Army to recover bodies from Didcot

[NutLoose]

Talk about getting the sh*t jobs, and it begs the question why when there are dedicated professionals whose job is to carry out these type of operations in the uk, hell we even send experts abroad to earthquake zones, it rather sounds like using the military as canon fodder, I understand the desire to recover the poor guys, but does anyone else wonder the logic of sending troops in, that are not really trained for the task.

Army Sent In To Recover Bodies Of Didcot Victims (http://news.sky.com/story/1709120/army-sent-in-to-recover-bodies-of-didcot-victims)

Army personnel are being drafted in speed up the search for the three victims, after it was ruled too dangerous last month.

The deployment comes weeks after the search was called off after it was ruled too dangerous to proceed.

In a statement last month, the company in charge of the site, RWE npower, said the remainder of the structure was considered "unstable."

It has been suggested that the rest of the building should be brought down in a controlled explosion before the start of a renewed recovery operation.

Thames Valley Police said the deployment of military support had been approved by the Home Office and Ministry of Defence.

What ever happened to risk assessment?

[Rhino power]

The report I heard on the radio earlier, suggested that the army personnel being drafted in had 'specialist equipment', whatever that may be, so maybe not just Cpl.Bloggs and his/her mates rummaging round in the rubble with gay abandon, oblivious to any remaining risks...

-RP

[Danny42C]

Rhino power,

Wouldn't put money on it. Recalls the times at Leeming, when we all donned white overalls and gumboots (?) and trailed off to Dishforth, equipped with Geiger Counters, to scour the airfield for the radioactive sources with which it had been "seeded".

Danny.

[Wensleydale]

http://www.rememberingscotlandatwar.org.uk/Accessible/Image/GetImage/360/-/8d15cca3-4e5a-45d9-9a71-6370ef5455de.jpg


suggested that the army personnel being drafted in had 'specialist equipment'

[Herod]

Poor Bloody Infantry (again)

[Cows getting bigger]

More like the Pioneer Corps.

[parabellum]

Would like to know just which units of the Army are being deployed.


The REME have heavy recovery teams, usually for tanks etc. equipped with a variety of machinery. The RE have an assortment of cranes, bulldozers and other lifting equipment. If it is just people to lift and carry etc. then the options are greater. Without knowing anything of the problems involved my money would be on a mixed unit of RE and REME plus Pioneers.

[Wensleydale]

...or some students from Sandhurst on a leadership project....

[Archimedes]

Radio Oxford often has the editor of Demolition News (or whatever the professional trade journal is called) on to discuss the ongoing recovery.

From what he has been able to find out, he suggests that the support will be in the form of kit such as Wheelbarrow, so as to remotely lay charges to bring down the remaining structure of the collapsed power hall.

From what I can make out from the fairly detailed discussions heard on the Radio (involving other demolitions experts as well as the chap from Demolition News) the problem is that of recovering the remains; if they were not there, then the remnants of the power hall would've be brought down by now, with their fall being directed upon the extant rubble pile. Clearly, to do that would complicate recovery of the bodies.

They thus need to place the explosives very precisely, and the speculation is that the specialist military support may be seeing if the Wheelbarrow (EOD, not garden variety, obviously) can get into a position where it can use its extensible arm to precisely lay the explosives required; from what I recall, the latest version's extensible arm can lift about 150kgs.

Equally, as parabellum has said, it might be heavy recovery, but the demolition contractors who have taken over the task from the original company appear to be well provisioned with that sort of equipment themselves.

[NutLoose]

Thanks Archimedes, that makes a whole lot of sense and what the article missed out. One just hopes the families do not have much longer to wait to get closure.

[Tankertrashnav]

To bring you guys up to date, there is no such thing as the Pioneer Corps now, it was absorbed into the Royal Logistics Corps in 1993, along with the RAOC, RCT, AAC etc. I'm guessing this would be a job for the RLC (Really Large Corps as it is sometimes known) in conjunction with REME Recce Mechs as referred to by Parabellum.

[Two's in]

TTN -

To bring you guys up to date, there is no such thing as the Pioneer Corps now, it was absorbed into the Royal Logistics Corps in 1993, along with the RAOC, RCT, AAC etc. I'm guessing this would be a job for the RLC (Really Large Corps as it is sometimes known) in conjunction with REME Recce Mechs as referred to by Parabellum.

A common typo and oft repeated to write AAC instead of ACC. The easy way to remember is one Corps consists of very unfit people whose day job revolves around terrible food, and the others are Cooks.

[rvusa]

Is there a possibility of using helicopters? There, that gives the thread at least a hint of military aviation content!

[Jumping_Jack]

Pioneers were disbanded some time ago......:hmm:

[Tankertrashnav]

A common typo and oft repeated to write AAC instead of ACC.

Thanks for the correction, Two's In, and I liked the aide memoire :ok:. I should also have remembered that ACC stood for Aldershot Concrete Company!

[ExGrunt]

So plus ca change,

Whenever there is the short end of a ****ty stick that nobody else wants it is time to call out the troops.

Separately, while it is traditional to take the rip out of the slop jockeys, in fairness to them I have seen them produce some excellent meals out of a No1 burner 'T'

As cookie says in zulu: "Do you know what it is like to make soup for a hundred men in this heat?"

When they were given their freedom on formal occasions they have produced food as good as, if not better, than I have had in some michelin starred restos. I particularly remember the individual hand made sweets produced for ladies nights.

I suppose that has all gone in these days of pay as you starve.

Anyway, I am off to dust off my old 3 Shock Army orbat as that appears to be coming back into vogue.

EG

[Martin the Martian]

Is there a possibility of using helicopters? There, that gives the thread at least a hint of military aviation content!

Well, you can see Didcot from RAF Abingdon-um, Dalton Barracks. Oh, still no military aviation content. Well, I guess there may be a Chinook or Puma passing by at some time...

[dervish]

The Air Cadets have nothing to do at the moment.

[Slow Biker]

I once did a lot of work with the RAOC/RLC and the Royal Engineers. One thing I learnt from that is give the Army a job and they will get it done.

[gijoe]

I once did a lot of work with the RAOC/RLC and the Royal Engineers. One thing I learnt from that is give the Army a job and they will get it done.

The gold in this pile of...

[Union Jack]

Thanks for the correction, Two's In, and I liked the aide memoire . I should also have remembered that ACC stood for Aldershot Concrete Company! -TTN

....and that REME stands for "Rough Engineering Made Easy"...:

....and, may I add, all credit to everyone working on this sad and difficult task.

Jack

[parabellum]

No Jack, REME = Royal Engineers Minus Education! ;)

[kaitakbowler]

My three contacts with the REME, totalling 5 1/4 years, led me to refer to them as Real Experts @ Making Excuses.

In jest of course.

Didn't half wind up the ASM though.

PM

[Tankertrashnav]

Not forgetting

Run
Away
Somebody's
Coming

and

Rob
All
My
Comrades

;)

[mopardave]

.....or
Real
Cool
Truckers


and another version of RCT that I shan't repeat!

[Wensleydale]

My favourite was to amalgamate the Royal Irish Fusiliers with the Royal Air Force Regiment ....to become the RIFRAF Regt.

[fin1012]

I drive past this site most days and don't envy anyone the task of clearing it up. The best of luck to anyone involved and stay safe.

[MPN11]

Having finally got round to reading the thread, I realise that it's Didcot, not Deepcut. :=

A nasty task for those involved - I wish them well.

[Danny42C]

Wensleydale (#26),

At the ATC School at Shawbury, we had a nice chap (Liaison Officer) from the Civil Side to keep us up to speed on that side of the business. But his employers changed titles several times (I forget the order in which they did so).

One was "Department of Civil Aviation"; he was CAVLO (I think) on his office door.

Another was "Civil Aviation Authority; he was CATLO.

But he drew the line with the "Board of Trade" - BOTTLO !

Danny.

[ralphmalph]

Nut loose,

How complementary you are as to the work conducted by our services...

[mopardave]

not sure why the fire service aren't involved......they now have dedicated urban search and rescue teams? Would've thought they'd be working with the army on this?

[Roadster280]

While the RPC was subsumed into the RLC in 93, the pioneer trade continued at 23 Pioneer Regt RLC and 168 Pioneer Regt RLC until 2014. ARRC Sp Bn at Imjin Bks also had many pioneers.

I don't know if the pioneer regiments' disbandment simply meant the remaining pioneers were made redundant, or whether they were allowed to serve out their engagements on other duties.

From experience, they were not the sharpest tools in the shed, but would give you the shirt off their backs. I enjoyed serving with them (HQ ARRC).