The Decon I Story
Introduction
by Musn Tim Hinde

Musn Melanie Potts re-digging her shell scrape: 'Changing Rooms CLR Style!

On arrival back at work after Christmas leave Major Barrie Mills, the Director of Music for Plymouth Band, informed the band that due to the situation in the Gulf some of us were required to join Medical Squadron almost immediately. Myself along with Musicians Brian Tregaskis, Graham Clark and Andy Wainwright were to report at Stonehouse Barracks four days later to collect our desert combats and rifles. Meeting us there would be CSgt Ian (Taff) Davies and the rest of the team. In the line up were newly promoted Cpls Darren (Smudge) Smith and John Morrish, Musns Ian Airlie, Chris Riley, Mark Upton, Barry Woolley, Eva Rose, Bugler Stu Bartlett and a very tall man in a green beret, Sgt Stuart (Goose) Dodman, who had been attached to us as our NBC and weapons instructor. After being issued with more kit than we could carry, and completing the necessary paperwork, we departed for RM Chivenor.

The group soon formed a close bond which was only broken when Barry Woolley had to leave us and was replaced by Musn Melanie Potts. The next month saw us train in our new role as a Decontamination team. This involved a specialist course at the Army's NBC School in Winterbourne Gunner, near Salisbury. Here we learnt how to safely decontaminate casualties. We also had to polish up the field skills that we would need in Iraq. When it was time to leave for Kuwait, we had learnt everything we needed to help us cope with whatever was to come.

Kuwait on the way to Camp Gibraltar