for the next event.
“Avanti, avanti,” c r ie d
Warrant Officer Zaia,
on spotting me waiting
patiently outside
the changing
rooms. No
matter two
women were
changing in
there. Having
been told to wear
swimming trunks
under our trousers
when we got dressed that
morning, I now had no
underwear... time to go “commando”!
Kitted out in combat gear, I was soon
crawling under razor wire, vaulting
unaided over a two-metre wall,
swinging ape-like from a steel frame
and using a rope to clamber over a
five-metre wall. Halfway up the
eight-metre rope, with the words of my
wife—“don’t do anything stupid”—
ringing in my ears, I decided I’d had
enough and dropped on to the
welcoming padded mat below. Not thatit brought any peace. From here we
were thrown immediately into
hand-to-hand combat with Special
Forces of the Marina Militare (Italian
navy), learning moves I hope I will
never need to use again. And from
here, we headed to the live firing range.s a traveller, I have spent
time in Afghanistan, where
I fired an AK-47 with the
Mujahideen. Here we were
given an MP5 laser-sighted machine
rifle and told to shoot at the head of a
dummy positioned 40 metres away.
“Double tap,” barked a Special Forces
officer, pointing directly between his
eyes. “Terrorists today often wear body
armour... two shots between the eyes
will always take them out.” This was
huge fun, like a grown-up version of a
fairground game, as targets popped up
which we then dispatched. Having
used the rifle, we were then given
Glock pistols and told to do the same. It
was easier than I thought it might be.
Following lunch in the canteen, weA
WATCH OUT
Inset left: the limited edition Panerai
Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech™—
47mm with technical Velcro bracelet supplied
as a second strap.
Above: the Panerai Submersible Marina
Militare Carbotech™—47mm in actionAQUA HEROICS
Clockwise from left: Warrant Officer Zaia of the Marina Militare
(the Italian navy) puts Jonny Bealby through his paces; an Italian Navy
Explosive Ordnance Disposal diver at work; an officer emerges from the
tiny decompression chamber on board Anteo (A 5309)COURTESY OF PANERAI (PANERAISUBMERSIBLE MARINA MILITARE CARBOTECH)70 VANITY FAIR ON TIME AUTUMN^2019