Wet miserable half-term day brightened up by an hour or so long visit to the REME Museum at Lyneham. Some rubbish photos from my phone , couple got out of order whilst uploading. few other photos of a model of some memorial gates I added to this thread No 6 Tank Brigade Workshops 24 June 1944
This is the film about WF Harris MM, whose photo & medals are in the pics above. They have an extract of it playing in the museum, with his medals underneath the screen.
Recommendation for Award for Harris, Walter Frederick Rank: Serjeant Service... | The National Archives Reference: WO 373/52/487 Name Harris, Walter Frederick Rank: Serjeant Service No: 7595107 Regiment: 90 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Theatre of Combat or Operation: North West Europe 1944-45 Award: Military Medal Date of announcement in London Gazette: 01 March 1945
Me too. I've just stumbled across three REME soldiers who were involved on Chindit 1. Obvious attachments to such a venture really, but hadn't occurred to me until now.
B reg = 1984.(but that's a civie number plate) It was used at BATUS in Canada. Some interesting comments about it on this photo on the FB page. The REME Museum
I'm relieved to see they have labelled the weapons in the large display cabinet. When I went shortly after the museum's opening there was not one label that huge display
Is it worth a visit? I was not that impressed when I went to Aborfield and got charged for entry even though I was a serving REME soldier at the time. Anyone with a MOD 90 can get free entry to Bovington but presumably Aborfield had a different arrangement with the MOD. Just hope the RA get their new Museum as well.
It thought it ok , enjoyed a pot of tea & banana cake afterwards . It will cost serving & ex REME 4 quid to get in. Visit - REME Museum Serving military: £4 Ex-REME (with association card or other REME membership details): £4
Chatting to a younger workmate today whose Dad was in the REME , he asked his Dad to take his kids to the museum as that would be a nice Grandfather- grandson thing to do. His Dad said he will not set foot in that building until the proper REME badge is on the museum, not this awful one designed by a civvie design agency. He said a lot of REME chaps think the same & won't visit for that reason. Also said something about the spanners not being ones that REME chaps would use either .
It's an odd decision. The rationale was that the great unwashed wouldn't recognise the corps' role from its badge despite depictions of horsepower and electricity which are no vaguer than the new crown. Then they go and change its name from the self-explanatory 'Museum of Army Technology' to 'REME (what's that then?) Museum.