MILITARY GATE GUARDS

[Gil Boyd]

We were in transit accomodation whilst my Dad was stationed there in 64-5. There was a Lightening on the gate I believe then, not sure whether its still there. That was the main aircraft being built there, but the TSR2 was undergoing trials at roughly the same time on the camp, especially noisy, which resinated through the nissen huts, something you don't forget easily as a youngster

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[Peter Laidler]

Believe me, when anything has been in the sea for more than a millisecond or so, it's FINISHED. You can hose it down, dunk it in the oil bath, bead blast it, pray over the volume of the sacred law............ It's finished. We have lost and recovered weapons from landing exercises, spent weeks in the mangrove swamps, lBedford 3 ton light recovery truck and land-rovers swamped while stuck, helicopter swamped after ditching in shallow sea, RAE D8 dozers drowned. They're finished and with a year, fit for scrap

[Flying10uk]

I remember years ago my father got talked into buying a Land Rover from a well known dealer, who will remain nameless, that had been used to launch lifeboats into the sea. There wasn't half panic in our household when it was discovered that the entire chassis had turned from steel into a crumbly biscuit type material. The shocking thing is that it had an MOT and it was a Land Rover dealer who sold it. Fortunately he did eventually get his money back but it wasn't an easy task.

[Peter Laidler]

The Australian D8 dozer that was drowned and abandoned at Mersing was eventually recovered but written off. The A vehicle blokes got it running again but it remained a pile of sh------, not very good. It went somewhere else where the dozer blade was removed and a heavy nosing block was put up front to push the landing craft off the beach and as a spare recovery tractor that COULD have saved the lost Brit Bedford RL Light recovery vehicle that was lost trying to recover the original bogged in land rover.......... that was also lost!

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Not quite a "gate guard", but do any Kiwi readers remember the Valentine? tanks that ended up as "memorials" / playground toys in several parts of their country?

[Woodsy]

Not quite a "gate guard", but do any Kiwi readers remember the Valentine? tanks that ended up as "memorials" / playground toys in several parts of their country?

There is a restored Valentine at Waiouru Army Museum, and there are at least two undergoing private restoration in NZ.

[Peter Laidler]

We had a Valentine next to the tennis courts at Ngaruawahia. I hope that it was saved by someone and not just used as a hard target. I also remember that we had a US 1940's fire engine lend lease or ex US Army there too with an open cab, just like the old Leyland ones in the UK

[bigduke6]

If anyone has a big gate and looking for Tornado or Harrier then a few links below (Milweb)

Panavia Tornado GR1 Restoration Project

Harrier GR3 Jump Jet XZ130

Panavia Tornado F2A ZD902 ADV

[mrclark303]

If anyone has a big gate and looking for Tornado or Harrier then a few links below (Milweb)

Panavia Tornado GR1 Restoration Project

Harrier GR3 Jump Jet XZ130

Panavia Tornado F2A ZD902 ADV

I'll take the ex 4 Sqn GR3 Geoff, what a beautiful restoration, love to see her fly again!

[Brit plumber]

I'll take the ex 4 Sqn GR3 Geoff, what a beautiful restoration, love to see her fly again!

That GR3 was from Cranwell and isn't restored, that's how it was sold to JAA. The GR1 is expensive, I sold ZA355 to them for approx. £10,000 in a much better condition.

The F2A is a special Tornado, it was used as the test bed for the Typhoon Radar which isn't even in service fully yet.