Bovington Tank Museum reserve collection

[ArtistsRifles]

if this is of real interest to readers I will see what I can do - the chair of the friends is in my MVT group and should be able to pull the right strings

 

BTW I have been a continuous member of the friends since 1987 but do not do any work down there as I can only go at weekends and they have more volunteers than they can cope with at weekends and get very selective about who they want in the workshops

 

I would think that might be an understatement!!! I for one would love to go and I'm guessing most of the posters here would too!! :-)

[Richard Farrant]

With regard to the Churchill Gun carrier -BTW excellent photo Meteor 4B, can anyone advise where exactly it came from- I was told folkstone -which I thought would be Lydd ranges and although this range had some Churchills in the late 1980-90s I am not certain about this. any ideas :???

 

Steve

 

Steve,

 

Lydd Ranges are quite distance from Folkestone. The four Churchills were unearthed from army training ground at Arpinge, which is North West of Folkestone, just to the West of the old Hawkinge aerodrome.

 

Lydd did have the odd Churchill there when I used to go down to work on vehicles at the ranges in 1980's and 90's All gone now I understand.

[steveo578]

thanks Richard

 

i had a look through the fence at lydd (the west end -where the old rail sections were) in the early 1990s didn't see anything significant - in my mind it isn't that far from folkstone because I was driving from Windsor to Folkstone to get a couple of motors rebuilt and is the only military range I was aware of in the area.

 

Steve

[Richard Farrant]

thanks Richard

 

i had a look through the fence at lydd (the west end -where the old rail sections were) in the early 1990s didn't see anything significant - in my mind it isn't that far from folkstone because I was driving from Windsor to Folkstone to get a couple of motors rebuilt and is the only military range I was aware of in the area.

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

 

Yes I see your point there, actaully there is another range nearer to Folkestone on the coast, Hythe, which has a long history. It was home to the School of Musketry, ( later years, School of Infantry until moved to Warminster ). Where the Churchills were, it was army training ground, but during the war was used for live firing.

[diver99]

It would be nice if there was some form of concerted programme for the preservation of this stuff, some time ago a Churchill 3in gun carrier (visible in one photo) was rescued in Kent but almost 10 years on it is still in the same condition as it was when it was tipped off the transporter -it's not really on display to the public many of it brothers have disappeared elsewhere and very little effort seems to be expended on the holes in the wartime list -need I mention Cavalier, Centaur, Challenger and no doubt that Sherman hulk represents the thousands of Shermans in British service, OK I know they have a MkV 17pdr but a standard MkIII or V would be nice considering the number that were in service, or do they suffer from a niave delusion that one day a private owner might donate a Sherman to the museum, without making an effort.

 

Meanwhile summer 2010 Tracklink (page 10) manages to report the museums own exhibit Sherman IIIAY (M4A2 76 HVSS) as a 17pdr armed Sherman Firefly:shocked:

 

I think I'll go and have a lie down or I might cause my blood pressure to go off scale:(

 

Steve

 

Steve, your blood pressure may go a little higher. If memory serves there are seven shermans in the museum. Right at the back of the 'scrap' yard is a sherman recovery, slowly and surely rusting away. The vehicles in the sheds are protected from leaky roofs by the thick layers of dust.

[diver99]

Had a look through the fence on Tuesday while holidaying in the area. Most of the those vehicles are still there.

 

The vehicles will be getting cleared out from this area. A new building project will necessitate that afrea being cleared for a new car park. The scrap man cometh!

[Jack]

 

Reserve Collection.

Someone organise a visit, I'm sure lots of us would like to go, perhaps John could ask the right people on our behalf? Jack hasn't got time to do everything.

 

 

Just hang in there until Pathfinder Online is launched - as a member of it - you will get members days........ 'ain't' saying too much at the moment :whistle: :coffee: :pfrt::readpaper::cellphone:

Edited October 29, 2010 by Jack
updated.

[happydayz123]

Iv'e just read in this months military machines magazine.That the Bovington tank museum are hoping to build a new 40,000sq ft building intended to provide insulated storage for up to 120 vehicles."The new building will be publicly accessible,making these normally off display vehicles visible to all visitors for the first time ever".Great news.

[Enigma]

Iv'e just read in this months military machines magazine.That the Bovington tank museum are hoping to build a new 40,000sq ft building intended to provide insulated storage for up to 120 vehicles."The new building will be publicly accessible,making these normally off display vehicles visible to all visitors for the first time ever".Great news.

 

That does sound good!!

[challenger]

Heard last year that the trustees of the Tank Museum have decided that if an item cannot be displayed then it is to go. So maybe the scrap man really is coming.