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REME Historic Vehicle Collection, Bordon


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Back in March on a bitterly cold windy day, I was fortunate to be able to visit the very extensive REME Historic Vehicle Collection which is housed within the SEME base at Bordon. On arrival I was greeted by ex-REME (though to them they are never EX-REME!) Roger Jones who looks after the Collection. Expecting to follow him to a car park, I was amazed to find that we drove into this huge building. Before arriving I had no idea exactly how large the collection was and my first sighting was a bit mind blowing!

 

The complete collection (unfortunately missing the Mighty Antar - my favourite vehicle of the 60s from seeing them trundling around the Aldershot area when I was at school) can now be viewed on my website by following this link:

 

http://www.airmuseums.fotopic.net/c1833123.html

 

Depsite the size of the building, the vehicles are not easy to photograph due to the roof glazing and the fact that there was no lighting (or heating!) on the day of my visit.

 

Being on an active Army base, the Collection is not open to the public except by special arrangement and during the summer months, some vehicles are not on site as they are taken to various events and rallies so that the public can see some of those that are in working order.

 

My thanks to Roger for the welcome and allowing the solo visit.

Edited by simonsfotos
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we have been privalidged to have visited the museum several times (its always flippin cold in there!) it never fails to amaze me and the cubelets love it as they are actually allowed to climb on/over and in everything! Roger has displayed at our show (Overlord) on several occassions but I know his wife has been ill and so has been unable to show up recently

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Interesting stuff - their 101 (01 SP 17) looks like a prototype to me, so quite rare. The front end is different and I'm sure I remember reading that the prototypes suffered from dented panels under the windscreen when airlifted, due to the lifting strops from under the front bumper, so the shape of the production ones was changed.

 

Jeez I know some useless trivia :nut:

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Interesting stuff - their 101 (01 SP 17) looks like a prototype to me, so quite rare.

 

Check out the April issue of CMV, there is an article with reference to the five prototypes, this number being the last one. They were fitted with the Rover six cylinder car engine, hence why the front sticks out more than the production 101.

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:-)

What is the future for the collection? and the Museum, Bordon camp is due to close, there are plans to re develope the site, Arborfield barracks too are closing too, and moving to a new complex in Hereford?

 

I heard a while back that Bordon was to be Moved. But i thought that had been cancelled?

The school site has been owned by Vosper Thornycroft for a few years now.

Guess they want to reshuffle & attempt to save Money as they are a Business!

It will probably end up costing more than it will save, as ususal! :nut:

What a great pity if it does close. It has been the Home of R.E.M.E almost since it's inception.

I have served & visited it at Bordon Many, Many times. Ah, happy memories.....:-)

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Reference Arborfield and Bordon particularly as regards the Museum and Vehicle Collection, I'm afraid I don't know. Once I've finished updating the Arborfield photos and let them know that they are done, I'll get in contact and try and find out what the future holds. It would be a real shame to see the museum have to move as they have put so much work into how it looks now and as for the vehicle collection, well you can see from the photos what a fascinating collection it is. To see that dispersed would be a tragedy.

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What is the future for the collection? and the Museum, Bordon camp is due to close, there are plans to re develope the site, Arborfield barracks too are closing too, and moving to a new complex in Hereford?

 

"Hereford" were did you hear that? maybe try St Athan, the plan is to move both SEAE and SEME as per the link

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9A40F7A2-F522-4E7C-99A6-76198DACB41D/0/prefer_bid_announce_army.pdf

 

Last I heard was they were going to build an all singing all dancing museum on the site at St Athan to accomodate all sections of the REME museum, but not sure if that plan is still going ahead. The St Athan site will be a Tri Service training school but the biggest hurdle was/is recovery training and were they were going to site it.

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"Hereford" were did you hear that? maybe try St Athan, the plan is to move both SEAE and SEME as per the link

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9A40F7A2-F522-4E7C-99A6-76198DACB41D/0/prefer_bid_announce_army.pdf

 

Last I heard was they were going to build an all singing all dancing museum on the site at St Athan to accomodate all sections of the REME museum, but not sure if that plan is still going ahead. The St Athan site will be a Tri Service training school but the biggest hurdle was/is recovery training and were they were going to site it.

 

Damm shame if S.E.M.E is moved! I personaly hope it IS cost prohibitive! This a HUGE, Major Logistic Move! Please do keep us all updated with any info you do come accross please Reccymech!

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Already done the REME Museum at Arborfield - mainly just the vehicles on there at the moment but the gallery photos are to follow when I get the chance to add them.

 

Here's the link:

http://www.airmuseums.fotopic.net/c1742004.html

 

Excellent museum.

 

Nice site. The Austin K9 ambulance in the collection is in fact the BMC vehicle put forward as a replacement for the K9. i can't remeber the designation. It's in bit of a state, though.

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I think that the Tea Wagon was not actually owned by the museum along with some of those that I photographed that were outside. The reason for this guess is that I noticed the wagon and some others up for sale in CMV some months ago. Me being me though, if it's there the camera gets pointed at it!

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Nice site. The Austin K9 ambulance in the collection is in fact the BMC vehicle put forward as a replacement for the K9. i can't remeber the designation. It's in bit of a state, though.

 

Its official designation was FV16013 Truck, 1 ton, Ambulance, 4x4 Austin ( Multi-Fuel), the engine was a BMC diesel, adapted to multi fuel. There were very few made and by all accounts very noisy and slow, for an ambulance.

 

Austin and Morris were amalgamated under BMC by this time it is true, but it was badged as an Austin.

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That's certainly the exact position that was stated on the board that was in front of it when I took the photo hence the reason I gave it the Austin designation. All the vehicles owned by the Collection have explanation boards but obviously I can't put all the detail in the captions to the photos.

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Clive,

 

Just come across the handbook for one and I see it says "Series 3". This relates to the civilian model that the cab is based on, a longer bonneted version of the Loadstar, which, was Series 2 ( as K9 ).

 

I take it that apart from being slow and noisy, it either failed trials or they decided on the Landrover. As fot the K9 ambulance, I see shots of RAF ones, but I'm sure that the Army ones had different bodywork. At least the one in the Hebrides (1970 - as a temporary replacement for our Bedford J1) did. Is there an ex-Army one out there??

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Richard, yes Series III surprised me when I first saw it. Unfortunately I don't have the Spec for FV16013 but I do have this one:

 

App2388.jpg

 

Interesting historical point is that the Ministry of Supply has been blotted out. It is commonly supposed that the MOS was abolished following the 1963 White Paper "The Central Organisation for Defence" which lead to the formation of the MOD.

 

In fact the MOS was abolished in October 1959. The folder for this document was printed in June 1959 & includes the MOS. But the final Specification was issued in August 1960 hence the deletion of the MOS on the front.

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The folder for this document was printed in June 1959 & includes the MOS. But the final Specification was issued in August 1960 hence the deletion of the MOS on the front.

 

Clive,

 

The user handbook was issued in Jan. 1961 and listing two contracts for Cargo trucks and another for Ambulances. A note inside said that the second Cargo contract was in early stages of production as the book was being written and they could have changes in them. Also I note in the Associated Publications list, that they have included Technical Folder for these vehicles, stating "For User Trials, issued Sept. 1960". I did see an ambulance in service in very early 1960's.

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  • 12 years later...

In 1961 I was in Bordon camp having completed 8 month course at Norton Manor Taunton. This was for workshop practice. The Civvy instructor asked me which vehicle I would like to work on! A land rover or a champ. One look under the bonnet of the champ made up my mind --- rover. Also introduced but not allowed to touch 1 tonne Austin multi fuel!  My final work there involved Bedford RL. Gearbox out, just before Xmas break. Had the standard one piece overalls with a 9/16 spanner in the breast pocket. Learnt forward and you got it spanner dropped into gearbox,!!. Thought I'll get that after Xmas. Come January. Vehicle had gone. Didn't say a lot about that!!! But great time.

 

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