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TROOPS BOGGED DOWN PLAYING AT MARINES

Nov 29 2003

From Tom Newton Dunn Defence Correspondent, In Basra

AN Army bid to outdo their Navy commando rivals has been shelved - after an experiment went disastrously wrong.

Top brass had hoped to equal the Royal Marines' expertise by developing their own amphibious warfare unit.

But troops used in the mock beach landing were more SOS than SBS - Special Boat Service - when they needed rescuing after sinking to their waists in liquid mud.

These pictures - captured by a squaddie filming the hapless operation - show the extent of the flop. It is thought senior officers ordered the trials in southern Iraq after seeing the marines dominate headlines.

Their humiliation was complete when the soldiers - from 40 Regiment, Royal Artillery, based at Topcliffe, North Yorks - collapsed laughing when it went so wrong. They got the giggles as the lifejackets of two men stuck in mud inflated by accident.

In the video, one joking soldier even tries a few crawl strokes to try to get out. The footage was sent across the armed forces by email.

It had the Chumbawumba song Tub Thumping dubbed on as a soundtrack with the words, "I get knocked down, then I get up again," blaring out.

Not surprisingly, those who enjoyed watching it the most were Royal Marines commandos.

One marine sergeant said: "I don't think we've got much to worry about, do you? They really should leave this sort of thing to the experts. I don't think we need we say anymore."

The shambles, blamed on poor beach reconnaissance, took place on the Al Faw peninsula, where the troops have now ended a five-month tour of duty.

Army chiefs have since stopped the trials. An official said: "I don't believe we'll be doing any more."