Fatfox9's Blog

1974…..Octoberish

Once we had finished our theory phase of training it was time to get out into the field and find out exactly what we had taken on board.

Our explosives training was carried out at Khodwayo Bombing Range and this had been completed earlier on.  That had been extremely interesting and we had been taught a variety of demolition skills……steel cutting charges, destruction of landmines and other unexploded ordnance, cratering charges using camouflet sets which had a strange device called a “monkey” that weighed a ton, laying out of detonating cord ringmains and electrical ringmains, and most importantly explosive safety regulations.

There was no buggering about at Khodwayo.  The training was presented in a professional way and there was no running or stress situations.  This was serious stuff and our first exposure to things that would literally blow your head off if not treated with respect.  The instructors understood this and adapted their methods of instruction accordingly.  All in all one of the best phases of my training and probably the single most important subject I still use to this day in my chosen profession.

After demolition training it was back to Brady Barracks, unload the Bedfords of all the demolition kit, reload them with all sorts of other weird and wonderful Sapper stuff, most of which was bloody heavy and/or sharp,  and we were off to Mzingwane Dam……and this was really going to be fun.

Mzingwane dam