NURSES, firemen and even solicitors from the region defended Gateshead's Quayside with guns yesterday as part of their Royal Navy reserve training.
The 17 troops from HMS Calliope joined dozens of reservists from across the country to try out shooting in a 24-hour exercise.
They faced down an “attack” from German Territorial Army soldiers posing as rioters.
Dressed in combats, body armour and helmets, they took on the enemy with 5.56 millimetre assault rifles.
They also used Chinese firecrackers and smoke grenades against the rioters, who played dissidents upset by peace talks between warring factions based on either side of the Tyne.
The mini “civil war” had broken out after rich residents based in Newcastle tried to take on poorer people in the south, who were mainly asylum seekers.
The reservists were drafted in to protect United Nations talks between the two sides at the Navy base from rebels who wanted to prevent peace.
Eleven of the sailors suffered mock casualties in the 24-hour exercise, including gunshot wounds, stress and hypothermia. They were either treated on the scene by other troops or dragged back to safety.
Chief Petty Officer Stephen Maclennan said the reservists, aged from 18 to 55, were drawn from across the region.
“People want to join the reserves because it’s something different and it gives them an exposure to a military way of life.
“There is a desire to try to better themselves by performing to military standards and utilising all the tools that the military give you – for example leadership and management.”
He added that they also improve their fitness and enjoy being part of “a cohesive military team”.
They could be called upon to protect merchant shipping against pirates or be sent on active operations. Reservists from HMS Calliope have been sent to Afghanistan and Iraq. Two sailors from the base are currently deployed in the Middle East.
Mr Maclennan said that the exercise had been “a really great success”.
“They’ve learnt how to work together as a cohesive team, how to defend their position whilst under fire and how to communicate incidents back to an area where someone can’t see what’s going on,” he said.
They were also able to select accurate fire positions and cover each other while moving around, he added.
A similar exercise takes place at the base each year, with reservists moving around the country every three months to keep in training in the meantime.
