"This photo was taken by a chap in a helicopter. He couldnt fly by himself so he had to have a helicopter" - David Fletcher.. Ohh, how i adore that man. :)
Safe to assume the chap in the helicopter was in fact the then Assistant Curator of The Museum. Appears to me to be photo taken during one of the early Tank Jumbles, c 1985/6. Tank Jumbles being a precursor to Tankest. It could also be argued that that the Bovington Camp Open Day (first Sunday in August) was another seed to the present day Tankfest. The Open Day featured a mobility display at Gallows Hill. The Museum's Mark V was a regular running feature in the 1950/60's together with a 'flying' Cromwell, well more of a leaping Cromwell. Happy Days!
@@matthayward7889 Definitely. I for one dig the Workshop Diaries and getting to really see the workings of any armoured vehicles that they are working on.
It would be nice to have a video overview of the museum for those of us who can't go there yet. The different halls and what is in them, and what themes are present.
I can imagine David Fletcher's retirement party: Thank you Mr. Fletcher for your many years of wonderful service here at the Tank Museum. Oh, you're quite welcome. Happy to have worked here. See you tomorrow? Yes indeed. See you then.
We love David here in America I prefer his video presentations to any other presenter at least a man is historically accurate and he is down to earth which is something you do not see what the other presentators
I first visited the tank museum in 1969 after graduation. I had been to see a fellow graduate and friend who lived in Poole. It was fascinating then, but much improved now.
As a newly qualified tank gunner in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, I visited Bovington in summer 1980. And I quietly 'strap-hanged' on the back of a RAC Crew Commanders Course as the Curator took them through the collection at Bovington. On return to Australia, I did my Crew Commanders Course in 1981. 40 years on in 2021 and still in the Australian Army, the Curator's words from 1980 show me what passion and close contact with equipment can display to young people whose 'career, mission, role and job' relies on not being about 'equipping men' but 'manning equipment'. (1970s terminology) Use the technology to its best advantage. 'Through the mud and the blood, to those green fields beyond.' Paratus
I remember visiting the tank museum in circa 1984/85 on my big OE from NZ. Back then if you phoned ahead and got there early they would open up any tank you wanted to crawl around. So up early and on the train from London and it was quite the walk along hazardous narrow lanes - no Google maps to tell you if you were going the right way - and I was feeling a bit lost when suddenly enormous, loud Chieftains roared past so close I could almost touch them. I was so excited; coming from NZ they were the first tanks I had ever seen and the smell, noise, size and powerful presence made quite the impact on a youngster! Anyway, got to the museum and kinda wandered around until I found someone to give me permission to wander around and then spent a few hours climbing in and out of a Sherman, a T-55(?) a Panther, a Pz IV. I almost got stuck in the Russian tank, leading to momentary panic! I then went walkies and found some men in oily overalls coaxing an interwar Vickers light tank into life with a shimmer of blue smoke haze and clank of tracks. I will never forget that day. It sparked a life long love of tanks as machines for me. PS unless my memory is playing tricks on me, the person who found me wandering and gave me permission to wander about was David Fletcher.
David Fletcher is an icon at the Tank Museum. God Bless him, and may he feed us with much information on armor for many years to come. Kudos to you Mr. Fletcher.
Mr. Fletcher has lived a life that would fill many lives. It is amazing the amount of experiences and knowledge he is able to contain in his short stature. People should be grateful for his persona and his willingness to share his subdued passion and humor with the world.
Thanks to all concerned for a fascinating story told with charm and wit by David Fletcher. I find sitting in a comfy chair with a hot cup of tea (and a shot of whisky added on occasion) is the perfect way to watch David’s videos. Loved the little joke about the chap filming from the helicopter by the way had to chuckle. Roll on next summer and a visit to the museum
I like museums. But the Tank Museum is on my bucket list so I can somehow get a tour by Mr. Fletcher. It feels like he has forgotten more history than I have ever known. Add in the dry wit, and this might be the most memorable tour of all time for me.
Sad that the Medium I is gone. That was the first tank I played when I started playing world of tanks, which is what introduced me to the tank world. It holds a special place in my heart.
My first visit was in the summer holiday in 1970. There was no climbing on the tanks allowed then, but the turrets on the ground outside were smothered with kids. We were on them, in them and hatches were slamming all around, how none of us lost fingers etc was a miracle. Having heard about this wonderful playground my son was most disappointed to find it had been removed the first time I took him there about 12 yrs ago. Oh and as someone else has pointed out, David if you want to talk about ttanks and the collection for the next ten hours I don't think any of us will start complaining...
History presented by a living legend. "Yours truly" - the pictures are excellent. Oh, and with really entertaining ads - not the YT ones, the ones inside!
I'm poor and don't live in Britain, so I'll never get to visit. Listening to David is the next best thing, he's a treasure. But it's still on my bucket list to see these beauties. Maybe some day I'll win the lottery or inherit an unknown uncle :).
Went to Overloon as a child and adult many times. All the armor was outside in the early years, used to be be able to climb all over and in tanks and even a Biber 2 man submarine. Later went to Portsmouth and Bovington on a trip with my dad. I must say being able to climb all over the armor was really awe inspiring., although its good these treasures are now presurved indoorrs. Just feel lucky and old enough to have been able to see these monsters "in the wild".
I remember going in the mid 80’s to early 90’s as a kid with my grandad who was based at bovington in the 50’s on centurions. Hope to get back down next year, can’t wait to see how much it has changed.
"We were only allowed to do it in the evening because they wanted to sow explosions in the ground, and as the Queen was visiting Winfrey at the time they didn't want the explosions to go off while she was there in case she got the wrong idea."
Can we please have Mr.Fletcher bring in his scrap book, have a seat at a table with a pint or some tea and let him have at it with stories until he falls over?
Having that Leopard C1 in the background is like an attractive member of whatever sex of your fancy dancing while offering you unlimited amounts of your favorite food. One must avert their gaze to hear the wisdom of Sir Fletcher!
I remember the soldiers series, you can find it on RU-vid and see the footage , incredible footage seeing the inside of the tank in operation. And yes you can see David driving her.
I would love to hear more stories & anecdotes from David as I am sure he would have plenty of stuff to talk about. Look at it from this perspective we track down WW2 servicemen & women to get their stories before they pass on, & I dont really see the difference in getting more from David about the museum & things of that nature, because when he passes on his knowledge & stories will be lost.
I was a gunner, but sometimes we were short a few crewmembers. So, I would jump into the driver seat move my tank on the gunnery range, hop out, toss a round in the main gun, get in the gunner position, say all the required words. Fire, on the way! Etc. Then hop out climb in the driver seat and move to the next position. Good Times!
I’ve said it 4 times and I’ll say it again…This man is an InterNational Treasure. May Sir David live forever!…course he’d never say that but there you go…
The truth is, David fletcher actually never went to the tank museum at first, he actually predates the museum. At some point, a load of people started spotting him standing around in an empty field talking endlessly about tanks and tank history without anyone in sight to listen to him, then somebody decided to build the tank museum around him, as he kept talking endlessly about tanks, they then gave him a job, and he retains that job to this day, still talking about tanks, even after everyone has left and the lights have been turned off.
Those pictures of kids climbing all over the vehicles... a local preeminent armored vehicle collector near where I live learned early on to keep kids off of the tanks after a couple incidents of vehicle hatches chopping off fingers when slamming shut.
I remember back in the day (60s) a crowd of us was camped at Swanage and we decided to go to Bovington. As we got onto the site my mate in the back of the car said. "For Christ sake don't brake", as I was about to ask why I looked in the rear view mirror. All I could see was dark green. The answers I got back was ... "Cos there's a f#cking great tank right behind us"....😂
Little Willy the first tank(which also had a turret,bugger the french)was so named because Queen Victoria,s nickname for Kaiser Wilhelm was 'Little Willy'...Discuss.
Cool to see how the museum has developed. Like the Churchill from the Army Transport Museum in Beverley. Used to live in Beverley and one of my earliest memories is sitting in an armoured car at the museum there.
