The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

IainWR wrote:Many thanks to 33 EOD Regt who walked the ground to deal with any UXO that was turned up. I understand that they were not required, but the work couldn't have been done without them. Iain

Ian Just out of interest what was the likelihood of UXO being present other than SAA, or was it part of a standard risk assessment ?.

I don't know. None of this was my area (other than as a shooter banging on about the need to cut some trees to make the range fairer). Bisley has been used for training with section and platoon weapons - the odd thump from the danger area as a long-lost mortar round detonated was quite common in the fires up to about 2000. There was very little or none in the last major fire, but that's not proof that there is nothing left to go bang.

During my ten years, four 'devices' were found, one, behind the British Pistol Club was declared 'inert' by an ATO after half the camp was cordoned off.

Big Jim will tell you about the time he hit a phosphor mortar round which ruined the digger bucket and, in his words, 'scared the out of him!'

The Fire Service won't go into the area behind Stickledown Butts and although, as Iaian says, none went bang during the last fire, I was never tempted to take long walks out of known cleared areas.

A plan to put ETR targets in the area forward of 800x was abandoned on advice from the EOD guys.
They had planned to come and clear it for us as a training exercise but they said they were too busy elsewhere!

The area was cleared, I'm told, to a depth and degree to make it safe for tractors for about ten feet either side of the Stickledown road.

When we had the last fire, all the fox-holes and trenches were exposed at the back of BSG, as did various unidentified lumps of rusty metal.


As Iaian also says, just because you can't see it; doesn't mean it's not there.

John25 wrote:metal.
As Iaian also says, just because you can't see it; doesn't mean it's not there.

I know that only to well, I have a vested interest as I served with 33 for 5 years, and have a morbid curiosity for all things buried and bangy .
It is interesting and shows the various uses of the areas over the years.

I'm surprised there's that much UXO on a rifle range!!! That's the last time I go for an, ahem, scenic wander around the fringes of the camp.

On a similar note, apparently some of the ditches around the less well visited areas of the camp were used to "lose" various components by RFDs in bygone days. No idea if that's true.

rox wrote:

Pictures are up on our facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/NRAUK?ref=ts&fref=ts

Heather

HeatherW762 wrote:

rox wrote:

Pictures are up on our facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/NRAUK?ref=ts&fref=ts

Heather

Lovely pics, there was loads of rotor from the big trees at 800yds when the prevailing wind was present, will the venison like the new look heathland ?

The deer might like it, but the old dears in Bisley Villiage might not like the extra noise coming from Pirbright!

Pssst! you left two it seems :roll:

The left of Stickeldown now looks like my head

- very sparsely populated!

Them wot can shoot will still win.

Them wot can't have just lost an excuse that's all!