Bob Grundy Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 We are still on the Churchills for now, The photos were taken circa 1987 at the latest and were all on what you are calling Churchill Ridge. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Bob grundy what you are calling Churchill Ridge Hi Bob As I don't have a range map I'm just using "the churchill ridge" as a short hand to orientate what we are talking about, certainly wouldn't want to call it after that annoying insurance dog!:cheesy: I know the main tank range was N November ridge, because it had a big wooden N at one end, the only others I know are X -to the south of N Ridge and Y? to the north of N ridge (near the wood to the east of right of way from Moor house) at least I think it was Y it had been knocked about by a shell or three. The Churchill 4 seems to have a 17* in blue on the back it probably isn't a brigade number as it's on the wrong side. Your photos show that almost all of these Churchills were gun tanks as opposed to the Bridglayers mentioned earlier in the thread that probably went straight onto the main tank ridges. steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 John Pearson and the RN helicopter pilot, so you can see how long ago this was taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 The turreted Mk4 could well be the upturned re-enforced hull tank shown in Eddy8mans post #3. Excellent photos obviously a lot of the Churchills were removed even in 5 years or so between 1987 and 1992, your photos show two lines. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 another pic from from sunny warcop showing the mk4 which is 500m due north from the 5 churchill wrecks on the hill this is without a doubt the best of the bunch when it comes to a possible restoration project and i'm sure someone will pull it off the hill one day,well i hope so anyway, it would be nice to see another churchill restored. all the best eddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 This was in the western area of Warcop, man shown is David Herbert he owns (or did) a Ram. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 It could help if the 9mm is on its last energy.A WW2 veteran I know went home for rest. His mother unpacked his small pack and found a bullit in his messtin, he never noticed it. I found a few 'Unusual things' in MY messtin after one of the cooks had filled them!........:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 It could help if the 9mm is on its last energy.A WW2 veteran I know went home for rest. His mother unpacked his small pack and found a bullit in his messtin, he never noticed it. I found a few 'Unusual things' in MY messtin after one of the cooks had filled them!........:cool2: Dare I ask what it was? :-X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Two more; a M10 high on the fell and Ferret Mk4 all from 1987 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Great pic of an early M10 very similar to the one shown in Adrian Barrells recent restoration thread, same vee style turret complete add on armour bolts, but fitted with a rounded final drive possibly this is where it was in 1992. It left a piece of track behind when it was pulled off, there was also a section of right side plate complete with the aerial socket nearbye. Steve track 48.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 great photo's guys keep em coming, i wonder if that piece of track is still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 A Cent that is probably long gone............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Found some more of Warcop. As you can tell it is a Centurion.........and a sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 (edited) it would have been nice to be there in the eighties and nineties as access seems to have been more relaxed than these days, i spoke to the commandant for the training areas around catterick about getting access in november last year and to say he was not keen would have been an understatement, maybe i caught him on a bad day, anyway he left me in no doubt as to the outcome of any future requests, but i'll keep plugging away these vehicles are part of our armoured heritage, our fathers and grandfathers fought in these very same vehicles and i believe it's our duty to preserve them. eddy Edited April 24, 2010 by eddy8men Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Now this is what I like to see, the end of another Saracen............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolman Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 That tyre looks salvagable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted April 24, 2010 Author Share Posted April 24, 2010 anyone need running gear for the marcus glenn sexton ? this is from the achilles shown on the first page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 eddy8men ........ our fathers and grandfathers fought in these very same vehicles and i believe it's our duty to preserve them. eddy Hi Eddy if you could restore/prserve the Cent shown in post #88 22-04-10 I'd be mega impressed;). The Catterick bods are far more interested in preserving ancient hedge rows on Feldom at the moment to bother with sorting out the problem of no longer active targets despite the fact that by failing to remove redundant targets imperil the very SSIs that presently they are fixated. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 eddy8men ...........this is from the achilles shown on the first page I looked at this one in 1992,- there was some demand for an intact idle at that time practically everything on it had been bent by A/P and HESH rounds, the idler was seized solid and I suspect the bogie was distorted by hits which split the lower hull just forward of the bogie. Apart from that it was pulled down from high ground and abandoned in bogy ground. The other two M10s further east weren't any better, but its a miracle they lasted so long. I see Warcops weather is true to form:-D Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) hi steve just another sunny day in cumbria :-) you were right when you said the achilles was pretty much trashed and not so surprising when you consider how long it's been on that hill.i did actually try to move the idler but like you said it was solid but if that's the only idler around then you'd have to mend and make do i suppose, i know i'd have it if they let me but then i'd have anything if it was free, (it's the skip rat within me), i'm the type of guy that leaves a tip with more gear than i came in with all the best eddy Edited April 25, 2010 by eddy8men Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankie1rtr Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Hi Guys. Well I am new to the forum and this is my first posting, I am ex 1RTR and in 1971 we were up at Warcop with Chieftain Mk2, we were on the firing point, (I cant remember which one as memory dims with time) but on the hillside there was a Conqueror MBT, I cant remember the exact date but I do remember all firing had to cease because Princess Anne was going to fly over the range in a helicopter, (wonder if any of you other guys were there on that day) well we got the go ahead to fire again, I remember laying on with the fire orders and the target was a Conqueror, we had loaded with HESH, (I would never do this again if I tried) I snapped out "Firing Now" and squoze the trigger, I watched the HESH round arc through the air and watched it go straight into the Commanders Cupola it looked as though it went straight in without touching the sides, well thats how it looked through my scope, I have always remembered the Conq, wonder whats left of it now, I remeber it was about 11 oclock from the firing point, another thing I remember is a little hut, and a hardboard tank would wobble across from right to left towards this little hut, obviously it was on a chain or something, another thing that comes to light was, we had to do guard duty that night and we couldnt put out green maggot out because of sheep crap, there was not one square foot that was free, so we laid out for the night on top of a small brick hut, I think it was a point ammo compound, If anybody else remembers these points, would love to hear from you. Best Wishes to all tankie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Hi tankie, welcome to the madhouse and good to hear your remeniscences, keep them coming! My Cromwell is ex-1RTR though before your time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 tankie1rtr I have always remembered the Conq, wonder whats left of it now, I remeber it was about 11 oclock from the firing point, another thing I remember is a little hut, and a hardboard tank would wobble across from right to left towards this little hut, obviously it was on a chain or something, Hi Tankie1rtr Depends which firing point -there are/were several mobile target ranges on Warcop and there could be still remains of a conq. on the range and probably are still small bits/unidentified hull remains around just as there are still the remains of line of Churchills in the middle of the site, anywhere reasonably accessable was regularly cleared of scrap and most of the active heavy targets are Chieftains. Back in 1992 the only Conqueror I saw was the very badly knocked about Conqueror ARV Mk1 (shown in earlier posts) which was in the vicinity of the rifle ranges on the west of the site near high Lane (the semi-public road between the A66 and Hylton), it was a long stop for 30mm A/P Scimitar firing from positions south of the lane. About a year prior to it had been set up on its side with it floor plates as a large target, by 2000 it had been cleared away. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 A battered M4A1 Gizzly having a road wheel removed by the gas axe for The Tank Museum c.1986. wagon on the right is a Leyland Hippo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Hi Bob Interesting pic, about the most battered Grizzly I've seen- surprised anything was salvageable Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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