Porton Down, BBC4
Discussion
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
VX isn't a gas, that's the point. It's a thickened (ergo persistent) version of GB (Sarin).
When it hit's you it's like Evo Stik contact adhesive - you'd be scraping it off your noddy suit with a knfe.
Scarey s
te.
Unless you explain all the NBC types and delivery mechanisms, civvies won't understand.When it hit's you it's like Evo Stik contact adhesive - you'd be scraping it off your noddy suit with a knfe.
Scarey s
te.My grandfather was a Water Rat in the war and on his return went to the water board. He ended up working at PD as head of their water supplies, both in and out, not an easy job with the sort of st they were messing with.
Some great stories though, nearly all make my nipsy twitch like a rabbit's nose. Chem and bio stuff is terrifying.
t they were messing with.Some great stories though, nearly all make my nipsy twitch like a rabbit's nose. Chem and bio stuff is terrifying.
I got to go in there about 15 years ago. Worked for a defence supplier that made all the shelters for the armed forces including all the nbc equipment. They had this huge stainless steel chamber that needed lining out and I had to design an nbc shelter that matched the interior and allow access through tubes into a windowed lab next door. Never did find out what it was for and didn't have the nerve to ask. For such a secret place I was surprised I was allowed to drive round the place unescorted.
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
Mothersruin said:
Unless you explain all the NBC types and delivery mechanisms, civvies won't understand.
I could but it would elicit the usual sexist PH attacks along the lines of how a female couldn't possibly know how NBC agents act.Ergo I CBA.
I'm interested how they work.
I often wonder how much protection those CBRN suits we get issued would actually offer against some of these agents. I remember on the build up to Telic there was a lot of discussion about getting anthrax jabs - you could decline.
It was also quite concerning when you'd be in a vehicle convoy happily driving along and then see one coming in the opposite direction with all the occupants in respirators and Noddy suits. Cue a pretty frantic scramble to get it all on.
I actually suspect that if a SCUD hit us, it would make little difference.
It was also quite concerning when you'd be in a vehicle convoy happily driving along and then see one coming in the opposite direction with all the occupants in respirators and Noddy suits. Cue a pretty frantic scramble to get it all on.
I actually suspect that if a SCUD hit us, it would make little difference.
m444ttb said:
Fascinating. VX gas was something I'd forgotten existed somehow. The film The Rock at least got it right when they said it's one of those things you wish you could uninvent. Perhaps a small mercy they made up the corrosive element of it.
Regarding Holywood science - Any fact or is it total BS regarding the film depicting a direct injection to the heart as some sort of counter? 
Smiler. said:
I wonder where that beach was where the gas shells come from?
I don't know, but it could have been Fairlight Glen, near Hastings. When I was in the Army, they were still trying to clear it.http://tinyurl.com/huetm9q
Edited by The Mad Monk on Thursday 30th June 09:24
boobles said:
Or how much protection there is from them bombs found on the beach sat on pallets with just a small walls around them!
Thought they would also be in more of a "controlled" environment.
From an explosives point of view strong walls and minimal roof is a good thing, but while containment is a good idea from a chemical perspective presumably if anything detonated inside a sealed building the pressure would likely damage the building and gas would escape anyway. It's a big site, I assume those bunkers are a hell of a long way from anything else.Thought they would also be in more of a "controlled" environment.
Presumably in the case of mustard, chlorine or phosgene they eventually react with moisture in the air, so would water sprays limit the distance they could spread in an accidental release?
Stickyfinger said:
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
I could but it would elicit the usual sexist PH attacks along the lines of how a female couldn't possibly know how NBC agents act.
Ergo I CBA.
Well as my Fathers 2ic was a female at Winterbourne Gunner in the 90's I wouldn't.....Ergo I CBA.
ts and giggles, got a date through but was then posted so it was cancelled.Smollet said:
Interesting in so much as there's probably an awful lot more that goes on in there than was shown. Scary stuff indeed.
That was what I took from the programme. £500m budget, huge sprawliing site with lots of new buildings which they couldn't possibly comment upon.
Just to detroy old munitions and analyse suspect samples
I struggle to believe that all research is purely "defensive". I assume though that it's a place where all secret military projects can be safely tested and not specifically chemical/biological ones?
TEKNOPUG said:
Smollet said:
Interesting in so much as there's probably an awful lot more that goes on in there than was shown. Scary stuff indeed.
That was what I took from the programme. £500m budget, huge sprawliing site with lots of new buildings which they couldn't possibly comment upon.
Just to detroy old munitions and analyse suspect samples
I struggle to believe that all research is purely "defensive". I assume though that it's a place where all secret military projects can be safely tested and not specifically chemical/biological ones?
I'm assuming the budget mentioned for was dstl not just for Porton. HQ's at Porton but I think Portsdown has a similar number of staff, plus a few people at various other sites. They're the science and technology lab for the whole the MoD so the chemical weapons bit is a tiny part of their work.
gareth h said:
MrAndyW said:
They always tried to bribe us with a months pay or 28 days leave.
RAF lads to clever for that, well most of them anyway.
We always told they were trying to find a cure for the common cold, yeah ok then,
I lived in Andover and there were stories back in the 1970s that they would pay for you to test cures for the common coldRAF lads to clever for that, well most of them anyway.
We always told they were trying to find a cure for the common cold, yeah ok then,
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