Way Back When

This is from way back in the Spring of 1982 during my Trade Training in Leicestershire, so fourty one and a half years or so ago. I think I’d only just met Carole (for the second time, but first as an adult) back then.

If I recall the exercise correctly, we wore this get-up for almost a week and it was anything but fun; full NBC (Nuclear Biological & Chemical) suit with respirator. Eating and drinking in it was a nightmare, as were other bodily functions. It was the height of the Cold War with the USSR and NATO baiting each other and the Falkland War just about to start. One hell of a rifle though the SLR.

Thanks for dropping by

[John Falconer]

It looks very very uncomfortable.

[Olwynne]

I doubt I could last a ay in that getup. All credit to you

[haskar]

For me this is a depressing picture. Wars are not created by those who die in the fields.

[Phil Sandford]

@johnfalconer It really was.

[Phil Sandford]

@haskar as a soldier for 24 years I’m fully aware that all wars are the result of failed politics.

[Carole Sandford]

Thank goodness you never had to wear it “in anger”.

[Phil Sandford]

@carole_sandford Agreed. Many of my colleagues wore these for weeks on end in the desert in both Gulf Wars. Thankfully in ‘my war’ the Serbs, Croats and Bosnians didn’t resort to those kinds of weapons.

[Babs]

Must have given quite a few people in Leicestershire a bit of a scare.

Just showed this to David and it brought back memories for him too.

He said you take the least relevant member of the group, tell him to take off his respirator and if he is still alive in 10 minutes you can take yours off and have a smoke.

[Joan Robillard]

Took me aback for a moment in light of current world situations.

[gloria jones]

This photo is the reality of then and now.

[Kathy A]

How awful for you.

I've had to don a mask like that at work on occasion, thankfully not for any longer than an hour

[Phil Sandford]

@onewing Wasn’t quite removing the respirator, that would have been inhumane. It was the sniff test; 2 people walk out and stand facing each other, 1 of them breaks the seal of the respirator by their chin and takes 2 deep breaths and then reseals the respirator. The 2nd person then watches the other, through the eye pieces for signs of symptoms of nerve agents, blood agents etc. After 10-15 minutes you can remove respirators. There are machines that do it now, but I guess there were back then - human machines.