RAOC EOD Divers?

[sailorbear]

Hi, Does anyone know if in the days before the creation of the Royal Logistics Corps did the Royal Army Ordnance Corps Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams have diver trained personnel within them? I know the Royal Engineer EOD teams do but have no idea about the RAOC? Likewise do the present day RLC EOD have any diving capability?

I do remember a case several years ago when an EOD team won medals for bravery after they successfully recovered and disposed of an unexploded WW2 German bomb that was underwater at the bottom of a full, in use gasometer but have never known if they were RE, RAOC or RLC EOD Divers?

Regards

Tony

[Peter Marshall]

Hi tony

RAOC EOD teams were made up of ammunition technicians and did not have divers as part of that role.
There was a parachute trained detachment though.

I would imagine that it was a RE team at the gasometer as they had the remit for second war air dropped munitions or a possibly a Naval team.

[Mike_2817]

In short no - But the RLC still have a Parachute Section in 11 EOD Regiment.

The incident you mention was dealt with by 33 EOD Regiment RE by 2 RE Divers.

[ukblitz]

As regards the Army divers, I was in 33 EOD in the 1980's, and attended the Beckton gasworks job as the Bomb Disposal officers no2, I wasnt a diver then,so didnt dive, but as a result qualified a short time later, 3 QGM's were awarded for that job, i did several others and as also awarded the QGM for a German UXB in a sewer at Billingsgate, in the Docklands in 1988.
As far as I recall we were the only Army EOD divers at the time, there were some RCT from what I remember , but the were with 17 Ports Unit.
Our basic qualification was Shallow Water, divers helmet badge with SW below it, we also had the Red Bomb Disposal badge on the same sleeve.