Interrogation awareness or resistance training
 

Learned contributors,
I am interested to learn what training or information was made available to aircrew on the "V" Force or R.A.F.G. during the Cold War, with regard to interrogation techniques likely to be faced in the event of capture and what if any training was provided to enable a crew member to resist or deflect any interrogation?
Thanks for your time and trouble.
Be lucky
David
"The Avgasdinosaur "

Say nothing Baldrick!

I cannot answer that question......well someone had to say it!

"Don't tell him, Pike!"

just sit them in front of a PC and tell them they're on PPRuNe, some of them'll spill their guts.....:eek:

S-D

Ask Merv Astles about his 'combat survival' course.

TQ as part of training or selection, rightly, was not made public.

Never underwent any training of this nature during my period of aircrew service (1969-77) but I think it was standard practice in RAFG at the time. I understand it wasn't pleasant, but as I said, that's only what I heard, no personal info to impart.

All aircrew underwent rigorous sea survival drills before starting their tour. Thereafter deterrent crews were too precious to risk losing any due to illness or injury.

Very occasionally a very small number took part in realistic survival training where they

The rest of the crews were given regular briefing on conduct after capture and a day time only practice in setting up for land survival. As this was more akin to a picnic I am forbidden of saying any more.

I remember one briefing in 1972 where the CSRO was given some stick, sorry Robin.

S-D, curiously, in 12 years on the lecture circuit this question has never arisen. Now it has been asked in different ways twice in a !month not counting the double post here.

I can't speak for the RAF guys, but most USN/USAF guys had to complete SERE training (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape). I went thru twice. World wide media seems to condemn such training today as literally "torture". It was certainly very unpleasant but I would not begin to describe/label it as torture.

One must assume that this form of training did not cease at the end of WWII but was on going long before the formation of the V force and enhanced by lessons learnt in Korea and Vietnam.
All I know is that the Lincoln crews were given maps for walking home as most of their targets were beyond their point of no return.

I presume from these posts that Mountbatten no longer does it? I can't say any more.

PP, we were certainly shown a Korean war film which included many well known faces. There was also a USAAC film set in Italy I think with two main threads. The enemy would try and divide the crew and suggest the officers were cooperating and getting better treatment. The second was accept any benefits offered - cigarettes, food, drink etc.

As far as the Cold War I don't recall any similar films and minimal training for perhaps obvious reasons.

Mountbatten was sold some years ago and converted to a civilian housing development.

Defence Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Extraction (SERE) Training Organisation (DSTO) has been at RAF St Mawgan for many years now.

It combined the RAF Survival School (relocated from Mountbatten in 2008), the RN Survival School and the Resistance Training Wing.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafstmawgan/a...retraining.cfm

Email Andy McNab or his agent - he will tell you.

[QUOTE=Pontius Navigator;9765731]All aircrew underwent rigorous sea survival drills before starting their tour.

No we didn't, we got pissed the night before, went out on a launch with a hangover, jumped in the sea, struggled to get in an MS 5 or 9 or whatever, got hit by the swell of the boaty thing and went back to Mountbatten for more beer before going to learn how to breathe at RAF Norrh Luffenham.
They did give us a cerificate for our logbooks saying that we had 'with fortitude' or something survived the course !

I recall my father describing a briefing he was given about being required to say nowt if he were to be captured by the Russkies...
"Sir, I will talk so much that they won't believe me"

They wouldn't have believed the performance of my operational type! :E