Seeing Micky chins name reminded me of this. I was picked as part of the IS platoon on board ship which was pretty good fun because you got to fire a gun and jack wasn't normally allowed near them, well not stokers anyway. We were down at Portland doing work ups and the IS platoon were sent ashore to do riot training, I was on the front row with a dirty great big shield that in the instructors own words were 'f*******g indestructible'. Next to me on the front row to boost my confidence while we were having house bricks and all sorts of missiles thrown at us was Royal Marine Micky Chin. We set off marching banging the night sticks on the shields to give us a nice beat and to try and intimidate the howling mob around the corner, as we turned the corner all hell broke loose and we were pelted with all manner of missiles the first one to hit Mickys shield the bottom half of the shield just disintegrated, I was crapping myself and Micky just carried on marching albeit a bit bowlegged trying to hide his legs behind my shield and the guy on the other side. It wasn't all one way traffic as I remember the 'snatch squad' going out and dishing out some pain to the rioters all of whom were volunteers from! HMS Osprey. Good fun thinking about it now.

Ginge Danials MEM(m) 80 to 83