiculous velocity through anything placed upon it. In our case a solid block of steel the same size as a small shoe box stood vertically.
The other was a long cutting charge, again using plastic explosive and a copper jet, the charge was encased in plastic about half a
Detonators fitted, the platoon retreated out of the mine and closed the blast
doors. A quick tag board check
confirmed we didn’t leave anyone behind. The staff armed the firing
mechanism and one lucky Rifleman was selected to blow the charges.
Instruction received from the facility staff, Rfn Hugo Heard was our trigger man. After a verbal warning ‘BLASTING!’
he unhooked the safety catch and depressed the trigger button.
The sound was enormous, followed by the
vibration through the ground and minutes later by vast amounts of dust. It was awesome! After the dust cleared, we ventured back underground to check our work. We found
half the steel plate around 30m away from
the firing point and the steel block now had a perfect hole all the way through it and into the mine concrete floor! Both cut surfaces were now copper coloured and still hot to the touch.
A very interesting evening’s training, eye opening as to the capability of explosives, and the world of heavy breaching.
Cpl Tom Wonnacott
The aftermath of one of the cutting charges which passed through the steel block with ease, and into the concrete floor of the mine
Detonators fitted, the platoon retreated out of the mine and closed the blast doors
One half of the blasted steel plate, note the copper colouring
40 RIFLES The Bugle
meter long and was placed on 20kgs of inch steel plate on the floor of the mine.
Cpl Tom Wonnacott and ‘trigger man’ Rfn Hugo Heard with the two halves of the blasted steel plate
THE BIG BANG