The men of Basic Clearance Divers Course number 67 are deployed to a remote tropical island off the Queensland coast where they must complete the final ‘demolitions’ phase of their training. It’s the part of their course they’ve been waiting for. They’ve got thirty tonnes of high explosives, artillery shells and bombs, and three weeks to blow it all up.
It’s dangerous material and when one of their charges detonates too early, the men have a chilling reminder of how potentially lethal it can be.
The men’s life on the island gives them a very clear idea of what they can expect when they are on a real deployment. They’re living under canvas in cramped conditions. It’s hot and humid, and infested with mosquitoes. Working conditions are appalling. The island’s huge tidal range exposes miles of flat ground that is covered in thick, stinking mud. Depressions in the ground create deep pools in which the men must rig a variety of high explosives. Visibility in the foul, muddy water is zero so the work is done mostly by ‘feel’.
To succeed in the demolitions phase the men must draw on all the elements of their 9 months of training: their diving skills, their ability to operate as a team, their ability to work with speed and precision.
By the time they finish, the trainees have been transformed into highly skilled professionals who can wear the coveted Clearance Diver badge with confidence and pride.
