Survival UK Forums

The world has ended as we knew it, emergency services are crippled and non existent, armed forces have been overwhelmed and are concentrated in small strategic areas of the uk.
That leaves most people to govern themselves in the smaller populated towns/villages.
Most ordinary people even those of us that have prepared for the worse case scenario will be ill equipped to defend against groups of highwaymen/bandits and looters...
Many of us may believe we can defend our families but the truth is, without the right training any luck you may have had will run out.
Relying on your call of duty kill streaks and air soft/paintball campaigns will only get you in more trouble then without.
Of course it is going to raise eyebrows in all the wrong places and end up with my face on the BBC news if I even suggest training with certain tools!
So I am not, just to make that clear!

A well prepared militia requires certain things that in this country are not possible to achieve and even if they where; like minded individuals like ourselves are not exactly living on top of one another!
That doesn't mean to say we cannot look in to this avenue of preperation.
So where to start?

Well first of all let me open up this thread to discussion, which of you share the thought this needs to be addressed?
Do any of our American members have experience in this area and what do you do to prepare in this area as a law abiding (remember in the uk firearms are heavily restricted. Please share with us anything other than information regarding firearms eg: comms, governance, and organisation) individual.

As a former officer with 5 years training and additional combat experience on three continents as platoon, company and special unit leader,

You're screwed!

Most militia are formed using former enlisted and NCO types who are more huff and fart than knowledge, have absolutely zero planning skills and do not understand the nature of working with unskilled volunteer troops.

Former NCO and E/men are used to giving orders to people that follow orders. Militia has to be guided and trained by LEADERS. If they do not have confidence in their leaders they will go home, or shoot them in the back.

You may find that your attempt ot be "law abiding" is a wasted effort. By even attempting to organize a "militia" you may be breaking some laws of your area.

Look into local volunteer rescue squad organizations, civil defense type units and such. get all the free local training you can. Get yourself known as a leader in the community.

Study specific texts on pertinant topics. Read Che Gueverra, and Mio on gurillia warfare. Study the service manuals on counter insurgency warfare. Study Sun Tu. Learn your tarrain and think about how to defend it, and what to use.

There is such a thing as a natural military mind. It is rare but it does exist.

Oh yes, save up for buying all the rakes, pitchforks and ogarden impliments for arming your force.

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And learn to make some improvised firearms and keep the componants on hand.

I said LEARN to make them, not break the law and make them.

For each person with a liscense to buy 250 rounds of ammo you can spread some of the love around in the form of improvised single shot weapons. Spot several shooters in your area, befriend them, and encourage them to keep their supply of ammo up to the max allowed by law.

I would much rather have 100 people with two rounds of ammo each and one guy with 50, than be guarded by one person with 250 rounds.

If you are in a rural area you probably have several people nearby that have liscenses. That is actually a LOT of ammo!

Having a core group of preppers, whether your neighbours that you have woken up to the state of things before the time comes, or others that have bugged out to your house (If agreed to use as a group retreat of course) could serve as a foundation for a militia.

If the situation truly requires a militia, then the current law is never coming back. If you could get some of the local country goods gun store owners on board (assuming you live in a rural town with a small population), you could distribute shotguns (sawn offs?) and rifles among a militia. The first 90 days would be the worst; you would want to be able to focus on security for that period of time.

To start a militia, I would begin by meeting with neighbours to discuss emergency preps, the kind the government and red cross advises. Nothing controversial, just some basic stuff so that the authorities could focus on helping those who need it (elderly, those on kidney dialysis machines etc.) From then, I would move out concentrically, so all areas would be expanded slowly as they became survivalist-minded (food storage, water, medical and comms.)

For a militia, I would start out with passive security, think burglar alarms, gravel drives, secure fences and thorny benches. Maybe some self defense training. From then, it would be community watch, explaining that in harsh times we would be on our own, so we would do well to have some security team members to guard against the inevitable crime increase following a big disaster, as well as the threat of rural crime around now.

By now, I would hope that most would have applied for shotgun and firearms certificates, for pump actions and maybe Lee Enfields (Mad minute anyone?)

I also have some pdf's by the late philip luty which detail building a reliable homemade smg from off the shelf parts, as well as magazines. He also explains expedient ammo production. This would be something to build now in separate parts, and cache, assembling only after something has happened to avoid trouble with the law.

TBH i wouldnt want to have ORDINARY citizens let loose with loaded weapons, they are liable to shoot themselves or each other, a bit different if they were a prepper group at a BOL location, but not sheeple who's only experience of weapons is watching John Wayne or Rambo on the TV!!

(18 April 2013, 09:24)bigpaul Wrote: [ -> ]TBH i wouldnt want to have ORDINARY citizens let loose with loaded weapons, they are liable to shoot themselves or each other, a bit different if they were a prepper group at a BOL location, but not sheeple who's only experience of weapons is watching John Wayne or Rambo on the TV!!

My sentiments exactly BP our fellow countrymen do not have the understanding and familiarity with weapons as do our American cousins, and I fear the majority would be a hinderance rather than an aid to survival. Having a small group of close family and friends who are trained though would be the best approach if you had to rely on anyone, in the end though I can only rely on Me, Myself and I.

(18 April 2013, 11:11)Tartar Horde Wrote: [ -> ]My sentiments exactly BP our fellow countrymen do not have the understanding and familiarity with weapons as do our American cousins, and I fear the majority would be a hinderance rather than an aid to survival. Having a small group of close family and friends who are trained though would be the best approach if you had to rely on anyone, in the end though I can only rely on Me, Myself and I.

Sheeple are as thick as pig shite and twice as sticky i wouldnt want to be within a mile of one with a loaded gun! i concur with the only one i can rely on is me, myself and i !

It would be a fatal mistake to underestimate those we so easily write off as sheeple. I think I can agree that the best militia would be a small group of preppers however.

(18 April 2013, 11:50)Tibbs735 Wrote: [ -> ]It would be a fatal mistake to underestimate those we so easily write off as sheeple.

give them a gun and they'll write themselves off!!

this is what happens when you give a sheeple a loaded gun: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...g-toe.html

Although I disagree with some of what mortblanc has said he does raise a good point which everyone has echoed; the fact that a band of untrained men and women will not be effective or even safe with weaponry, one of the reasons I was wanting to steer this thread more toward the other aspects away from weaponry... But whilst on the subject...
In this country there are three viewpoints on guns, those that use, oppose and don't care about them. In a world post event those that oppose them will likely have to change and adapt or fail to survive, those that don't care can learn and those of us that are active (forgetting the many fools that buy a co2 pistol and think they can give Rambo a run) in this country have to prove their responsibility with a weapon (I don't like using that term and prefer 'tool' but eggs is eggs for this post) and can pass on their skills, hopefully under the supervision of ex/current service personnel.
Have to point out that I worked closely with the training and indeed deployment after my service and the training our boys get produce leaders... Without getting off topic or start a pissing contest (couldn't think of a better expression so excuse the language) the British army may be unique in that fact but we are all trained to lead and take charge and indeed our officers have become a joke compared to our nco's, so keeping in mind this is a UK orientated scenario there won't be much "huff and fart" to worry about.
Great material suggested by mort, definitely worth having in your book collection!

Tibbs, your exactly right on the money, the first 90 days is estimated to be the worse where anarchy rules during mass evacuation/looting and general mayhem
To quote you
"To start a militia, I would begin by meeting with neighbours to discuss emergency preps, the kind the government and red cross advises. Nothing controversial, just some basic stuff so that the authorities could focus on helping those who need it (elderly, those on kidney dialysis machines etc.) From then, I would move out concentrically, so all areas would be expanded slowly as they became survivalist-minded (food storage, water, medical and comms.)
For a militia, I would start out with passive security, think burglar alarms, gravel drives, secure fences and thorny benches. Maybe some self defense training. From then, it would be community watch, explaining that in harsh times we would be on our own, so we would do well to have some security team members to guard against the inevitable crime increase following a big disaster, as well as the threat of rural crime around now."

This is great pre planning advice and easy to pass on, part of my seed collection includes defensive plants and have begun planting around my border which is exposed to woodland.
Here's a website that has a great list of plants you can use as well as some other ideas;

http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/gar...ub-fences/

I wouldn't want "ordinary citizens" to hold guns either, but post event there won't be much normality left and IF there are spare weapons to hand out...
This is where I was hoping to after more discussion on the other militia aspects to eventually move in to guns, and suggest that as preppers we should not only apply for FAC/SGC if that is something you are able to be granted but also attend a local club, get advanced training if you can and you will be in better position if TSHTF to arm your neighbours or group with knowledge and skills before arming them with guns and bandoleirs.