While picking SWMBO up from her duaghters, I said it would be a good idea to pop into Bovi on the way back and go to the Tank Musuem. She countered with I could find a place for her to walk the dog for a few hours and “I” could enjoy the museum … well it gets my vote.
When I pulled into the car park, I glanced over at use to be the original workshop/restoration area, and I saw something which caused me to do a double take …
That area is usually out of bounds to the public, so I wondered over to the Conservation building and into the main office, then explained I was still serving, and had driven up from Cornwall, but wondered if it would be even possible for someone to escort me into that yard so I could take a few pictures … The answer was yes …
It had been delivered literally the night before, direct from the IWM display at Duxford along with a T34 and was going to be here forever and would be used in demos and shows and it was still a runner. No one from the Bovi team had even had hands on yet, as it so fresh in.
Unfortunately it was after my time volunteering at the Museum but I did get to ‘play’ sorry restore or at least help restore their Chieftain, T-72M, VT-34 and Conqueror ARV Mk2.
Biggest memory was the comfort of the gunners position in the T-72 compared to the Chieftain, especially when rotating the turret 180 degrees by hand (stuck in fine) to lift the engine decks on the Chieftain.
Bovington is on my Bucket List of military museums i want to visit, along with the Royal Armoury, Saumur, The German Technical Museum and The Armor and Cavalry Collection.
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