Newspaper reports supply shortage in British military
PLA Daily 2004-02-23
LONDON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Eighty British Royal Marines have been flown home from training in Norway amid new claims against the Ministry of Defense (MoD) that inadequate sleeping bags led to frostbite, the Mail newspaper reported on Sunday.
The soldiers from 3 Commando Brigade were evacuated from their base in Norway three weeks into a three-month operation, the paper said, adding that further 50 have been injured in activities such as skiing.
Some marines have brought their own sleeping bags to help cope with the freezing temperatures in Norway, the paper said.
The paper also quoted Norwegian army chief Colonel Lars Sundnesas saying that British marine's sleeping bags were not good enough.
According to the paper, the injury rate, which the MoD admitted was higher than normal, was a fresh embarrassment for military chiefs who were already embroiled in accusations over shortages of basic kit in Iraq.
In December 2003, a National Audit Office report found front-line forces were left without vital kit during the Iraq war because of supply failures.
In January, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon apologized after a soldier was killed in Iraq because of the shortage of bodyarmor.
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