Royal Marines recently entered a vast underground complex beneath a Wiltshire town for a training exercise.
Royal Marines from Juliet Company of Plymouth-based 42 Commando work in small teams on Royal Navy warships and they are also the home of the Fleet Contingency Troop (FCT) – experts in a range of security missions and the UK’s only force trained in opposed boarding operations (known as Level 3 (Opposed)) outside of Special Forces.
The Ministry of Defence say that the FCT have been training in the subterranean world of Corsham Tunnels, below the town of Corsham near Bath.
“The complex of tunnels became a facility for the potential relocation of the government in times of crisis during the 1950s with the threat of nuclear war looming large.
These days, parts of it are a useful training area; a place where the commandos can push themselves in the art of close-quarters combat, testing their well-rehearsed tactics, techniques and procedures to quickly assess and deal with threats in even the trickiest of environments.
This is all ahead of deployment to the Mediterranean to join their 42 Commando comrades from Support Company – plus elements from 40 Commando, 47 Commando and 30 Commando IX – as the future of commando forces is shaped on the Littoral Response Group (Experimentation) deployment this autumn.”
Hang on! Wasn’t this reported a couple of weeks ago? George??
Yes, we discussed it mate. I had doubts they were using Corsham. I was wrong. Wonder where abouts they used, the area is so big.
I recall the other article was 43 Commando.