Quote:
Originally Posted by
Just This Once... 
Those of us that experience the IRA attacks against service personnel, both here in the UK and in Germany, will recall that our duty was to be killed whilst bravely unarmed. Apparently being unarmed made us better, or something…. although I never paid much attention to the rambling briefs that tried to explain it all. I guess we were just grateful when they actually issued ammunition to the 'armed' guards.
I cannot see the UK ever arming off-duty military personnel. Carrying a weapon on a UK base in an operational theatre in the last 2 wars only came after armed attacks(!).
In the early 70s, after an armed IRA unit was believed to be heading for the area, the airmen patrolling RAF Manston were issued with pickaxe handles.
Brize they took them off us, and gave us empty muskets on the gate, then they were going to issue live rounds, but what followed was the muskets being removed and the good old pickaxe being returned.
I remember while we had muskets some unfortunate civi contractor turfed up and during a security check of his vehicle an air pistol was discovered, poor sod had obviously left it there for a long time as it wasn't in the best of condition, but he ended up spread eagled in the rain on the deck with a musket to his head bricking himself. Eventually he was sent to sit on the naughty step before being told to take it home and not to bring it back..
Personnel in NI were armed when in civi's and off base, as the theory goes you are not off duty, so is there a difference?