I have a friend down for a few days, today was the first full day of the visit. Today, we decided to go to the Tank Museum at Bovington. The day started with a big, naughty, full English breakfast at Toby Carvery. And then we were off…

Entrance and on to The Trench Experience (France 1916). Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • The entrance to the museum, with its observation tower
  • A tank outside the entrance (sorry, I don’t as yet know what it is – there will be lots of images like this with no detail but I will try to gradually fill in that detail)
  • A mock-up WW1 conscription desk. Will you sign up?
  • British Mark I tank, the first tank to see “action”. This is the last surviving example of a Mark I (more info here)
  • Another view of the Mark I
  • A mock-up of a trench, infamous in WW1

Tank Men (The Story of the First Tank Crews). Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • a 77mm “Feldkanone”, this was a “trophy” taken by Albert Baker
  • A Mark IV tank, seen here with a large bundle of sticks (‘fascine’) that could be dropped into a trench, allowing the tank to cross…
  • A Mark V (male) tank
  • A Mark V (female) tank
  • A selections of medals, a newspaper (The Daily Mirror, from 1917) and some letters
  • How tanks communicated with each other in the days before radio

Tank Men (The Story of the First Tank Crews) continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Um, a tank…
  • Inside the tank (general view)
  • Inside the tank (the engine)
  • Various weapons and armour used in “tank busting”
  • Silk postcards
  • A general view of the “Tank Men” exhibit

Warhorse to Horsepower (The Rise of the Tank) and on to WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945). Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Light tank MK IIA
  • Matilda I
  • Comet I
  • Mock-up cinema and some of the armoured vehicles that might be seen protecting the streets (Babygiraffe, Bison and Rolls Royce Armoured Car)
  • A better look at the Rolls Royce Armoured Car)
  • A mock-up of a “living room” at the start of WWII)

WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945). Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Ready for tea?
  • Typical air raid shelter
  • Inside the air raid shelter looking outwards
  • Mock-up shop and the back of the Rolls Royce Armoured Car
  • French Char S35 Somua
  • Panzer I Command Tank

WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945) continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Panzer I command tank
  • Matilda II (‘Greyhound’) and M14/41 tank
  • A10 Cruiser (The Battle for Greece)
  • A9 Cruiser
  • M3 Stuart
  • Valentine II

WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945) continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Original Union flag, flown over Tobruk throughout the siege of 10th April to 27th November 1941
  • Crusader III
  • Universal Carrier and Ha-Go
  • Valentine Bridgelayer
  • Hamilcar glider mock-up with Tetrarch tank
  • Churchill AVRE

WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945) continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Panzer IV
  • M4A2 Sherman
  • Tiger II
  • Unidentifiable tank
  • StuG III
  • Churchill IV

WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945) continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • M4A1 Sherman
  • Jagdtiger
  • Chieftain
  • Challenger I
  • Scorpion
  • Amphibious tank

WW2: War Stories (Royal Armoured Corps 1939-1945) continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Centurion
  • Sherman ‘Michael’
  • Daimler Ferret
  • Mark II
  • Panzer 262
  • Little Willie

The Tank Story – 1915 to Present Day. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Crossley-Chevrolet Armoured Car ‘Nowshera’
  • Lanchester Mark II Armoured Car
  • Panzer II
  • A13 MK I Cruiser
  • Char B1
  • Um, a tank

The Tank Story – 1915 to Present Day continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • T34/76
  • Um, a tank…
  • Sherman family
  • Daimler Armoured Car
  • Churchill Mark VII Crocodile
  • A map showing he occupation zones of post-war Germany

The Tank Story – 1915 to Present Day continuing. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • M48 Patton
  • Saladin
  • Leopard
  • Chieftan
  • Um, a tank…
  • T-62

The Tank Story – 1915 to Present Day continuing and the vehicle preservation depot. Clockwise, top left to bottom left:

  • Ferret Scout Car
  • Saladin Armoured Car
  • The Kranvagn
  • Lots of tanks in the Vehicle Preservation warehouse
  • Lots more tanks in the Vehicle Preservation warehouse
  • And even more…

All in all, a very enjoyable visit. My legs were killing me at the end of it (I’m not used to that amount of walking and standing). Whilst I abhor war and violence, I find the war machine fascinating…