Boys trip to UK
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: Boys trip to UK
Depending on where in England - HMS VICTORY (I wish I took that tour when I had a chance); HMS BELFAST (which I don't think was a museum in 1977) and the Tower. My eyes almost popped out of my head at the size of the emeralds and rubies.
Bill Goin
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RE: Boys trip to UK
Victory at Portsmouth....very worthwhile, as was Warrier; I saw it 3 years ago...my buddies will have to see it. When I was there the Mary exhibit was under consruction. It should be done by now.
I saw Belfast 30 years ago on trip just outa law school but it now appears to be part of Imp. War Museum who do a wonderful job of things.
I saw Belfast 30 years ago on trip just outa law school but it now appears to be part of Imp. War Museum who do a wonderful job of things.
RE: Boys trip to UK
Where in the UK are you staying/visiting? I may be biased, but a visit to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is always worthwhile. Up to about March the 'planes will be in maintenance so you can see what a WW2 aeroplane looks like when it's in pieces [:D] Spring is also the start of the workup to the flying display season so there's often some flying going on. Plus there are a lot of smaller museums and memorials as well Eurofighter Typhoons if you like small(ish) fast pointy modern stuff.
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RE: Boys trip to UK
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Shame you were not over here last month, as the only two remaining flying Lancaster Bombers in the world were touring the country.
Shame you were not over here last month, as the only two remaining flying Lancaster Bombers in the world were touring the country.
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RE: Boys trip to UK
The trip will hopefully occur in mid-May. Dixie, should a person visit both Hendon and Duxford???
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RE: Boys trip to UK
ORIGINAL: wdolson
Didn't somebody turn one of those Channel forts into their own country?
Bill
Yes. Principality of Sealand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand
Particularly notable for its invasion and later hostage negotiations.
For a time very many passports were issued and were used largely in shenanigans to get through customs and what not.
RE: Boys trip to UK
Two lesser attractions which are well worth the visit are East Kirkby (home of the Lancaster Just Jane which is undergoing restoration to air worthy condition - On Wednesdays they taxi her around) and The Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden.
I'll post urls to the web sites tonight.
I'll post urls to the web sites tonight.
RE: Boys trip to UK
Second all suggestions so far. Belfast was a museum ship back in 77 too. I think it ceased to be flagship of the reserve fleet in about 70 or 71 and became a museum ship shortly afterwards. Not as big as your US BBs but still a veteran of the battle of the north cape and worth a look.
No one has mentioned Chatham dockyard museum yet. Only a short train journey from London. Has HMS Cavalier a war emergency Ca class destroyer along with HMS Gannet a Victorian gunboat and an O class sub too as well as lots of other stuff. Launch site of the Victory. A trip to Kent also offers the opportunity to do some serious wine tasting in the many vineyards as well as drinking a lot of Spitfire bitter. 'Downed all over Kent, just like the Luftwaffe' as the slogan says!
No one has mentioned Chatham dockyard museum yet. Only a short train journey from London. Has HMS Cavalier a war emergency Ca class destroyer along with HMS Gannet a Victorian gunboat and an O class sub too as well as lots of other stuff. Launch site of the Victory. A trip to Kent also offers the opportunity to do some serious wine tasting in the many vineyards as well as drinking a lot of Spitfire bitter. 'Downed all over Kent, just like the Luftwaffe' as the slogan says!
RE: Boys trip to UK
As promised, but a bit late,
Shuttleworth web site is http://shuttleworth.org/
East Kirkby is http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/
Shuttleworth web site is http://shuttleworth.org/
East Kirkby is http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/
RE: Boys trip to UK
ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot
The trip will hopefully occur in mid-May. Dixie, should a person visit both Hendon and Duxford???
I'd say yes as they're both good museums, but it all depends on cost etc.
Hendon is free entrance, but being in London that's the only free part about it [:D] It's very RAF-centric, whilst there are plenty of other things there (He-162, Bf-109 'Black 6') most of the focus is on the Royal Air Force so if you want a variety it's maybe not your thing. They have plenty of unique bits there though. The only original Defiant in the world, 100 Op veteran Lancaster S-Sugar, one of only two original Halifax bombers (in as recovered from the lake bed condition) and some nice Luftwaffe nachtjagers.
Duxford is a bigger site with a wider selection. It's not just military either, they've got plenty of airliners and particularly US stuff. It's also a lot easier to reach if you've got use of your own MT.
Another potentially worthwhile visit is RAFM Cosford, it's the second part of the RAF Museum and houses a lot of stuff not at Hendon. They've got a Cold War exhibit, a TSR.2, a Dinah, Nimrod, PV-2 and a smattering of other foreign stuff.
I'm assuming you're doing London, then I'll also add in the Science Museum as a worthwhile visit. They've got a ton of cool stuff including the only fabric winged Hurricane left and a Battle of Britain Spitfire (and an RB-211 engine, I miss those!) and loads of aero engines which is pretty cool (or maybe I'm a bit special like that). Plus they've got lots of non-aeroplane things. There's also the Natural History Museum next door.
The Tower of London is a good trip as well, get onto one of the guided tours with the Yeoman Warders, you won't regret it.
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RE: Boys trip to UK
Dixie...very useful. That info didn't jump outa website at me. Considering what our booze bill will be the admission will pale in comparisn!!!
RE: Boys trip to UK
ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot
Dixie...very useful. That info didn't jump outa website at me. Considering what our booze bill will be the admission will pale in comparisn!!!
No worries, it's stuff that I only thought of last night and things that might not be apparent over the 'net. If you've got any other questions then ask away and I'll do my best to answer.
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RE: Boys trip to UK
I'd certainly recommend visiting Hendon if you're going to be based in London for a few days. Convenient to get to and it has some interesting specimens in addition to the RAF planes e.g. a Ju88, Ju87, some flying boats, interwar biplanes, a selection of jets and a few cockpits you can climb into, plus munitions and a 20mm cannon RAF gun turret that was too late to make it into the war. That would have chewed up the Tonies and Franks!
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Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 -1882)
RE: Boys trip to UK
If you are going to visit Bovington tank museum (very highly recommended!!), the Fleet Air Arm museum at Yeovilton is nearby, lots of WW2 aircraft, Cold War prototypes (TSR2, etc) and you can walk through one of the prototype Concordes that was used for testing.
There is also a really good 'Flight Deck' and carrier experience.
Unfortunately, Plymouth has nothing to offer in answer to your previous post, they have a boat trip around the dockyard, but it is pot luck what is in port at the time, and never as much as Portsmouth
There is also a really good 'Flight Deck' and carrier experience.
Unfortunately, Plymouth has nothing to offer in answer to your previous post, they have a boat trip around the dockyard, but it is pot luck what is in port at the time, and never as much as Portsmouth
RE: Boys trip to UK
ORIGINAL: Numdydar
OT to the OT
At the Aberdeen Proving Ground, the US Army Ordnance Museum in Maryland you can do the same, walk around and touch everything. One thing that really surprised me is just how frigging big tanks are when you are just standing on the ground. Everything is moving to Ft Lee in VA soon which will be a lot better as that is a lot closer to major population centers than Aberdeen is.
http://www.ordmusfound.org/
I thought they already moved. I was there back in the 80's when in MD for work. Went back a few years ago and many things were in storage. A lot was rusting away, so I'm hoping the move is a good thing. It puts it further from me, but is seems to me that Aberdeen wasn't taking care of the vehicles. I guess for lack of funding. I did see the show on the refurbishing of their Elephant, but I think it was too many vehicles and not enough money. Plus everything (except small arms and such) was outside.
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In every party there is one member who by his all-too-devout pronouncement of the party principles provokes the others to apostasy. Nietzsche
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RE: Boys trip to UK
Would add two very small museums and medium sized one that are fairly close to each other and could be done in one day. Farnbourough air museum it has a few cold war jets including a testbed for Tornado. IT also has a lot of good stuff on designing planes including an early whittle engine various models for wind tunnel testing including w and M shaped wings and the worlds first set of carbon fiber golf clubs. Near by is the site of the Cody tree as well as pre WW1 portable airship hanger.
The second one is the museum of Berkshire aviation in woodley only 5 minutes from my home it is a very eclectic collection set in what is left of one the miles hangers, i have never seen so much crammed in to such a small place. It was also incidentally were my grandad worked early in the war building trainers for the RAF. It has a few unique items including a very early drone. A Fairy rotodyne a Fairey gannet and an extremely friendly and knowledgeable bunch of volunteers. It is also the former airfield were Douglas Bader had his crash.
The REME museum at Arborfield is pretty good as well especially if your interested in the behind the lines technology comunication computers etc.
If you go up north Leeds armories is very good covering medieval to modern warfare and the hall of steel is impressive especially when you consider how many swords knives and other heavy metal objects are suspended above your head.
There is also a good Army museum in Aldershot near Farnborough but i haven't visited (a real oversight)so can't personally recommend it.
I would also add that Yeovil is very good and the haines motor museum is nearby not military but they do have a T-34 and a truly beautiful Duesenberg and Cadillac V16.
Also all the other recommendations like bovinton hendon etc are very good museums as well.
The second one is the museum of Berkshire aviation in woodley only 5 minutes from my home it is a very eclectic collection set in what is left of one the miles hangers, i have never seen so much crammed in to such a small place. It was also incidentally were my grandad worked early in the war building trainers for the RAF. It has a few unique items including a very early drone. A Fairy rotodyne a Fairey gannet and an extremely friendly and knowledgeable bunch of volunteers. It is also the former airfield were Douglas Bader had his crash.
The REME museum at Arborfield is pretty good as well especially if your interested in the behind the lines technology comunication computers etc.
If you go up north Leeds armories is very good covering medieval to modern warfare and the hall of steel is impressive especially when you consider how many swords knives and other heavy metal objects are suspended above your head.
There is also a good Army museum in Aldershot near Farnborough but i haven't visited (a real oversight)so can't personally recommend it.
I would also add that Yeovil is very good and the haines motor museum is nearby not military but they do have a T-34 and a truly beautiful Duesenberg and Cadillac V16.
Also all the other recommendations like bovinton hendon etc are very good museums as well.
RE: Boys trip to UK
+1 on most of the suggestions made; Chatham and Yeovil I particularly liked.
Also, the Museum of Army Aviation at Middle Wallop.
If you want some history further back in time:
If you drive down to Portsmouth from London, then a brief stop at the Semaphore Tower at Chatley Heath is an interesting bit of Naval history.
If you visit Dover, you might also like Deal Castle. Also in that area, and rather older history, is Richborough Roman Fort which I found a fascinating bit of history.
If you want to branch out into industrial history there is Ironbridge Gorge. Also, the railway museum at York, and York is an interesting city itself.
Also, the Museum of Army Aviation at Middle Wallop.
If you want some history further back in time:
If you drive down to Portsmouth from London, then a brief stop at the Semaphore Tower at Chatley Heath is an interesting bit of Naval history.
If you visit Dover, you might also like Deal Castle. Also in that area, and rather older history, is Richborough Roman Fort which I found a fascinating bit of history.
If you want to branch out into industrial history there is Ironbridge Gorge. Also, the railway museum at York, and York is an interesting city itself.
RE: Boys trip to UK
I'm a volunteer at the national Museum of the Royal Navy here in Portsmouth. I may be able to arrange an after hours behind the scenes tour if you're interested. Also, it is possible hire the Victory for dinner.
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"History started badly and hav been geting steadily worse."
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RE: Boys trip to UK
I could spend many days in Portsmouth! I will report back.