Army personnel are digging deep to supply 1000’s of sandbags for residents in flood hit areas of southern England.
Airmen and troopers are working side-by-side at various depots packing and delivery sandbags for distribution to households most in want.
At one centre at Chieveley, subsequent to the M4 motorway in Berkshire, round 100 women and men from RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire and RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire are packaging a mountain of sand every single day.
Flight Lieutenant Dave Skinner, who’s overseeing the operation, mentioned: “We crammed 5,500 sandbags yesterday and are hoping to beat that document by reaching a complete of 6.500 at this time (Thursday)
“I estimate we now have roughly 100 tons of combination to pack and ship. When you think about that simply six sandbags in a doorway might help save a home from a flood – our supporting efforts may result in many a whole lot of properties being saved. ”
He was assisted by Sergeant Stephen Hoey of Royal Logistics Corps, who’s in fixed contact with the Army’s 145 Brigade who’re in control of supporting the civilian authorities with flood aid within the Thames Valley space.
He mentioned: “The sand is delivered to this depot, and one other in Windsor, from areas throughout the UK for us to bag earlier than being taken by lorry to the place they’re most wanted.”
The RAF Brize Norton crew arrived from their Oxfordshire base at 0700 on Thursday and had been cut up into to 2 groups every working alternate 30 minute shifts over a 12 hour day.
In the meantime, on the different finish of the supply chain, a few of the 233 personnel from RAF Honington in Suffolk who arrived in Windsor on Tuesday have been utilizing their six tonne lorries to ship the crammed sandbags to weak properties and residents’ assortment factors within the Maidenhead space.
They had been visited by the Officer Commanding Assist Wing at RAF Honington, Wing Commander Phil Reid, who praised the sleek manner a lot of personnel had been introduced in to assist in the Thames Valley space.
He mentioned: “When you think about that II Squadron RAF Regiment had been defending Camp Bastion in Afghanistan till final November and at the moment are serving to with flood aid, it reveals how agile the RAF could be in finishing up contingency operations.”
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