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NATO from 1982 (Addition of Spain) to 1990 (German Reunification)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO was formed in 1949 in the aftermath of the Second World War with the primary objective of defending Western Europe in case of war with the Soviet Union. NATO and it's various armies trained extensively in NBC warfare as both NATO and the Soviet Union maintained large Chemical and Nuclear Stockpiles and it was widely believed that any conflict between the two would see large scale usage by both sides. NATO originally comprised of founding members Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, The UK & The USA. In 1952, Greece & Turkey both joined and in 1955 West Germany also joined. In 1966 France left the military command of NATO but not NATO itself and remained committed to the defense of NATO nations in case of war with the Warsaw Pact. In 1974 Greece left the NATO military command in protest after the Cyprus Conflict but rejoined in 1980. In 1982 Spain became the last member to join NATO during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Germany reunified in 1990, and the Warsaw Pact dissolved in 1991 with the Soviet Union itself ceasing to exist by the end of that year. Thus the Cold War came to an end.
Throughout the 1950s to the early 90s, the Dutch, UK, Belgian, US, Canadian & French all had troops deployed to West Germany along the Iron Curtain. These soldiers received extended NBC training and were the first to be issued new NBC equipment as they were expected to be the first to fight in any future war that might occur.
This page will primarily focus on the 1970s and 1980s.
Kingdom of Belgium (Koninkrijk België - Royaume de Belgique)[]
Soldiers wearing M51 Masks
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- Individual First Aid Kit Against Gases (Individuele Eerste-Hulptas Tegen Gassen / Trousse Individuelle De Premiers Secours Antigaz) - Late 60s to Mid 80s
- Booklet With 10 Sheets Of Blotting Paper (Boekje Met 10 Blaadjes Vloeipapier / Carnet De 10 Feuilles De Papier Buvard)
- AtroPen Auto Injector x2 (Auto-Injector AtroPen / Auto-Injecteur AtroPen) - 2mg Atropine
- Bottle of Decontaminating Powder (Bus Ontsmettingspoeder / Flacon De Poudre Décontaminante)
- ComboPen Auto Injector x2 (Auto-Injector ComboPen / Auto-Injecteur ComboPen) - 2mg Atropine, 220mg Obidoxime Chloride x3 - Early 80s on
- Decontamination Glove x2 (Handschoen voor Chemische Spoedontsmetting / Gant de Décontamination Chimique d'Urgence) - Standard Issue Chemical Decontamination Kit
- Decontamination Wipes (Ontsmettingsdoekjes / ???) - Standard Issue Radiation Decontamination Kit
Protective Mask
- M51 - Standard Issue Mask
Protective Clothing
- Belgian Made Chemical Suit, closely resembles the UK Mk III Suit ///Designation?M75? () - Mid 70s on
Other
- Chemical Paper () -
- Burn Bandage () -
- Burn Powder () -
- Anti Shock Powder () -
- Dosimeter () -
Canada[]
Soldier wearing C3 Mask and "Bunny" Suit
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine ?*
- ComboPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine, /// ?*
- Astra Auto Injector - ?mg Atropine ?*
- Decontamination Mitt x2 (Mitt Decontaminating CW Agent / Moufle Decontamination Agent Chimique) - Standard Issue Decontamination Kit
*I know Canada used the 2nd model Astra and a model of the ComboPen in the early 90s however I am struggling to find what was in use in the 70s and 80s. I assume they used either AtroPens or 1st model Astra but I don't know for sure as of now.
Protective Mask
- C3 - Stand Issue Mask
Protective Clothing
- Canadian Made Chemical Suit "Bunny Suit", 1 Piece ///Designation? -Early to Mid 70s on
Other
- Chemical Paper Booklet x2 () -
- Nerve Vapour Detector x2 () -
- Dosimeter () - ///2-3 Types
Kingdom of Denmark (Kongeriget Danmark)[]
Soldier wearing the M/69 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine ?*
- ComboPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine, /// ?*
- Astra Auto Injector - ?mg Atropine ?*
- Anti Gas Powder (Antigaspudder) - Standard Issue Decontamination Kit
*The Danish Home Guard adopted the Astra in the early 70s but I have no info for the army. I assume either the AtroPen or Astra but can't confirm. It's likely they swapped to the ComboPen but I have no info on when.
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- Poncho, Uniform with Hood attached & Winter Gloves - 50s to Mid 1980s
- Danish Made Chemical Suit, closely resembles the Canadian one piece suit but is in Danish M/84 Camouflage///Designation? () - Mid 80s on
Other
- Chemical Paper () - 1 or 2 Booklets?
- Dosimeter?
French Republic (République Française)*[]
*"Many people think that French President Charles de Gaulle took his country out of NATO in 1966 when he demanded that all military headquarters and installations not under French command depart French territory by 1967, but this is not the case.
What France did was withdraw from NATO's integrated military command structure – thus French personnel were no longer assigned to the staffs of headquarters in the NATO command structure and French units were not placed under NATO command, but France remained an active member of the Alliance itself and French personnel continued to serve at NATO's political headquarters in Brussels as well as in liaison offices at the other military headquarters.
The French armed forces also worked out secret arrangements for cooperation with NATO in wartime, so the Allies were sure that they could count on France in the event of a crisis or war."
Soldier with M53 Mask & S3P Suit
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- French Auto Injector () - Atropine///early
- ComboPen Auto Injector () - ///late
- Decontamination Glove x2 (Gant de Décontamination Chimique d'Urgence Modèle F1) - Standard Issue Decontamination Kit
- Decon soap
- Pills
Protective Mask
- M53 - Standard Issue Mask
Protective Clothing
- Protective Clothing Model 1963 (Effets De Protection Modèle 1963) - Standard Issue Disposable Suit, Early 60s to Mid 90s
- S3P () - ///Introduced in the Late 70s
Other
- Chemical Paper Model F1 (Papier D/// F1) - ///x2?
- DET INDIV F1
- Dosimeter???
Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana)[]
Soldier wearing an M59 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen Auto Injector () - 2mg Atropine x2, later x3
- ComboPen Auto Injector () - 2mg Atropine, ///
- Decontamination Packet M75 () - Standard Issue Decontamination Kit
- Pills () - What type???I have them but I keep forgetting to check the label, I believe they are anti shock
- Burn Bandage () -
- Chemical Paper () - 1 or 2 Booklets?
Protective Mask
- M59 - Standard Issue Mask
Protective Clothing
- M58 Protective Cape () - Late 50s to Mid 80s
- Italian Made Chemical Suit /Designation? () -Mid to Late 80s on
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg)[]
Soldier wearing an S6 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- Same as Belgium, it's possible they later switched to same as UK*
*In a 1980 study, the following was mentioned:
"Each man also receives 2 automatic atropine injectors (it is hoped to procure atropine and oxime injectors later); an individual dosimeter recording gamma radiation; detector papers for liquid nerve gas and mustard gas; United States water purification tablets against biological agents; chemical decontamination powder for the skin; impregnated paper towels, powder and bandages for burns."
This is the same as the Belgian Kit mentioned above (and also mentioned in the study). However with the switch to the S6 it's very possible they may have also acquired UK Kits.
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- UK Mark III Chemical Suit*
*It's possible they also used Belgian Manufactured Suits
Kingdom of the Netherlands (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)[]
Soldiers wearing the C3 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine x3?
- ComboPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine, 220mg Obidoxime Chloride x3
- HOPbus
- Depper
- Anti Shock Powder
- Chemical Paper
- Dezi
- Dosimeter
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- Mk II
- Mk III
- M78
- M82
- Chemical Suit
Kingdom of Norway (Kongeriket Norge)[]
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- Astra Auto Injector (Astra Autoinjektor) - 2mg Atropine, 150mg Obidoxime Chloride x3
- ComboPen???
- Decontamination Pad (Rensemiddel, Væskeformig Stridsgass)
- Decontamination Powder (Rensemiddel, Væskeformig Stridsgass, Flaskepakket)
- Swabs (Tvist)
- Chemical Paper (Påvisningspapir for Stridsgass)
Protective Mask
- NM-16 - Standard Issue Mask
Protective Clothing
- NM-77 Chemical Suit - ///
- NM-143 Chemical Suit - ///
Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa)[]
Soldier wear an M17 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- Same as US?*
*Portugal used US Masks & Suits so it's very likely they also used US Decontamination Kits & Injectors.
Protective Mask
- Mk V - Standard Issue Mask until adoption of the M17, still seen in training into the 80s
- M17 - Standard Issue Mask, unknown introduction date - Late 70s?
Protective Clothing
- US MOPP Suit*
*It's possible Portugal also acquired UK Mark III Suits
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK)[]
Soldier in an S6 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- Mk I -
- Mk II -
- Mk III -
- Mk IV -
United States of America (USA)[]
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine*
- ComboPen Auto Injector - ///*
- Mk 1 NAAK - ///*
- M13 -
- M258 - ///1975
- M258A1 - ///1980
*///
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- MOPP Suit -
Other
- M8 Chemical Paper -
- Dosimeter -
Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία)*[]
*"The year 1974 was also a turning point for Greece’s relations with NATO: a wave of public resentment at NATO’s inaction regarding the situation in Cyprus led to the decision of the then Prime Minister Karamanlis, a great admirer of former French President, De Gaulle, to withdraw Greece from NATO’s integrated military structure following the French precedent of 1966. Greece was still a member of the Alliance, but it would no longer participate, for instance, in staffing military headquarters or have a say in the command structure.
The government introduced a more independent and multi-dimensional foreign policy, stressing Greece’s strategic location at the crossroads of three continents. While relations were already good with the Middle East, Athens took steps to establish cordial relations with Greece’s northern neighbours and the Soviet Union. Greece returned to NATO’s integrated military structure in 1980, just before it achieved its long term objective of joining the European Economic Community on 1 January 1981. Membership of this economic club crowned the country’s efforts to integrate western European institutions.
Greece continued to work closely with its NATO Allies during the 1980s, while pursuing a multi-dimensional approach to foreign policy. Greece reached out to both blocs, if not equally, at least in principle, by wanting to be an ally of the West and a friend of the East."
Soldiers wearing M17 Masks
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- Same as US?
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- US or UK Chemical Suit?
Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti)[]
Soldiers wearing the GM30 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- Same as UK?
- M258?
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- UK Chemical Suit?
Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD))*[]
*"West Germany’s accession to NATO marked a turning point in the Cold War. Little more than one week later, on 14 May 1955, the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact, which included the German Democratic Republic (also known as East Germany). The Iron Curtain had well and truly descended, drawing a harsh and well-armed line between Western and Eastern Europe – and nowhere was this line more pronounced than in Germany."
Soldier in an M65 Mask
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine x2
- ComboPen Auto Injector - 2mg Atropine, 220mg Obidoxime Chloride x1
- NBC Self Help Set - Standard Issue Decontamination Kit
Protective Mask
- M65 - Standard Issue Mask
Protective Clothing
- Poncho -
- Chemical Suit -
Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España)*[]
*"From 1975 onwards, the country sought to open up to Euro-Atlantic affairs and play a greater role in European diplomacy. It also started to introduce reforms that profoundly modernised Spanish society. A speedy transition to democracy was set in motion while, in parallel, Spain became increasingly open to the international community. It entered the Council of Europe in 1977, joined NATO in 1982 and the European Economic Community shortly afterwards (1986)."
Note to self - change this to something better when you can
NBC & First Aid Equipment
- AtroPen?
- French Injector?
- ComboPen?
- Decontamination Glove
- Radiation Wipes?
- Chemical Paper
- Dosimeter
Protective Mask
Protective Clothing
- Spanish Made Chemical Suit - Mid to Late 80s on