Live Mortar Firing In Germany With The 'Tigers'

1st Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment have conducted one of their last live mortar firing exercises in Germany.

The unit, also known as the Tigers, is expected to move from its Sennelager base to Cyprus next year.

Corporal Mark Acquaye, 1PWRR Mortar Platoon said: "It’s a little bit nerve-wracking for a lot of people who haven’t fired mortars before."

He said: "There’s a bit of panic and anxiety but once they’ve gone through the first few days they seem to get to grips with their weapon system and they get a bit more confident.

"It takes a while even after you’ve been trained to get to grips with what is expected of you and to do it efficiently."

Private Alfred Dempsey, 1PWRR Mortar Platoon said: "The first time on Monday – I’m not going to lie to you – I was a bit ‘iffy’ and ‘erry’ about putting the round in but now you just want to get the bombs down."

“Hopefully, [on] the next course, more people will want to come after seeing this because I think this is the first one done in Germany.

"For a couple of years... so this is a big thing and they’ll obviously see it and say 'hold on a minute instead of me running around like a lunatic I might want to drop a couple of bombs'."

Corporal Rob Raine, reservist said: "You know you can hit a target over five and a half K away.

"Lethal area 40 metres - per round - a hundred and 90-metre danger area.

"It’s a very effective weapons system."

Next year 1PWRR are expected to move to Dekhelia in Cyprus.