King recalls taking on the testing Royal Marines' sheep dip obstacle
King Charles has been reminiscing about how he took on the Royal Marines' infamous "sheep dip" obstacle when he oversaw Kenyan marines being put through their paces.
Royal Marines, along with members of the US Marine Corps, are training the Kenyans as part of a five-year programme to create a marine corps which can help combat the al Qaeda-inspired al Shabab group on the Somali border.
For the King, who wore his Royal Marines tie in his role as their Captain General, the exercise brought back memories from 1974 when as Prince of Wales he did part of the Royal Marines all arms course in Lympstone while qualifying as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy.
The sheep dip
Captain Sam Powell, of 40 Commando, who spoke to the King after the training exercise, said: "We talked about Lympstone and the all-arms course.
"The King's done part of that course before. He was reminiscing about the sheep dip, which is part of the endurance course.
"It is essentially a submerged tunnel that you dive through and underneath and then come out the other side. So you have to hold your breath as you go underneath it."
In 2017, England manager Gareth Southgate prepared his team for a game against Scotland with a trip to the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre and Mr Southgate along with the 20-strong squad took on obstacles such as the sheep dip.
After the exercise, King Charles asked one Kenyan marine: "Have the Royal Marines put you through quite a lot? Have they put you through an assault course? They are quite testing!"
He asked another if they had intercepted any drug smugglers, adding: "You know exactly what to do with them!"
The King also spoke to a Royal Marines instructor, asking him: "When you get back do you get a nice bit of leave?"
"I hope so, sir," the instructor replied.
The King and Queen watched as 18 Kenyan marines in inflatable boats landed on a beach at Mtongwe Naval Base near Mombasa and laid down a barrage of fire – blanks only – from their M4 carbines after coming under attack from a defensive position on the beach.
A 10-strong specialist training team from 40 Commando has been putting 26 Kenyan marines through 12 weeks of intensive training, and the first cohort of the newly created Kenyan Marine Commando Unit (KMCU) completed the course back in May.
The aim is for the KMCU to become an elite fighting force that can conduct specialised amphibious operations to weaken and disrupt threats in the region.
The King has spoken before about being put through his paces during his military training.
When he attended the 200th Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in April, he spoke about how his military training affected him.
"Having attended and survived two of the other military academies 50 years ago, I think I have some idea of the challenges which are inherent in military training," the King said during his speech.
"I have experienced the nerves, the exhaustion, even the self-doubt, but despite such recollections, it is the lifelong friendships which are forged through shared hardship, and the humour you find in the darkest hours of the coldest, wettest nights which remain with you."
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