This isn’t the most exciting anecdote in the world, nothing really happens, but it’s just so typical of the kind of conversations we used to have and that day was such a good laugh that it has just always stuck in my mind and I’d like to share it with you.
It was around 2006 and myself, Robbie, Neil Mac and Bongo Pete went out for the day to play golf somewhere near Farnborough. I had just got back from an operational tour of Afghanistan and Robbie was always inquisitive about my job - mostly because he wanted to know “What I’m getting for my tax money”
The conversation got on to mines (Afghanistan is a very heavily mined country) and as faithfully as I can reproduce it, it went like this:
Richie “Well, you get two different types of mines”
Robbie “What are they then?”
Richie “There’s anti-personnel mines and anti-tank mines”
Robbie “What exactly is the difference?”
Richie “Well, an anti-personnel mine is designed to injure you so all your mates are taken out of the battle to look after you and it only takes 3 Kg of direct pressure to set them off. An anti-tank mine is designed to rip through 6 inches of armour plate and destroy everything inside a tank and it takes 100 Kg of direct pressure to set them off. Just out of interest, how much do you weigh Robbie?”
Robbie (looking smug) ” I’ll be alright, I’m only 96 Kg”
Richie (looking even more smug) “In the Army your rifle weighs 4.5 Kg Robbie”
Robbie (looking pleased as punch) “So what you’re saying is, you’re too puny to set off anti-tank mines…”
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