Bovington Visit 2020

Discussion in 'WW2 Museums. Events, & places to see.' started by von Poop, Sep 5, 2020.

  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Don't stray from the path.
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    No, really. Don't.

    Herein a slew of dreary/random pics from Bovington a week or two back.
    (With apologies that some look like they were taken with a potato, but I increasingly cannot be arsed to get the real camera out.)
    Sadly, the Vehicle Conservation Centre was closed due to Covid nonsense, so a large part of the modern point of visiting there evaporated on arrival, but it's always interesting seeing how the place evolves.

    The outside range wreck stuff has been tidied up quite a bit.

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    Must check if this is the turret discussed recently.
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    Someone asked about Bison thickness. Maybe on Twitter.
    This thick.
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    A beast so magnificent it must be kept caged.
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    Though on peering around the back, you quickly see why it's not exactly top of their easier restorations list...
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    I don't know why BARVs attract me so, though it might now have something to do with there being a ladder inside.
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  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    'Things that no other museum has, or can have'.
    Not as accesible as it once was, but still nicely presented & looking very neat & tidy.
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    Remains of the steering gear.
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    Really rather beautifully presented FT.
    Not sure if this is a direct result of the Weald chaps showing an interest during recent restorations, but it's in fine nick & looks spiffy in nearly black.
    Mild steel prototype.
    Nice plaque.
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    Lt. Sewell's Whippet 'Ceasar II'.
    More on his action here: Cecil H Sewell VC - victoriacross
    Another nice plaque. Pleasing contemporary lettering.
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    What gets me while looking at Lanchesters; is the size of the bloody things.
    Sometimes drift into thinking they match RRs in type, but not really. Quite the intimidating presence when indulging in Imperial skirmishings.
    A Mark II.
    Last of its kind.
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    Wonder if this is more 'towing damage' as anyone who's seen Little Willie's front might recall.
    Picturing the same driver of a Cent ARV or similar doing both on the same day. Though this machine is actually armoured, so who knows.
    Mark II (last of its kind, again). Oldest surviving tank that saw combat.
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    Look at it!
    Quite magnificent.
    Just what a top country should be exporting in the early C20th.
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    I love this B1.
    Mostly as it's so original. Well... at least to its secondary owners' scheme. (The only German Panzer division never to see combat. Very wise.)
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    No idea what this crap on the wheels is?
    Lazy second owner Zimmerit effort?
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    Blitzkrieg.
    Again, looking very neat & tidy. Would've made a nice gentleman's racing tank if it hadn't been fielded by such a distasteful lot of chaps.
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    Stylish.
    Whether or not you'd want to fight in one (or any other tank), they were really very nicely made.
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    This would've been a much better pic of 131's rear, but I had to crop out Capt. S's waving hand. So blame him.
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  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Some sort of BFG.
    I mean, really big FG.
    Again, you sort of forget the size of the larger PaKs. (And how elegant the Cruciform was for BFGs over split trail. I don't fancy handling the thing in this configuration.)
    This one stood outside the School of Infantry at Warminster until the late 90s.
    Note Fishwife still feigning interest at least 20 minutes in. Well done.
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    There really aren't enough 34/76s in this world.
    FB chap attempting to get one running: T-34/76 Tank Restoration
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    Bovington's Panthers are British, and sort of postwar.
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    Arty wank.
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    Armour thickness. For reasons.
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    How to put a plaque on a tank.
    And no apology for a sterling job done by hard-working & serious people.
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    Bit weird, but wanted a shot of that remarkably thick front armour.
    Again, for reasons.
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    Something something arty wank.
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    Pleasingly the WW1 hall hasn't changed one bit. Still the same dramatic diorama & unique stuff.
    Think this might be the most impressive part of Bov's collection. Nobody else has that almost complete set of 100+ year old tanks.

    Became fascinated by steering gear.
    Might have to dig books out & re-understand exactly what was going on here.
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    More plaque.
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    This thing's just beautiful.
    They really should have it driving about outside constantly emptying belts into assorted targets, but don't.
    Is that a tyre pump strapped to the front right fork?
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  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    International. With Capt. S hiding. (Not sure why... the weirdo was wearing a mask anyway).
    Best memory of taking this shot was a little kid shouting BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG into the dismounted gun in the foreground. His brother lay tragically killed just below the barrel.
    Plus ça change.
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    The wide skirted hang of the thing...
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    I would like to break the glass & steal these things.
    Amazing how that veneer of civilisation holds up really.
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    Woof woof.
    Attempted to understand its controls. Couldn't.
    110 years old... There ain't half been some clever bastards, never assume past people were unsophisticated, etc. etc.
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    It remains a great shame that Independent still sits in stygian gloom, though I imagine the magnificent scale of the thing doesn't exactly make for easy movement.
    Darkness means these shots have even more of a Maris Piper feel. The first a panorama that actually looks almost OK when fully rendered.
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    I've been told that it is 'all there' & thus a not unreasonable candidate for running restoration.
    This I would very much like to see. (Understatement.)
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    Yes, I know; interesting piece of history, but the first thought that hit was 'I wonder how much that bloody thing's worth?..'
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    Yeah, tell me again how the UK was just sat on its arse & deliberately not working exceptionally hard to improve its tanks over a few years of desperate & complex war. It's really fascinating, and not at all bollocks.
    I liked that they'd done this, as I used to look at the Pz.I to JagdTiger line up & marvel at how quickly things developed.
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    Her Majesty's Armoured Car.
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    Arty wank RR interior.
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  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    The one you've doubtless been waiting for.
    Just magnificent.
    I clambered about underneath it to see if I could find the entrance hatch underneath, but it looks possible that in recreating it they didn't bother.
    What this potential omission means for the future defence of our nation only time will tell.
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    Nice Italian thing.
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    The Jagdpanther paint controversy.
    Painting the Jagpanther - The Tank Museum
    Shows how rusty I am, as I thought it was probably some weirdly authentic late war pattern.
    Duh. Apparently.
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    Dunno why the Stug was fenced off so.
    Presumably protecting that patina, but it did look sort of quarantined.
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    Poor old TOG had been Covided into a corner even more than usual, sat behind a bin with a pile of moved stuff next to it so it was hard to get a proper look.
    Shameful treatment. They should restore it to running & firing order as some sort of apology.
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    The traditionally bloody-hard-to-photograph heavy side of the Tamiya hall.
    The Fishwife thought it looked silly.
    Told her she looked silly.
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    This looks silly.
    We agreed on that at least.
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    From the ridiculous to the sublime:
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    Rare view of one not lying upside-down having fallen out of an aircraft.
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    The really irritating thing about this, is that no matter how much you grasp its strengths & flaws, that it was essentially 'just another tank' etc. etc. - In the flesh you can't help being impressed by it.
    All the Tiggerish things seem to have benefited from tarting up for that exhibition. No sign of the 'Porsche' II. Might be in the VCC. Might be on tour following the Elefant loan.
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  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    There's a big RTR-captured Swastika flag there.
    Don't recall seeing it before but that probably reflects more on my memory than anything.
    Should have got better pictures, but became fascinated by the battle honours & forgot.
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    Neat & tidy.
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    I like this thing quite a lot.
    Maybe as I can think of so many uses for flamethrowers.
    Whether I'd trust a 75 year old flamethrower with Italian electrics... not sure.
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    Assuming this is the II that stood outside for a long time?
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    Their only Japanese tank.
    The one with the little rivet doorbell.
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    Seem to have a penchant for taking pictures of vehicle rears.
    This at least is quite a nice one.
    Dim memory says it was only ever used for driver training.
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    Things the Germans got right.
    Were there an exhibition of as many 8-Rads they could gather up, I would visit it.
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    Cutaway Russki frying pan thing.
    T55(?) apparently built that way from day one for crew instruction.
    Nice that it has one of their internal notes attached saying how much fuel is in it, so presumably a runner?
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    An exhibit that crops up so often, I thought I'd try and get some clear shots of it.
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    Needing no introduction.
    I have marvelled at this since I was a kid.
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    What's really irritating is that I got clearer shots in museum light using a phone than the handful I took with a proper SLR.
    Dunno if out of practice or just that phone sensors & software now sooo good, but know I'm not alone in aforesaid cannot-be-arsedness with proper camers.
    Or maybe I just need a new, shiny, NFC, WiFi camera...

    Not suitable for high winds.
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    Sure they've put this in next to the second war stuff just to make it all look a bit inadequate.
    'Modern' ones are big. 'Heavy' has been re-defined.
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    Might sort some videos out.
    Not sure of quality.

    And then we went to the shop.
    Despite being primed to purchase shiny books, I bought nothing. Recommend checking prices on their online shop as they beat the physical shop for a few things, which is a bit odd.
    Nice sarnies in the cafe, though. Pretty high marks all around for them.

    Bovington.
    It's still great, even when the face coverings & assorted other bollocks of our current times interfere.

    (And cheers to Capt. S for treating us. You really didn't have to, mate. The next pink fruity vomit Lambics are on us.)
     
  7. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Really great pictures and a real good job on captions and narratives too.

    Thanks!
     
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  8. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Last edited: Sep 6, 2020
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  9. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Very entertaining report, much appreciated.... you undeniably have a certain amount of "Panzer-DNA" imprinted to your genotype :lol:
    I´m a bit envious for the Tiger 131 as the specimen next to me in Munster is just an oversized Tamiya model kit.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2020
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  10. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Deutsches Panzer Museum Munster: Even as a Tamiya model kit, scale 1/1 ... it's still looking impressive:

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    Last edited: Sep 6, 2020
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  11. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    I suspect that is the Churchill Mk II that was outside. I'll check if I have a photo from 2018/19 so we can compare. But good job if they did rescue it from the rain!
     
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  12. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    If you had flipped the turret of the FT17 you would have found a giant ink well... FT17.jpg
     
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  13. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    What mark was the Churchill outside that they used to let small boys clamber over ? (It must have been 1971, I think).

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  14. idler

    idler GeneralList

  15. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Ah cheers, not wartime as such then.
     
  16. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    "impression factor" in comparison:
    Tamiya 1:16 - RC kit, movable turret, metal tracks, shooting simulator, easily transportable, affordable
    Munster 1:1 - just stands around, gathers huge amounts of dust, totally unwieldy, abysmal price/performance ratio
    Conclusion: Japanese are building the better German tank models "万歳 !" :ninja:
     
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  17. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    Great photos. The 'Porsche' Königstiger is currently on loan to the Soesterberg museum in The Netherlands.
     
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  18. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Well, I think it is the same Churchill which they gave it a fresh coat of paint...but no markings? :(

    The right-hand track has a link which is stuck up a little bit and you can see that is the same in both photos,

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  19. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Jagdtiger walkaraound.
    I don't use the phone video much, so dunno... Looks OK.


    Stug.


    Type 95:


    Cent Cutaway

     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2020
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  20. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    Great pictures of great stuff.

    1. I don't care what anyone says, I love the Locust.
    2. Some of these things (the Char B, the Italian flamethrower, the Stug, etc.) are in such weary-looking condition that I am surprised they are on display. They look very much as if they need to go back in the shop.
    3. Footnote about the Char B: In 1940 the French proposed to give Britain a percentage of Char B production in exchange for British help producing the castings required for the Hotchkiss H39. I'm not sure, though, whether the British were to get the existing Char B1 bis or the projected/prototype Char B1 ter.
    4. I love the Lanchester too, it's one of my favorite armored cars. How can you beat three Vickers machine guns and six wheels? (The notional WWII 1940 army I'm building has lots of them.)
    5. The Mark VI is cute too, though not quite as cute as the earlier two-man light tanks (Mk II, Mk IV)
    6. BFG...Soviet 100mm anti-tank?
    7. Men have always turned their weapons into art: swords, daggers, engraved pistols, etc. It's no surprise that they do it with tanks too. If there had been tanks in 1000 BC they would have been objects of cult worship.
    8. Soviet tanks are famous for being cramped but until I saw that cutaway T55 I had no idea just HOW cramped. Only midgets could man that thing in comfort, pity the poor Soviet tanker.
    9. Do a tank chat there sometime.
     
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