Hi i am new to the forum and i am a local historian revealing the local military past of the Woolmer Forest area of Bordon Hampshire. I have discovered a moving target range locally plus other locations unknown, this one on MOD land once used by the Canadian tank crews in the area for coaxial machine gun practice before they moved on to the next stage of tank gunnery practice using live rounds on a range in Wales or Norfolk.The range in question is in the shape of a large Z, 500 yards long x 400 yards wide, with two banks with rail tracks on the top with the trolley moving left to right etc. one at the front 200 yards from firing point, the one at the back at 500 yard, the diagonal track in a trench moving away and towards the firing point at an angle about 400 yards in length. The 3 trolleys operated by cable winch from a winch house using telephone and flag communication. The range is now in the hand of MOD archaeologist, operation Nightingale who didn't know it existed. In the Canadian diaries of the tank crews who used this range, referred to it as the 30 yard range. I am a bit confused what the 30 yard range means, its in the RAC training pamphlet 1942 after Pellet practice chapter but its not really clear about 30 yard range following. I thought the 30 yard was a range they used like a puff range in a mock up tank using models and a diorama the other was that they zeroed the coaxial machine gun with the main gun at 30 yards so the machine gun round would have a near trajectory like the main gun. This range used full scale tank targets made of wood or canvas etc. Its not a small range its as large as the live ranges they went on to used. After Normandy the use of the range dwindled till the end of hostilities and blended away in the undergrowth which save it being demolished by the MOD in later years. Can anyone help?
Still trying to work out this 30 yard range mystery. What is the range of the indoor pellet and puff ranges, are they 30 yards? Or is a 30 yard range an open range using the coaxial machine gun. Would a 30 yard range be incorporated or used on or near the above full sized moving target range above. I think i may have the answer but i am trying to pick brains as well.
I've really got no idea. My best guess is that it would be for training for close defence against attacking infantry e.g. with bazookas or magnetic mines etc. Which would probably mean firing the Thompson or Sten gun from the commander's or loader's hatches while the tank is moving. That really is only a guess though.
It's been a long timesince I've looked at it, but doesn't the HMSO booklet on the RAC deal with the training?
The 1937 Small Arms Training pamphlet describes the method of attachment of the .22 SMLE training rifle to the Boys ATR. These were used for training in anti tank fire using 25 and/or 30 yard miniature rifle ranges. The means of attachment is described in Appendix III.—Attachment for A.Tk. Rifle for Adapting a .22-in. Rifle Instructions for the use and assembly of the attachment. Probably a similar use of sub calibre training weapons was used for tank gunners
I may have solved the 30 yard range mystery which seems to be staring in me in the face. The range i am looking at in the photo is a large coaxial machine-gun range about 500 yards long by 400 yards wide in the shape of a large Z, a front and rear rail narrow gauge tracked bank and a diagonal angled track that the trolly sits and runs along in a trench to protect it from machine gun fire. The Canadians called it the 30 yard range (which is causing the confusion) as it seems to be located as you enter the range itself firing into a small bank which i thought was the firing point for the larger coaxial range. After 30 yard training you would move further into the range to do the coaxial training on the moving targets. After analysis studying the photo, it seems this range has two ranges, 30 yard and coaxial. Hopefully confusion solved. The 30 yard range is just a normal 30 yard open range and not something else. If you look at the photo of the range you will see the moving coaxial tracked banks marked red and its firing point area marked yellow. The blue is the butts of the 30 yard range. The light long patch next to the middle red mark denoting the diagonal track is where they levelled off the ground as the topography of the range slopes from right to left and dips down on a incline slightly looking into the range. The next photo shows the entrance to the range, the track from the village marked in yellow passes a red mark which you can just about see, this is the raised firing point about 5- 6 feet high made of brick which looks like a bunker pill box, but its not, its solid. This would accommodate 3 or 4 Bren carriers or a tank driven from behind situated on top. The white square next to it is a shelter with seating for 10 or 20 blokes. Behind, hidden under the trees is a row of toilets, both seating and toilets long gone. Back towards the village behind the red marked firing point is a large target shed with office hidden under the trees. The green line is the railway track, the top half is a rail cutting with huge banks either side. To get into the range you cross a level crossing and either move around the s shaped road feature or in front of the 30 yard range in front of the bank butts marked in blue from another point as you enter the range from the crossing. Hopefully i assume it is a 30 yard range, and the firing point for this marked red or in the area just before the butts marked blue, is one or either. The next photo shows the range just further in, the blue the 30 yard butts showing 4 i assume target holders? (hopefully i am right in my assumption) and marked in yellow the firing point area or another area slightly down below the 30 yard butts as the firing points for the coaxial machine gun range. Your opinions would be appreciated, what do you think bearing in mind this was a range used by the Canadians, so not sure if they carried out their training in a different way.
