A life with Tanks ( and other armoured vehicles…)
This is Trevor’s (Trev’s) story
1956
My interest in tracked vehicles and particularly military machines started in in 1956 with a visit to an Aldershot Rushmoor arena military display where two Centurion tanks were on static display. Their great size created a lasting impression.
Moving forward to 1961 and I constructed my first tracked model, built from Dexion slotted angle, plywood, conveyor belt and a 22cc. Two stroke petrol engine. It had no steering and direction changes were by hand. The model was very successful, and I ran it on Chobham common near Chertsey, some 20 miles SW of London.
For several years I carried out a terrain study of the Common to establish the ideal format and size for improved models, a scale of 1:6 was determined to be the optimum size to negotiate 90% of the terrain, without requiring a reverse gear.
1981
During 1981 we moved to Wareham in Dorset, where I took up a teaching post at the Purbeck school. This was an inspired move as 15 miles to the West was the Bovington Tank Museum, sited next to Royal Armoured Corps camp. At this time the museum was setting up a Friends of the museum association, mainly to raise funds and for “armchair” enthusiasts, but in quick order a number of us attached ourselves to the vehicle workshop. Here we helped restore and maintain historic vehicles and drive less historically important ones in mobility displays held by the museum during the summer tourist months.
Big Boys Toys..
To further promote the museum, I ran a group of eight Vols. (volunteers) charged with driving Saladin, Saracen and Cascaval armoured cars out to local resort towns along the coast, to Haven holiday camps and local fetes and events during weekends. This was a successful way to promote the museum. The vehicles were only capable of about 25 mph, thus we were not popular with other road users, although few would contest a 10 tons 6 x 6 armoured vehicle, fitted with a large gun!!
Tank Fest
A major contribution by the workshop Vols. is preparing and driving tanks during the annual Tank Fest weekend, where up to historic 40 vehicles are displayed around the museum arena. My preferred role was to drive a modified M548, a tracked lorry, around a 2-mile training off-road circuit adjacent to the museum. We gave a tracked vehicle ride experience to 16 visitors at a time. Here it was possible to more fully understand the interaction between tracks and terrain. Typically, one would drive about 40 miles during each day, whereas on the arena, Vols. would typically drive only about 1 mile.
The museum also had an annual invite to the Yeovil Festival of Transport, where we displayed 2 tanks each year over the two day event. We were a very popular attraction, as we allowed children of all ages ( up to about 60 years) to get on to and go inside the vehicles! Tanks were transported on low loaders, not driven the 25 miles!
Research
For many years I undertook the role of display vehicles Vols. Coordinator and served as a member of the Friends Council, giving me frequent access to the Library and allowing me to read primary research papers dealing with tank steering systems, a complex and not readily available subject area. I was also able to obtain surplus copies of papers by H.E. Merritt, W. Steeds, C.V. Cleare and E.W.E. Micklethwait, the most important exponents of steering and track design during the war and immediate post war period Used in conjunction with the book “Tank Technology” by Prof. Richard Ogokiewicz, this info. allowed me to develop a scaled regenerative steering system suitable for petrol engined 1/6 scale models, and better understand the overall design of tracked vehicle.
The Welsh Connection
My move to Wales coincided with a change in workshop management, which did not suit myself or many other Vols. A highly skilled and knowledgeable “Tank man” was replaced by several managers with “Management!!!!” skills but knowing nothing of tank work.
At least I was now able to concentrate on tracked vehicle modelling, and being involved with the great lads, including Julie, within the “local” modelling scene.
Besides, I really was getting past driving anything bigger than A life with Tanks ( and other armoured vehicles…)
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