antar Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Does anyone know if the Churchill gate guardian is still in place at Castlemartin and if not where is it now. I ask because I have the chassis plate off it and if it is under restoration would like to return it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Sorry I've no idea on that one, further to vanishing gateguards does anyone know where is 01 FD 05 a Chieftain formerly outside BD Metals formerly Shepards scrap yard in Newcastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rover8FFR Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 I attended a camp at Castlemartin in 2007 and the tanks were still gate guardians. As the camp is still heavily used I would be surprised if they had moved, but a lot can happen in a few years. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 bit of a fuzzy memory on this but didn't they move the churchill further into the camp, like i said it's just a vague recollection, i'll have a look on google earth eddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 there's a leopard, conqueror and a cent as gate guardians at castlemartin but no churchills, although there are two range targets ssw of the camp that look like churchills, have a look and see what you think on googlearth http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25997713 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25997691 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25997630 eddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteor mark 4B Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Cent and Conq, Romulus and Remus, but I don't know which is which! There's also a Conq on the I of W called William. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 the churchill is/was called Winston for some obscure reason:D:D and I think it always was well within the camp near the admin block. Iwas really surprised the number shown in post #1 was not overstamped as a very late model Churchill Mk7 should have been a prefered one for training -although some drawn for service in Korea were still T numbered. William the Conqueror was the lugershall gateguard. Eddy Castlemartin underwent a comprehensive clear up in the mid 1990s, it was fairly thorough as they even managed to uncover bunkers used in pre D.Day training but you never know -there wasn't supposed to be any at Barry until there was one:nut:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 I guess the only thing I can say is how did our friend Antar come by it in the first place? R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Talking about gateguards, is the Comet still outside Lulworth Camp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Talking about gateguards, is the Comet still outside Lulworth Camp? It was not there last year it been replaced by a warrior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 I always holiday in West Wales. We visited the coastal path at Castlemartin a handful of years ago and as we drove by the main gate I distinctly remember seeing a Conq because it isn't an everyday sight. There may well have been a Cent too, but it passed me by as I passed it by. If there'd been a Churchill, I am sure I'd have remembered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Wonder what happened to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antar Posted May 26, 2010 Author Share Posted May 26, 2010 I guess the only thing I can say is how did our friend Antar come by it in the first place? R About time too... I actually thought that question would be the first reply to this thread ! Many years ago a number of people some of whoom are now active members on this forum obtained permission to take parts off this gate guardian to support the restoration of the Churchill AVRE which is at the Tank Museum Bovington. As my Antar at the time resided in the yard of one of these people and I had an estate car towbar and trailer I volenteered to provide transport to Castlemartin on the day. A number of parts were removed from inside the engine bay and inside the fighting compartment, I think some of the engine deck was also removed and replaced with Plywood as well. Whilst inside I noticed that someone had previously attempted the removal of said plate with hammer and chisel(hence corner missing) probably because it is made of brass. Having the correct size of spanner in my box I removed the plate and have looked after it for at least the past 21 years in a drawer in my garage. Whilst looking for somthing in the drawer last week I came across it and remembered where it came from, and as per my post would be happy to return it if the tank is now in preservation. If the tank no longer exists I will have it mounted and used as an anually presented club trophy for best armoured vehicle or most rallied armoured vehicle from the Manchester Branch of the MVT. Anybody any objections ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 antar ...Anybody any objections ? Why should we- if a "responsible adult" wants to keep a historically vital item safe until a vehicle is put in a better place/condition then I don't think anyone can object. AlienFTM ......If there'd been a Churchill, I am sure I'd have remembered. Winston was on the plinth that the Centurion is now on for many years- opposite one of the 2 Conquerors to grace the gate. I am sure it migrated to another plinth about 2 junctions into the camp where the Leopard now sits- see the link in Eddy8men's post. If it has been recovered it may have disappeared when the Conquerors were exchanged by IWM -armour rebuilds, Jog anyones memory?:-( Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Dear Antar, no objection to your explanation whatsoever. I was pretty damned sure you would have had just cause to remove it in the first place. i just knew there had to be a story and who knows maybe even pictures of that escapade, just wanted to hear what the story was. Yes I was surprised to see that no one else had asked the obvious Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 The Cent and the Conq disappeared last year sometime:shocked::shocked:.We go on our hols down there 2 or 3 times a year and were down there 8 weeks ago and now sitting on plynths outside the gate are a Leopard 1 and a Chieftain.Think the Leopard is the one that used to reside inside the camp,dont know where the chieftain came from but there was one on a plynth down the road in Pembroke Dock which has disappeared, it may be the same one. Dont know where the cent and conq went but i,m sure someone will answer that :cool2::cool2: DaveP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 If you look at Conqueror may be destoyed thread dated 5-2-10 the Conqueror had been photographed in a compound with some M109 hard targets- causing a minor hissy fit. It may well be still on the site- I doubt it has been put out as a target as it was one recovered by IWM guys from the ranges near Colchester in the 1980s and no doubt they would have some control over its final disposal as they have on several other memorial tanks around various military estbishments. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pearson Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi Antar, I can confirm location of Castlemartin Churchill: it is in Wolverhampton, made the journey last Tuesday! I have been working to try and ensure its preservation since my helicopter pilot son spotted it amoungst a load of tagets waiting to be emplaced in Dec 2010. Technically it was owned by the Tank Museum but because of its condition (50 years one mile away from the Atlantic ocean and as you know, robbed of several parts in the 1980's) they could not justify the expence of recovery or restoration and it looked like it was to be broken up for spares, that is if the range did not get rid of it first in some spectacular fashion! I suggested that the Museum put it on long term loan to me. I would recover and return to running order at my own expence then I would have the fun of driving/using it but it would never be mine, the tank to be returned to the Museum eventually to join their running fleet. This suggestion was accepted late 2011 and it has taken until now to do recce visits and arrange collection. Transport was curtesy of Rex Cadman or War and Peace fame (at very much less than it cost him, I am sure) and Baldwyn's crane hire, Newport South Wales who stepped in when the original crane company phoned the day before the lift to cancel. Antar, if you still have the plate, can I have it to marry them up again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Great news John! HMVF can now boast five Normandy 'Period' British service Gun Tanks (I know an M10 is not a Tank, but nevermind) on it's members restoration list.... Adrian B's: Sherman V, Adrian S's: M10c, Rick's: Cromwell, and now John's: Churchill VII IIRC Ricks Churchill is an AVRE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pearson Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Great news John!HMVF can now boast five Normandy 'Period' British service Gun Tanks (I know an M10 is not a Tank, but nevermind) on it's members restoration list.... Adrian B's: Sherman V, Adrian S's: M10c, Rick's: Cromwell, and now John's: Churchill VII IIRC Ricks Churchill is an AVRE? Sorry, would love to claim Normandy connection but ......... This Churchill was one of the last but one batches completed and rolled off the line in August 1945. It was fitted with tropical air intakes for service in the Far East but the atomic bomb put paid to that plan. It went straight into store at Ashchurch (believed) and stayed there until 1958 when it went along with lots more to Castlemartin as targets. It was luckier than its brothers however and ended up on a plinth until 2009 when it was shifted into the new targets line by the vehicle washdown, fate uncertain. This means it is NOS and has probably never moved under its own power except to climb off the production line and onto rail transport in 1945! It is identical to the Churchills used in Korea so will probably end up with those markings but as they still seemed to have used T numbers and wartime "heraldic" trackguard markings, few people will realise it is not pretending to be a wartime vehicle. That is a VERY long time in the future however! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 i'm glad you finally got your churchill. i look forward to seeing the resto. i'd also like to say that there aren't many guys about who would take on the challenge of restoring a churchilll to running condition and then agree to hand it back to the tank museum. good on yer mate rick ps. stop keeping us in suspenders and post a few pics of the old girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pearson Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 i'm glad you finally got your churchill. i look forward to seeing the resto. i'd also like to say that there aren't many guys about who would take on the challenge of restoring a churchilll to running condition and then agree to hand it back to the tank museum. good on yer mate rick ps. stop keeping us in suspenders and post a few pics of the old girl Don't know how to post pics! I may need to send them by email to Big Al and get him to do it for me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_shadock Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) hello, I would love to get a recent photo of the ex-Castlemartin Churchill. John, I just sent you a private message, I could publish your photos on my own website, if you send them on my email address. thanks Pierre-Olivier Edited July 10, 2012 by the_shadock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Don't know how to post pics! I may need to send them by email to Big Al and get him to do it for me!! Well I do have some time on my hands at present !:cheesy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Sorry, would love to claim Normandy connection but ......... Didn't mean to cause confusion John, I meant vehicle type used in Normandy, rather anything with a direct link to your machine. I don't think many preserved vehicles today can track their exact history to that period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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