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Museum of Army Transport Beverley


Kuno

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Pat Ware sent me to cover the closure of the museum and I turned up on the day the army came to take everything away and photographed them taking the vehicles out on transporters. It was a surreal experience. There were brand new massive tank transporters = the big OSHKOSH things and the smaller Atkinsons METs and a gaggle of Fodens and other stuff. I snapped the lot. I remember these blokes pushing the Gutty into a container using a big bar on the front of a DAF truck and some planks. I saw it a couple of weeks ago at Gaydon. I got a ride in the Scammell Commander which they used to pull a few things around with. The driver was a bloke they called Corporal Jones... nice bloke. There were sad sights at Beverley. Rooms of scattered bits and piles of spares and all kinds of rubbish out the back. It was depressing. I wonder where it all went? Memories....... MB

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A number have (strangely) ended up in private hands.

 

Not sure how that fits with the NAMs remit to hold the (world renown) collection for the good of the nation but there you go.

 

It is a sad affair for sure but syptomatic of the times. I will keep further opinions to myself in order to avoid getting myself into hot water!

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The sad day I was there the stuff I saw being loaded was ALL going to Donington. Anything on show elsewhere is on loan from NAM. I'd love to see a book from Wally on the history of it all - but presumably that would have to wait until the bulk of the collection finds a settled home on display, if likely? It is an interesting subject. The politics of museums is a tangled web best avoided on forums as anywhere else. I would just like to see the stuff on display again reflecting the hard work that went into to getting it all together.

 

MB

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THANK YOU MARK

 

I agree with you but l was interviewed by BBC LOOK NORTH IN 1997 where l was asked my thought on the future

of the museum collection how sad for me and the staff to see it come true six years later l still have a copy of that

interview to remind me of both sad and happy times and good friends

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The sad day I was there the stuff I saw being loaded was ALL going to Donington. Anything on show elsewhere is on loan from NAM. I'd love to see a book from Wally on the history of it all - but presumably that would have to wait until the bulk of the collection finds a settled home on display, if likely? It is an interesting subject. The politics of museums is a tangled web best avoided on forums as anywhere else. I would just like to see the stuff on display again reflecting the hard work that went into to getting it all together.

 

MB

 

Many items have been "transferred" which is not a loan it is in effect a disposal. Of course the transfer should have been (at least according to the NAMs own criteria) to a bona fide museum but that has not always been the case.

 

Thus the collection is not what it used to be.

 

Actually I think that it is high time the politics of museums, and this one in particular, were discussed - these items were purchased with taxpayers money, transferred to a collection by the MOD in good faith for future generations then, on the sad demise of Beverley, taken on by another publicly funded institution.

 

I see no reason why when times are tight that some less important items should not be exchanged for funds (although that is actually disallowed I believe in the case of the NAM) but if they are then it should be on the open market as per other ex MOD items I think. Instead there has been a piecemeal whittling down and dissipation of items which does not seem to fit any declared policy or strategic intent.

 

I am an ex senior member of the RCT/RLC and as such I feel sad that the collection is not on display. As a taxpayer I remain concerned when things mysteriously end up in private hands.

 

Perhaps we should petition the NAM to work up a proper retention policy and let us all know what it is.

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  • 1 year later...

Yes it was from sea of sand , and has retired in sunny devon .

Right l have now looked at a couple of books first LRDG GROUP BY R JENNER AND D LISTER reading it they mention the

f 3o and chev wb also on the subject of sand chanels the one in the museum had pierce planking as far as l know

it is not the type shown in the books but was around during WW 2 AS to was it from the flim sea of sand l do not know but l

do not think so as far as been on display any were in the UK l would say not

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Does anyone know where the Humber 1 ton radio body, in sand colours and the diamond t prime mover with trailer went, or who owns them ? I spent many hours looking round and loved the D day photos and models of the floating harbour.

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