NBC - Nuclear Biological Chemical

*Still Under Construction*

The British army is and has been prepared for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare to the extent that it has always protected its soldiers with the best equipment on the market that is the envy of the world. It is of note that during the 1st Gulf war that allied soldiers went out of their way to obtain British Respirators and NBC suits. Indeed there are numerous pictures of American troops wearing British NBC suits.


© MOD

Infantry Protection

Infantry Protection consists of a two part NBC suit, Gloves (Inner and Outer), Over boots and the s6 Respirator.

S6 Respirator

The S6 NBC Respirator was the protective gas mask issued to the British armed forces from 1966 up until the introduction of the current-issue S10 in 1986, after which it was withdrawn from service although some RAF personnel still have it in their personal kit. The S6 was developed in the 1950s and manufactured by the Birmingham & Leyland Rubber Company. Although made obsolete by the S10, production of the S6 continued in Turkey after the adoption of the new mask by the British forces. The S6 features an innovative air seal around the inside of the facepiece to improve fit and comfort of the mask; the pressure inside the seal can be adjusted by means of a tap inside the nosecup. The s6 respirator along with the respirator case were also produced for use by left-handed people, where the filter canister is positioned on the right of the face mask. For use with the Clansman radios a special microphone which attaches to the front of the mask was developed.


Early style canister.


s6 Respirator


s6 Respirator Case

Later style Canister showing the front and rear.

The early s6 canisters had a central hole to allow the air to flow through the filter. After some serious incidents where the wearer fell asleep with their head resting on their shoulder, which blocked the air intake, causing the wearer to suffocate.  The canister was redesigned  so that the air intake vents were on the outside edge of the canister which in theory meant that the canister could not be blocked completely.

The Respirator is issued with two canisters, one which is fitted to the respirator and one that is kept sealed in the respirator case. Canisters marked in Red are usually used for training purposes only.

S10 Respirator

The S10 NBC Respirator was Introduced in 1986 as a replacement for the S6 NBC Respirator. Although it did not entirely replace the S6 which can be found still in service with some RAF units. It was originally issued for use with the S6 respirator case in the short turn until a new Respirator case could be issued. The S10 features a butyl rubber facepiece, with two round scratch-resistant eyepieces, and an adjustable rubber head-harness. A Speech Module is provided for direct speech and microphone communications and the latter can be easily interchanged with the 40mm thread filter fitting to accommodate both left- and right-handed users without the need for two different facepieces. Similarly, special flat lenses that allow for the user's spectacles to be worn whilst wearing the mask are available, and can be quickly substituted for the regular issue type. The flat lenses also allow the use of external optical devices such as binoculars. A drinking straw and valve tap is provided to allow the wearer to safely drink from their canteen in contaminated environments.


s10  Respirator

Respirator Case Contents

  

The Respirator case contains the following items:

  • DKP 1

  • DKP2

  • Detector Paper (1 Colour)

  • Anti-dimmer outfit

  • Disinfecting face cloths

Decontamination Kit Personal No.1 - aka "Blot Bang" due to its instructions on how to use. This is used to decontaminate your equipment, hands and weapons. This small pack contains small pads covered in fullers earth which the instructions say to Blot, Bang and Rub, hence the name..

 Outfit, Anti-Dimming - this is used to prevent shine on the respirators lenses although several ex-service men say it did not work. In one end (Marked Red) is the polishing compound and in the other is a small cloth.

NOTE: The polishing compound is caustic and it is Highly recommended that you dispose of the compound as if it leaks it is strong enough to strip paint (hence to my horror the silver strip at the bottom of the container seen above).

Decontamination Kit Personal No.2 - This small puffer bottle contains Fullers Earth, this is used in conjunction with the DKP 1.

Detector Paper No2 (1 colour) - The standard issued detector paper which turns a dark blue when liquid chemical agents are present.

Detector Paper No1 (3 colour) - This is only issued when needed and is used to identify a specific chemical. The paper will turn one of three colours which will denote if the chemical is either a Nerve or a Blister agent.

Also as part of your decontamination kit are some disinfecting face cloths


DKP 2


DKP 1


Anti-Dimmer outfit


Detector Paper No2

 


Detector Paper No1


Two soldiers help to decontaminate each other using the Buddy system.
© UKLF

For those that wore glasses special lenses were issued made to the users prescription which fitted inside the face mask attached to the nose piece. By all accounts the lenses fitted to the s6 were not the most comfortable things to wear and occasionally fell out. The s10 fitting was better but tended to be a 'fix it yourself' device. The lenses were kept in a special box which was either in green or black plastic.

 
Case Spectacles Mark 5 and lenses for a s6 facemask.


Lenses fitted in a s6 facemask.


Lenses fitted in a s10 facemask.

In time of war the following items are added as required; NAPS tablets, Combi-pens and a Dosimeter (See under detectors).


Combopens

Autoject No 2 Mk 1 ( ComboPens)
At least one of these  are only issued in time of war where there is a danger of being exposed to a chemical attack. They contain a anti-nerve agent and only 3 are issued, as that is the maximum safe dosage allowed. A Training ComboPen is available and recommended which contains no needle and no drug products. Some ComboPens had an additional tablet in the top of the pen which was incorporated into the dosage allowance.


NAPS Tablets.

NAPS ( Nerve Agent Pre-treatment Set L1A1)
These are only issued in time of war where there is a danger of being exposed to a chemical attack. These are a pre-treatment tablet to help increase the bodies defense against low levels of nerve agent. And are taken one every 8 hours.

 WARNING: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU OBTAIN OR USE THESE TABLETS. 

 


Training Combo Pens

WARNING: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU OBTAIN OR USE LIVE COMBO PENS.


The New and the Old. Shown are the new Mk.IV (DPM) suits with a NAIAD detector along side 
the old Mk.III suit. Note the wooden rattle used as a gas alarm first used in World War One!.
© UKLF

NBC SUITS

NBC Suit No.1 Mk.III (aka Noddy Suit)


© Forces 80    

The NBC suit No.1 Mk.III was the standard chemical protection suit issued to members of the armed forces. Consisting of a Smock with hood and trousers which was worn over the uniform with the webbing on the outside, it was not the most comfortable thing to wear. The Mk.III was designed to allow the trapped air to move around unlike most NBC suits of various other nations. It had  charcoal impregnated inner layer with the outer material being water proof for up to 24 hours


NBC Suit No 1 Mk.III

NBC Suit No.1 Mk.IV (1986 - )


©MOD


©MOD

With the introduction of a new uniform in the mid 1980's, it was decided that a new NBC suit was needed. The main difference between the MkIII and the MkIV is the introduction of a zip in the front of the Smock along with being made out of DPM material. There was also an attempt to make the suit more comfortable to wear by introducing air pockets.

Bag, Casualty, Chemical, Protective

Wounded soldiers can be protected by the use of a casualty bag and walking wounded can be protected by a bag which extends over the head and secured to the waist. 

NBC Waning Signs

After an chemical attack to alert troops to the dangers of contamination from radioactivity, Chemical or Biological agents, standard NATO warning signs are used. These are used to mark the ground or equipment that is contaminated and have the details of the attack written on them. The details recorded on the sign varies depending on the type of attack.


Radiological Warning Sign.


Biological Warning Sign


Chemical Warning Sign

 

 

    

 

 

 
 

 

 


Casualty Bag in its packaging.

 
Survive to Fight or "The Quick or the Dead"
        Sometime during the Seventies or earlier the British Army issued a book to every infantryman that was designed as a aide to survival in the battle field. This book was called 'BASIC BATTLE SKILLS'. It contained information on battlefield skills, first aid, map reading and the use of the NBC suit and how to react to an attack. In 1983 a new pamphlet was designed and was kept in a small green ring binder with a clear cover that allowed for updates to be added. This was called 'Survive to Fight' which mainly concentrated on how to survive an NBC attack. Although it has undergone several reincarnations since its introduction it still contains the same information. Later pamphlets also now contain various other information, similar to the original book.


Basic Battle Skills Book.

This Book is full of useful information. Mainly designed as a memory aide it is proberly the first attempt at providing a field manual for the average soldier. It contains sections on  Hand Signals, Map reading, Camouflage techniques, use of terrain, fox holes and various other skills. It's NBC section is not as comprehensive as the later Survive to fight pamphlets and the art work depicts a soldier wearing a Mk.II NBC suit. Bu none the less its an interesting book. Well worth getting hold off.

 


Survive to fight, 1983

The survive to fight Pamphlet contains all the information required for a soldier to survive a NBC attack, with information on various drills including how to eat and how to got to the toilet amongst other things. It also lists and shows the contents and placing of the respirator case. It stayed relativity unchanged until the introduction of the 2nd Edition (Below). Amendments were in some cases typed onto same size sheets of paper and the new sheets inserted in the front of the pamphlet.

 


NBC Aide Memoire, 1984

This small A6 size memoire was produced for commanders as a brief reminder of NBC drills,. Proberly locally produced by a unit.

 


Survive to Fight Edition II, 1990

The later Survive to Fight pamphlets from 1990 had a red cover, with instructions on the use of the new Mk.IV NBC suit and s10 respirators. In 1995 some had colour pictures added to the front and colour inserts were common from about the same period.

 
 

Detectors

Pocket Dosimeter


Pocket Dosimeter

Pocket Dosimeter

 

The pocket dosimeter is based on the civilian version and was replaced by the wrist dosimeter in the late 1970's, although they were kept in reserve with some service sheets showing them last tested in 1982. It is more than likely that this was used more by the Civil defence units rather than the Army.



View through Dosimeter, the lower mark shows how much Radiation the wearer has been exposed to, the higher the dose, the more likely death will follow. 

 

Wrist Dosimeter


Wrist Dosimeter

 

The wrist Dosimeter is worn on the outside of the wrist over your NBC suit. Each dosimeter is serial numbered and is issued on a personal basis as once exposed to radiation it was unable to be reset so became a record of the amount of radiation the user had been exposed to. There is also a Training dosimeter which is Blue in colour.  The Dosimeter is worn on the wrist in the Army and RAF, but is worn around the neck in the Navy.


Wrist Dosimeter in its sealed packaging.
Dosimeter Reader

Designed to be used in conjunction with the wrist dosimeter. The meter measured how much radiation the dosimeters user had been exposed. It could be powered either by a vehicles power outlet or the Clansman batteries. 

An ex- serving member once told us that he was issued an wrist dosimeter only once for training and after handing it in to be read the whole squad was told to go dig a trench and lie in it. When they asked what for? they were told so that they could bury them quicker. That's Army humor for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Wrist Dosimeter Reader

 
RVD - Residue Vapour Detector


RVD


The Detector, Residue Vapour was first introduced in the 1970's and was still in service in the mid 1990's. It was designed to allow the user to test for  nerve and blister agents.
 

NAIAD Unit

(Nerve Agent Immobilized Enzyme Alarm and Detector - LEVEL 3) 

NAIAD is an automatic alarm system which continuously monitors the surrounding atmosphere to provide audible or visual warnings of the presence of nerve agent in either vapour or aerosol forms. The equipment consists of a detector and 3 remote alarms which operate up to 500 meters away from the detector. NAIAD is a wet chemistry technology based on the enzyme cholinesterase. 


NAIAD unit with remote alarm which allows the unit to be placed up to 500 yards away.

Right: Internals of the NAIAD unit.

Back to Equipment

Forces 80 Homepage