After Aden I was in Singapore in 69. There was no army requirement during this time and Army sniper training anywhere nor were 303 in use in Singapore.
During this period the only course was hosted by the Marines in Devon and catered for SAS and Marines. In the Marines there were eight per unit. Plus a number held for training. SAS had sixteen.
There was about twelve trainees on the course and two courses a year. Most people pre – Ireland who attended the course never used the weapon operationally. It seems the main aim of the course was to improve soldiering skills for potential JNCO’s.
You have to remember no one in the Army was interested in sniping until after Aden when Crater Pass saved the skill. After Aden the bids went out to a number of companies for a replacement in limited numbers for the Marines. The weapon that won the bid was a heavy barrel conversion. It was picked because there was not a great deal of retraining needed and it was cheap.
In Aden after the police revolt there were three operational shooters. In Ireland when they were first used in 72 there were two.
It was not until 74-76 by then most infantry units had L42 and attended an Army course as opposed to a Marine course that the Army were back on line.
As for the Far East theatre Strategic Stores- In 1967 the plan was to withdraw from Singapore the deadline was 1971. During this time Nee Soon and Simbawang was the consolidation area also the navy base. Stores were leaving quick. Also the AR15 had come into play during the Borneo stint a few years earlier and the 303 was long gone
Also two units from the Marines based in Singapore came out to Aden in 67 to cover the withdrawal. The Marines from these units did not have any Sniper teams as they held no weapons in the Singapore theatre.
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