Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes with D-Day veteran Laurie Burn, 13th/18th Royal Hussars; a gunner
The Tank Museum in Dorset has opened its new exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC).
It was formed before it was known that the country would be at war six months later and Bovington is still the home of tank training.
The exhibition tells the story of some of the men who fought in the RAC regiments during the Second World War and includes four 1940s-era tanks.
Veteran Bill Wright, 13th/18th Hussars and Staffordshire Yeomanry; a wireless operator
Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes was present and spoke to the veterans who had been invited for the opening.
She said: “When I came here last I brought my family. For those not attached to the military it is very, very special to see the history here.
“My nephew still talks about the visit.”
Ken Tout, Northamptonshire Yeomanry
The RAC’s formation, according the Minister for War Leslie Hore-Belisha on April 4 1939, was an amalgamation, not an association, of the existing regiments.
David Willey, curator of the museum said: “We have four tanks in the display and more than 300 in total at the museum and we want to connect the lives of the men who fought in them, and tell their stories.
“We interviewed more than 30 veterans and their number is dwindling so it is important to hear what they have to say now.
“They are in their 90s and have nothing to prove and no agendas to meet – and some revealed things that they have never spoken about previously.”
Maj Gen Stuart Watson, 13th/18th Royal Hussars, with schoolchildren from Bovington Primary School
Veteran Bill Wright, 95, said: “The exhibition is terrific. Seeing all the tanks here brings back lots of memories, and when I saw the Tiger tank at the museum it still made me shiver.
“There are not many of us left now and it is important to keep our stories alive for the next generation.”
The Long After the Battle exhibition at the museum will last for nearly two years and is a precursor to a new Second World War exhibition which will be opened next year.
The old and the young
Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes listened to Laurie Burn who landed on the French coast on D-Day in a ‘swimming’ tank, seen behind
Veterans were able to watch a display
Veterans were able to watch a display
Veterans remember
Youngsters today are free thanks to the bravery of those such as Tony Sutton of the Westminster Dragoons Guards
Notes to editors:
For more information contact Ed Baker at Deep South Media on 01202 534487
Nik Wyness | Head of Marketing | The Tank Museum | pr@tankmuseum.org | 01929 405 096 x234 | +44 7801099390
Roz Skellorn | Marketing@tankmuseum.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
ABOUT THE TANK MUSEUM
The Tank Museum at Bovington in Dorset holds the national collection of tanks and brings the story of tanks and tank crews to life.
With over 300 tanks from 26 nations, The Tank Museum holds the finest and most historically significant collection of fighting armour in the world. These range from the world’s first ever tank, Little Willie, through to the British Army’s current Main Battle Tank, Challenger 2.
Eight powerful exhibitions tell the story of armoured warfare spanning over 100 years of history. As you explore the Museum’s seven large halls, you come face with face to face with tanks and hear incredible true stories from the last century.
The Tank Museum is an independent Museum and registered Charity.
