# Tanks



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Was pottering around Dorset on my '46 Ariel Red Hunter yesterday and drove through Bovington Camp...where there are tanks on every corner.























































But on the road between Bovington Tank Museum and Clouds Hill (former home of T. E. Lawrence), there is a public viewing area where you can watch various armoured vehicles being put through their paces. Usually, you wait there for ages and see nothing, but yesterday there was a bit of activity.

Only had my trusty Sony RX100M3 with me but managed to snap a few photos. Any idea what this vehicle is?


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

It's a tow truck.

More precisely, the Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, or CRARRV.

Later,
William


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

William_Wilson said:


> It's a tow truck.
> 
> More precisely, the Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, or CRARRV.
> 
> ...


 Thanks! How do you know these things? :wacko:

It was certainly noisy!


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## handlehall (Aug 7, 2009)

Silver Hawk said:


> Thanks! How do you know these things? :wacko:
> 
> It was certainly noisy!


 He's really Herr Flick, it's his job to know :yes:

not a bike fan but that looks cool :thumbsup:


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

Tanks for the pics. :thumbsup: Enjoyed looking at those Paul!

Mike


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## dobra (Aug 20, 2009)

Nice piccies Paul - there are a few here on the IoW, but museum pieces. Some are demonstrators.










Mike


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

As much as I love the tanks.. that motorbike! Beautiful.


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## Gpts (May 24, 2015)

hughlle said:


> As much as I love the tanks.. that motorbike! Beautiful.


 Agreed. Gorgeous bike.


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Silver Hawk said:


> Thanks! How do you know these things? :wacko:
> 
> It was certainly noisy!


 I didn't know it in particular but I could see the specialised equipment it is fitted with and did a quick search of the MoD's catalogue of armour. :wink:

Later,
William


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Nice pictures but I'm surprised in this day and age you could actually get that close to a working one and get away with taking snaps of it going as well.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

It's nice to see that an FV4005 still exists.


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Stan said:


> It's nice to see that an FV4005 still exists.


 Its turret must have been a magnet for damage.

Later,
William


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

William_Wilson said:


> Its turret must have been a magnet for damage.
> 
> Later,
> William


 As was the Russian KV1, but the NAZI's had a hard time with them.


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## Krispy (Nov 7, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> Nice pictures but I'm surprised in this day and age you could actually get that close to a working one and get away with taking snaps of it going as well.


 I must say, I thought the same. Not because Paul was doing anything wrong but because a lot of people in supposed 'authority' don't know the law from their elbow.

You get it a lot in London and the suburbs, particularly from wretched PCSO's.

Alas, one of the security guards from my company makes a bit of a tit of himself at 3.40 in this; thankfully, the person responsible for the property puts it right at 10:40.






Sorry for veering you off topic - as you were!


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Krispy said:


> I must say, I thought the same. Not because Paul was doing anything wrong but because a lot of people in supposed 'authority' don't know the law from their elbow.


 Army or Council seems to encourage it....viewing area complete with information boards to help you identify each vehicle.


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Patriotism 

I wouldn't have thought they would ha e any problem given one of the MODs main proving grounds has a public road running through the middle and is sat next door to one of the UKs more famous tourist attractions.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

hughlle said:


> Patriotism
> 
> I wouldn't have thought they would ha e any problem given one of the MODs main proving grounds has a public road running through the middle and is sat next door to one of the UKs more famous tourist attractions.


 Monkey World? :laugh:


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Silver Hawk said:


> Monkey World? :laugh:


 Sounds pretty accurate but I imagine the druids and hippies would take offense to such a label :laugh:


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## handlehall (Aug 7, 2009)

As the Tank Museum is located there I would imagine visiting and taking photos is actively encouraged 

I'm sure that the army has plenty of places to test in secret.


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

I visited Canadian Forces Base Petawawa near Pembroke Ontario a little over a decade ago. A friend that had recently retired from the Forces took several of us there. The base had the usual collection of deactivated armour and artillery sitting around as well as active equipment that was being stored and used on the huge training grounds. The interesting thing was when we signed in at the gate. One hundred feet behind the gate was a line of tall steel poles in the ground. Someone mentioned this and the soldier said "We're installing a security fence now because of terrorism.". Base Petawawa had a small town nearby that serviced it, but was basically in the middle of nowhere. Nobody was concerned about it because it utilised a massive area of open Crown Land for training exercises and if someone managed to abscond with some heavy equipment they wouldn't get too far in the wilderness. :laugh:

Later,
William


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

handlehall said:


> As the Tank Museum is located there I would imagine visiting and taking photos is actively encouraged
> 
> I'm sure that the army has plenty of places to test in secret.


 There's nothing like that around where we live and I just assumed that with all the national security bs these days that they wouldn't be keen on the general public wandering around taking photos of working troops & kit.


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

BondandBigM said:


> There's nothing like that around where we live and I just assumed that with all the national security bs these days that they wouldn't be keen on the general public wandering around taking photos of working troops & kit.


 Except that they actively advertise military capabilities and technology, for the obvious reasons. They want the "bad guys" to know just how bad ass we are. Protecting a missile guidance system, or a torpedo propulsion system is one thing, but they still want the world to know about how kickass the tank, plane, submarine is on a general level. I can't think of one thing that could be obtained by taking photos of the exterior of a tank which would not already exist on military forums, YouTube etc.


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## vinn (Jun 14, 2015)

i like the tank photos. the restored 46 ariel is very good restoration - real beauty . i have rode an ariel square 4 ( 1000 cc )


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

hughlle said:


> Except that they actively advertise military capabilities and technology, for the obvious reasons. They want the "bad guys" to know just how bad ass we are. Protecting a missile guidance system, or a torpedo propulsion system is one thing, but they still want the world to know about how kickass the tank, plane, submarine is on a general level. I can't think of one thing that could be obtained by taking photos of the exterior of a tank which would not already exist on military forums, YouTube etc.


 It's only a tow truck. :laugh:


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Silver Hawk said:


> It's only a tow truck. :laugh:


 Haha. The guys who operate them probably get needled non-stop.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

dobra said:


> Nice piccies Paul - there are a few here on the IoW, but museum pieces. Some are demonstrators.
> 
> 
> 
> Mike


 Mike,

Where on the IoW is that? I've been going to the IoW a lot over the last 2 years as my parents lived in Bembridge (and I went to school there). Dad died in 2014 and my Mum 3 weeks ago....so trips to IoW are finally coming to an end....I've paid Wightlink enough money!


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## dobra (Aug 20, 2009)

Nice piccies Paul - there are a few here on the IoW, but museum pieces. Some are demonstrators.










Paul - Sorry to hear of your loss, particularly as you had such a long connexion with the Island. However, from Cowes, take the Newport main road and just past Northwood, the museum and cafe are on the left. It is signposted. Run by volunteers. This tank and other troop carrying vehicles are driven outside during school holidays for a thrill for the kids! If you decide to pop over, if you would like, I could meet you there for a coffee and chat. I'm only in Ryde,

Mike


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

dobra said:


> Paul - Sorry to hear of your loss, particularly as you had such a long connexion with the Island. However, from Cowes, take the Newport main road and just past Northwood, the museum and cafe are on the left. It is signposted. Run by volunteers. This tank and other troop carrying vehicles are driven outside during school holidays for a thrill for the kids! If you decide to pop over, if you would like, I could meet you there for a coffee and chat. I'm only in Ryde,
> 
> Mike


 Ah ha...that could explain it. I don't think I've ever been to Cowes .. only East Cowes. I've certainly been on the Newport to Cowes road but only as far as St Mary's Hospital and then turned off towards Yarmouth. So after all these years, there are still a few surprises in store...


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

hughlle said:


> Haha. The guys who operate them probably get needled non-stop.


 I would look at it the other way, the guys who operate that thing put themselves in harms way on the battlefield to recover stranded tanks but have no main armament of their own to fight back so in some ways it is a braver task than running around in a nice safe gen 3 MBT with all the modern reactive/composite armour.


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Padders said:


> I would look at it the other way, the guys who operate that thing put themselves in harms way on the battlefield to recover stranded tanks but have no main armament of their own to fight back so in some ways it is a braver task than running around in a nice safe gen 3 MBT with all the modern reactive/composite armour.


 Indeed, but they still probably get needled down the pub for being a tow truck driver


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

hughlle said:


> Indeed, but they still probably get needled down the pub for being a tow truck driver


 Well yes true!


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

hughlle said:


> Indeed, but they still probably get needled down the pub for being a tow truck driver





Padders said:


> Well yes true!


 Perhaps they are regarded as kings in establishments where civilian truck drivers frequent. :wink:

Later,
William


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## lebaron (Mar 8, 2009)

Bovvy is a grat place! The summer driving exhibitions are great fun, and you get to sit an sort tracked bus and go round the course. My son especially loved it !


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## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

Lovely tank shots and really sweet bike. I can't remember what that type of bike is called but it's surely my favorite.

On the topic of tanks, I'm sure they allow you to get so close to tanks and all, since: 1. UK is not North Korea or Russia and 2. It's not like they're gonna see any action anyway. No aircraft carrier, decrease in military spending, weakened naval defense... Let's face it :biggrin:


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## lebaron (Mar 8, 2009)

DSCN1230 by garyportlander

A poor pic sorry to say, lot of reflections in there. However, this is a brough Superior in Bovvy, as ridden by T.E.Lawrence.


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