MILITARY GATE GUARDS

[browningautorifle]

Hop farm, Beltring

You don't see many Churchill tanks, anytime. They have to be scarce.

[Gil Boyd]

The Hurricane at the gates of Duxford IWM which turns in the breeze. The home to 242 Squadron led by Douglas Bader during WW2

[Flying10uk]

Thats not the Harrier you see on u-tube is it F10

I think that's a different Harrier to the one which James Dyson now owns because I believe his crashed in the Mediterranean while operating from HMS Invincible.

[Gil Boyd]

The current gate guardian at RAF Wyton the home of what was 57 Sqn RAF Photo Reconnaisance Squadron now a non flying station and home to various intelligence gathering units including JARIC (Joint Air Reconnaisance Intelligence Centre) who moved from the now closed RAF Brampton down the road at Huntingdon.
The photo of the three Canberras being broken up for scrap was one I took on Christmas Day 1994. A sad day indeed. In the background is the old Bloodhound Missile compound of the early 70's which protected the camp.
The airfield was extended in the late 50's to accomodate the Vulcan/Victor and latterly the Nimrods of 51 Sqn, who too have been scrapped.

[Peter Laidler]

The sad fact about these gat guards is the same as that old partially restored MG Midget in your garage, that was made in 1972. Put in your garage in 1990 and now the paint has given way to rust. The electrics are frozen up, tyres turned to dust, hydraulics are jammed solid, absorbed moisture and have rusted the wheel cylinders and the rust has turned to holes. Same as these gate guardians. If they were looked after with a bit of upkeep and minimal maintenance and paint they'd look presentable and a credit to all. But you've GOT to look after the insides with protective oily vapour. Even tanks that were gate guards just end up as hard targets.

A couple of years before the RAF left Abingdon there had been a REAL (not a plastic fibreglass replica.....) Spitfire outside the main guardroom. By the time they decided to keep it for spares or restoration, due to the forthcoming closure of the base, a passing glance quickly told them that it was beyond saving, even for display purposes

If you have that old Mini Cooper or MG MIdget in yours, get it out now and start protecting it for that '.....I'm going to restore it one day....' moment

[shadycon]

Gate guards: A little different story. While in Ger.[ 71-73] I was a parts clerk 6/10 FA. While out playing war I would go to different bases getting parts. One night about 10:00 [20:00hrs] I was coming back to base and the guard [ German National] would not let me in. So me and my buddy went back down the road about a mile, turned around, turn on our flashing yellow roof light, and hit the gate at 65 mph, as fast as the 2 1/2 ton tk. would run. Up went the gate and we never slowed down. Next morning we had to see the Capt., he said " don't do it again!" and laughed!!!!!!!!!!

[Simon P]

The Hurricane at North Weald Air Field is a replica, but still looks impressive

[Flying10uk]

Some of the replica Hurricanes/Spitfires are so good it's hard to tell that they are not the genuine article even when within touching distance.

[Peter Laidler]

The wing angle is always(?) incorrect. I think that it is called the dehidral angle - the relationship between the vertical and wings in relation to it - as illustrated in threads 22 and 27.

[Flying10uk]

The one that I saw at Elvington airfield, Yorkshire Air Museum, a few years ago was so good I had to ask a member of the museum staff if it was genuine or repro.