Stray artillery shell from Salisbury Plain Range falls near railway line

[K Macdonald]

A Ministry of Defence investigation is under way after an artillery round went way off course on Army firing ranges just north of Salisbury Plain.

The round landed at Patney, near Devizes, 300 metres from the Paddington-Penzance railway line, leaving a crater six feet in diameter and two feet deep.

Original story: Western Daily Press

A Ministry of Defence investigation is under way after an artillery round went way off course on Army firing ranges, flew over two Wiltshire villages and exploded after thudding into a farmer's field.

The round landed at Patney, near Devizes, 300 metres from the Paddington-Penzance railway line, leaving a crater six feet in diameter and two feet deep. Farmer Andrew Snook told last night how he heard a tremendous bang far louder than the usual sound of distant firing practice on Salisbury Plain.

"There was a lot of heavy firing going on and this one blast did really make me wince," he said. "I thought, that's close and people in the village said they thought it landed right next to the farm."... (read more)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A Ministry of Defence investigation is under way after an artillery round went way off course on Army firing ranges just north of Salisbury Plain.

The round landed at Patney, near Devizes, 300 metres from the Paddington-Penzance railway line, leaving a crater six feet in diameter and two feet deep.

Original story: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/...y.html?ito=email_newsletter_westerndailypress

:eek:

Flamingo - you haven't given any penalty fares or anything to any Sergeant-Majors recently have you?

 

[Parham Wood]

That is quite some way from Salisbury Plain! Many years ago we had one land in Market Lavington but that was in the allotment at the foot of the plain not 2km from it as the Patney one.

 

[tsr]

Finally. An ideal line to cascade the Pacers to.

 

[Jones]

" bet I can hit that train....."

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Finally. An ideal line to cascade the Pacers to.

I knew that someone would finally find some useful use for these monstrocities. I was a bit peeved that they were not given a useful railway role to play just near the Dawlish beach area recently..:roll:

 

[Jones]

From "Defence images"

Reserve soldiers of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry have spent their weekend training with Challenger 2 main battle tanks and RAF Chinook helicopters on Salisbury Plain for Exercise Spring Warrior.

For the first time in more than a decade the unit teamed up with RAF. Their joint mission with air crew from 27 Squadron RAF Odiham was co-ordinate the delivery by air of personnel and their Wolf Scout Land Rovers.

TA a bit rusty on map reading?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

TA a bit rusty on map reading?

If it is the TA, remember this is the same TA that will now be assuming a far greater role in terms of combat than before, according to HM Government.

 

[asylumxl]

Conspiracy theorist in me says those responsible worked in the bus industry...

 

[Jones]

If it is the TA, remember this is the same TA that will now be assuming a far greater role in terms of combat than before, according to HM Government.

And a brilliant job they're doing. Absolute faith in their abillity.

This incident happened on a Wednesday so turns out it was the regular guys who tried doing some long range track work.

 

[ECML180]

Conspiracy theorist in me says those responsible worked in the bus industry...

Impossible, or else there would be at least 3 shells at once after waiting this long

 

[Lockwood]

I'd say "Union bosses would have a heart attack if they found their members were at risk of being shelled by the army whilst working"

But that may be too soon

 

[Kite159]

Just another day in the office for the Worms playing TA

Incominggggg

 

[kevconnor]

Does quite remind me of this clip from Yes Prime Minister.

http://youtu.be/DUzRJfAc-HU

 

[Jones]

Does quite remind me of this clip from Yes Prime Minister.

http://youtu.be/DUzRJfAc-HU

Prefer the one about the dog stuck on Salisbury plain

 

[Monty]

It was regular army responsible for the foul up, the Reservists (it's not the TA anymore ) were using Challenger 2 tanks and as good as the tank is, it's main gun can't shoot that far. Apparently I read the shell was as much as 5km off target.

 

[Butts]

Finally. An ideal line to cascade the Pacers to.

Perhaps combined with an Air Strike this would "retire" the pesky blighters once and for all

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's not the TA anymore

This renaming is naught but a cynical Government ploy to sneak them into far more operational duties..

 

[ExRes]

Somebody used 'the wrong charge' so I expect he/she will be on the wrong charge fairly swiftly

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-26586271

 

[K Macdonald]

It appears the Royal Navy didn't want to be left out.

A Royal Navy warship torpedo was accidentally fired into a dockyard wharf, it has emerged. HMS Argyll was on a "training exercise" at Devonport dockyard in Plymouth when the torpedo "unexpectedly jettisoned onto the wharf", said the Royal Navy.


BBC news.

Whoops! Left hand down a bit, number one.

The now-vital LSWR line from Plymouth to Bere Alston (and soon to be Tavistock again) goes through Devonport. Was this a pre-emptive strike by the ghosts of the GWR?

 

[ainsworth74]

Well, at least the RN was only jettisoning a training round rather than a live shell!

 

[Flamingo]

:eek:

Flamingo - you haven't given any penalty fares or anything to any Sergeant-Majors recently have you?

The dropshorts strike again!

 

[deltic1989]

I love the use of the term "Unexpectedly Jettisoned". I would imagine the OM (W) (Well it won't be the PWO will it?) Will be very shortly "Unexpectedly Jettisoned" into an NMT job at Raleigh.

 

[ainsworth74]

Well probably not but it would certainly be more amusing (or alternatively disturbing) if it was a PWO.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, at least the RN was only jettisoning a training round rather than a live shell!

Not wishing now to pass up on the opportunity you have afforded above to launch another RailUK conspiracy theory, was one of Her Majesty's submarines passing along the Dawlish coastline during the recent storms and the comment made...
"Go on, no-one will see us in this weather, get that spare torpedo out and have a go at that stone wall, then we will be back at Plymouth before anyone notices"..

 

[andypops]

And just to show that the ineptness isn't limited to the "long range snipers" or the matelots, what about the recent USAF sonic boom in Aberystwyth?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-26549410

Not to fuel any conspiracy, but it isn't all that far from Pont Briwet...

 

[ainsworth74]

As long as they weren't carrying nuclear weapons around the country, without realising, I think we can let a sonic boom slide.

 

[Yew]

This renaming is naught but a cynical Government ploy to sneak them into far more operational duties..

Indeed, I considered joining, however my definition of 'territorial' was Kent, not Kandahar...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

As long as they weren't carrying nuclear weapons around the country, without realising, I think we can let a sonic boom slide.

Nothing wrong with sonic booms; they're not as bad as the press make out. Heard one once at close range from a Lightning that went supersonic by accident during a low fast pass at Biggin Hill in the early 1970s...