I am having trouble keeping up as I still have to go to work. Maintaining a large school never stops, especially in Autumn Downunder, damn leaves doing their best to clog up gutters and drains.
As unpleasant as those tales may be, it is imperative that we are all told such things. Only through knowing the horrors of war will we do our best to avoid it. Thank you.
Obsydium both on point and missing it. Knowing on an intellectual level and knowing at the physical and emotional level by living it are two entirely different things
The curator of one of the most important and influencial tank museums in the world sitting in front of his compost heap explaining the jacket hanging over his chair. There's upsides to this virus situation.
David I'm so glad you told the stories about the casulaties. I"m sure its unpleasant for you in many ways, but it is necesary and too many people do disassociate the horrible sites, smells and experiences from the games, the displays etc.
David here I was thinking, what if the COVID-19 lock down didn't come along? You would have never told us the story about Ron? With all this great detail... what a miss. Think how long these videos can be seen in future, how many great details are mentioned in each talk that you might not even realize are of great value to others looking back. Dave you must keep this going. Thank you very much!
For the record as an American the first time I went to the Museum I cried like full tears which the thought “these were there they saw soo much” it was truly beautiful
Yes! David thank you for the hand rubbing and the clap! Love from Canada! We’ve had to postpone the effort to adopt David Fletcher as my grandfather! We had maybe one vote for! Things made in Canada last for ever.
“It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.” William Tecumseh Sherman
Thank you for remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice. It is comforting, that even in the midst of War, Chivalry and Honour is upheld. Stay Safe Sir.
I was a US 3rd Armored medic in Desert Storm. The smell from Highway of Death has remained with me to this day. I can not associate the smell of diesel without the smell of .... well, you know.
Great to see Finn. Sorry David what were you saying ? Great episode once again and so glad to hear David Fletcher is doing well. Please keep up the good work until I can get back down there once again.
Thank you for talking about the dark sides of military technology and history. It's important keep it in mind. The sort of motto of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna is fitting here: Wars belong in the museum.
If I remember correctly, it was interview of Red Army veteran, he was mechanic in a tank battalion. He said that some times knockout tanks came for repair with dead crewmembers inside the vehicle, so it was their duty to get them out and bury.
The gentlemen of the Tank Museum do great work. You are doing very well without your central collection at hand. And extra thanks for reporting on Mr David Fletcher's condition. I recall he had some health issues some time ago. I regret I may not be addressing him with his full honours. This just a quick note, without proper research. I hope by next year the usual evens may return. I am in America, so your RUclips videos are my chance to see them. God bless you all. BTW If Mr Fletcher is the Museum's Mustache, Mr Wiley must be its Beard. And a regal Beard it is, Yes Sir..
Are you being cheeky with that thumbnail or is it just me? Really glad to hear Fletcher is well! You are quite right to state the truth about these matters, its not a game after all.
i think it's pretty dope that a museum has such a active social media presence with actual good content! i wish the local museums near me in the Netherlands had this too... one of your tanks is lend to one near me i think? (national military museum soesterberg) wish i could go see it...
Mr. Willey, there is no possible way you could go "overboard" when reminding us all of the purpose of these magnificent machines, and the consequences of their use. Not yet inside a tank, I've been very fortunate to have taken a short ride in a B-17 Flying Fortress. What the young warriors, land or air, had to contend with is inconceivable to me. Carry on the great work.
John Kipling [died 27th September 1915] was the only son of Rudyard Kipling - he died at the Battle of Loos which grieved his father terribly, he never got over it. John didn't need to go to war because his eyesight was so poor he was rejected, but Rudyard used his influence to get him an army commission. After WWI Rudyard got involved with the Imperial War Graves Commission - probably as a result of his son's death - perhaps some guilt it is claimed. I speculate that this was also part of the reason Kipling wanted the tools of WWI [the tanks etc.] preserved for later generations.
Thank-you for another superbly informative video David. Nice to know that David Fletcher is keeping well as I hope all the staff at the museum are. Finn the dog is a total star with his super canine sense of when to enter camera shot! Your piece about Ron Huggins (Hope the spelling is correct) really touched me. Profound words from a man with a first hand experience of such terrible events carries so much impact. I hope his wish that if Civilians could share those experiences that War would become less likely will one day come true. A pipe dream I know as mankind seems hell bent on self destruction regardless of the cost but the example set by such museums as yours provide an insight not just into the technological advances made through war but that technology can be developed to eliminate the excuse for going to war in the first place. 👌👍
I had a border collie named Finn. He was named after a former beagle. It's hard to let go of pets. You just have to keep naming new ones after the ones you've lost.
No problem. We completely understand that the Internet connection on The Ramtops can be problematic the closer you get to The Hub. 'Tis common knowledge round these parts.
There was a man who used to live in my street who once talked to me about his experiences being part of a Sherman crew in Normandy after D-day. He specifically told me about being told by his officer to climb into destroyed tanks with a hacksaw, as the burned bodies inside were in too much of a state to remove from the tank in one piece. I think he said his memoirs were somewhere in the Tank Museum archives, but this was about 8 years ago now, and I fear he's passed away.
Thank you for reminding us of the ultimate result of war. As you say, the films and games are great, but in the real thing people die, and they die in horrible ways. To me that’s what the phrase “Lest we forget” means.
I really enjoy, and look forward to, these chats that you offer. They're both informative and entertaining. Keep up the great work, it's greatly appreciated.
i worked with a fine gentleman for decades who manned to Browning .50 on an M-32 Tank Retriever in the Battle of the Bulge. The results that the presenter talks about were a big part of Uncle Bruce's job. Peace be with them, for theirs was the stuff of nightmares.
I have to say, Iove the clap. Good video. I went to the aftermath of a Challenger one system error in the Balkans in the 90s. A crewman was badly injured whilst cleaning above the breach, when the system reset and went back to battery. It was a horrible sight. I am glad to say, unbelievably I discovered some time later that the chap had recovered, amazing. As a veteran myself, I agree, everyone should just once see the result of war first hand and particularly smell it!
Please don't apologise about talking about the darker aspects of this. It's such an important part of the museum. I was really fortunate to visit last year and speak to people in your education team about how they approach these subjects with children as part of some research I'm doing. I have to say the Tank Museum team are one of the best I've seen with regards to presenting all the gritty nuances of these difficult subjects head on, and in a sensitive manner.
I just want to say hey from the USA. I want to see the tank Museum some day and listen to David F or David Wille and give me a tour keep up the good videos at home I enjoy watching u speak David and to learning things that I didn't know☠💀
As a child, it was always a treat to visit the tank museum en-route to the west country for holidays. You could climb all over them in those days, everything was painted in three colours of gloss paint, dark green, grey or pale yellow depending on which nation they came from and irrespective of the original camo scheme - always remember sweet wrappers stuffed in the vision ports on the tiger's cupola! Some of the WW1 vehicles were outside rusting away, almost unbelievable now. Now I live in the west country and every trip back to Sussex entails a visit to the museum - not sure my wife is always overjoyed though.
We;re glad to know that David and all the tank museum personnel are okay! Also, another question - why did nations decide on from drive sprockets or back drive sprockets?
Some say, he can load a 17lber one handed, others that he can kick start Tiger tanks , and leap over M60's with a mighty bound. We just know him as : "The Curator"
Yet another great chat and some interesting little known facts. These are great. My interest in tanks came from my first visit as a boy to the museum, and it continues now as a man in his fifties and these chats are every bit as interesting if not more so than the usual ones. Keep safe all of you and thanks for the work you are doing.
I stopped paying attention for a moment as Finn came on screen and instead my mind switched to dogdogdog. He is a very nice addition along with the birds makes this a very relaxing video to listen and watch.
I had a great uncle who worked as a tank repair crew out in North Africa. He said when they came in they'd often have to hose out blood and small body parts before repair and returning to service. Grim but the reality of war .
Crazy idea...someone drive out to fletchers home plop a cammera on his lawn and see if you can catch him in the wild so to speak..then pick up the cammera after.....i do have a new respect for curators though thank you for all your hard work and for sharing all this awesome history.
It is my understanding that the bore evacuator is charged with 'fresh' air from in front of the round, that the 'rear' holes usually have valves that allow gasses in and not out, and that the system works best with semi automatic and fully automatic breeches which automatically open as the gasses are at their maximum forward momentum.
Thank you for another great Q&A Curator. It's often the little stories & personal tales that are most interesting! Could you please share a few of the more unique examples of how the Tank Museum acquired some of the tanks in its collection?
In most case (non SS etc) the soldier on both sides are just ordinary blokes trying to get on with life. I have read reliable accounts of American civil war look out posts that were used by one side in the day and the other side at night for days and they always ensured the fire was fuelled up for the other side before leaving because you get back what you give.
they had Gentlemans agreements, such as stopping for afternoon tea and swapping/ransoming prisoners, read Pegasus Bridge by Stephen Ambrose, the first chapter mentions this!
If you follow this link here www.forces-war-records.co.uk/blog/2018/05/11/75th-anniversary-victory-of-the-allies-in-the-north-african-campaign-as-the-afrika-korps-and-italian-troops-surrender and scroll to the bottom you'll see a German POW lighting a cigarette of a wounded British soldier. The photo, for me, gives an insight into the people who fought in North Africa and how they behaved once the fighting was over.
There are many photos of bodies being removed from armoured vehicles burnt, broken and blown. You are correct in identifying the disconnect between the tank aficionados and the reality of reality of torn, shredded results when a crew gets plastered. Which begs the question of what were the tank crews looking out for? Apart from concentrating on their individual tasks what were the general threats beyond the vehicle that the crew were ordered to keep an eye out for? How were units of tanks covering themselves? I ask this because so much of the reminisces of tankers in ww2active operations basically seem to accept hits as just bad luck that was unavoidable, the enemy not noticed almost like no one was really keeping a look out, just hoping that someone else would be hit by the rpg or 88 or whatever. Those kids, Russian and American, British and commonwealth took terrible punishment from very efficient German anti tank artillery with materiel which never got in front of the curve of the armour, Armourment and maybe tactics which their opponents possessed. It was like sending these children into a big pool and 80% knew they couldn’t swim and their ‘leaders’ also knew this. Bloody hell, that is bravery being expected to get within 500m of the enemy with any hope of knocking him out when he can kill you at 1200m. It was also murder. So in the interest of reality maybe we should get to see what the engineering companies saw when they had to clean up and hose out battle damaged tanks and armoured vehicles. Won’t be pretty but we should stop pretending that there were no downsides. Respect and best wishes and thank you for all the work you chaps do.
The first time I visited the Tank Museum was in September 1974 when I was a Junior Leader RAC - spent my pass out term in 1976 in the what was known as the ‘ Spider Huts’ now somewhere under the Museum’s extended footprint🙂 It was definitely rows of ‘rows’ of stuff then!
I saw a video from Bovington where Armoured Officers were being trained in assessing the key features, strengths and weaknesses of different tanks. Very interesting.
Love all your videos and what you do for the tanking community. Can you do an updated Panther chat when we all get back to normal. The Panther has become one of my favorite ww2 tasks and would love to know more from your all point of view on this machine. Thank you Cheers!
Im from Michigan and love your guys videos saved up for awhile to afford a plane ticket to get over there to see your museam and the virus shut me down lol so since i cant support you directly i ordered a few scale models to do while im on lockdown thank you for the videos great operation!!
So David did you ever touch on how you ended up at the Museum? What's your interest in tanks ? Did you serve in a tank unit? I feel like I'm having a set down with you in your proper English garden. All that's missing is the spot of tea. Thank you for having me and my mission in life is to visit the Museum one day soon.. -Randy from California
From what I recall reading, the Germans and British in North Africa often communicated in the clear over radio giving names of captured soldiers to each other. There were allegedly occasions in the deep desert where both sides passed right next to each other rather than fight it out and die in a pointless little battle with no hope of medical care or rescue.
David I really have enjoyed your at home chats. I could see that when you spoke about the question of real people being in war it was difficult for you, but unfortunately that's the reason these fascinating machines exist. Also I'm loving my tiger 131 mug that arrived 2 days ago. Keep up the good work, and when we can get out a bit more the first thing I'll do is travel from Dublin to visit the museum.
Your comments about extraction of casualties from armored warfare echoed the words of Randall Jarrell's poem "Death of the Ball Turret Gunner": "I awoke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose." Chilling thoughts. RIP to all that perished.
Hello David, and Finn! I'm glad to stop by and I've enjoyed your chat. At first I thought "So that's what tank curators keep in the garden shed to control the gophers!"- Not. Your story about Ron's experience with tank crew mortality reminds me again of my Grandfather, the WW1 big gun man. He became a Norfolk constable, and during WW2 he would get up have a crumpet and a cuppa and tell his wife he was going "for a walk". His "walk" was to go to his patrol section of the Wash, passing through the barb wire and look for the airmen that washed ashore over the night. What an awful way to start your day. ps- Does Finn supply the canine landmines?
Excellent video. I firmly believe that we, as fans of military history and military equipment, should always keep the horrors of war in mind. This is what David does here. Also as a Greek, I am curious to know what is written inside that Greek helmet. I don't think David mentioned it in this video. In another one maybe?
Excellent clip David, you have a great screen presence, Im sure you could talk for hours and it would still be interesting. I first had a look around the Tank Museum in about 1962 / 63 when My family (I was about 7 or 8) was shown round by my uncle who was a very senior rank in the Army. It was great as I could have a close look at the exhibits as it was after hours in the museum! Interesting to hear the comments on the injured / dead of tank crews. Ive had the job of putting deceased in body bags, some of whom died by burning and it is a task which is very difficult to clear from your mind. Perhaps we never do. I had another Uncle who was a tank commander during the war, who had lost two fingers of his right hand (not the important ones-he could still invite you to leave!) - - I remember his story was his tank had been hit (normandy I think) and his hand had got involved in the still racing engine of the tank somehow and the fingers had been removed. I remember him relating that he was in a ditch some fifty yards away before he noticed! Keep well David, and many thanks for these clips, great to listen to whilst marooned in our houses!
I saw the aftermath of a Type 59 that had been hit (GW1). The turret was off and lying by the hull, the crew were burned and naked. One had a s*** half out his butt. Another had half his head was gone.
Yeah, on cleaning up after war... One of my grandfathers was crew on a LST at Omaha beach. After the landings they where assigned to help clean up after. I cant remember now if it was that they where there for a week gathering the dead or if it took a week for bodies to stop washing up, but... Eigther way, its one of those things that is so frequently glossed over, isint it? Dunno why I felt like sharing that, even.
A bit late for my comment, but regarding the difficulty of getting wounded out of tanks etc, All racing drivers have reinforced shoulder epoullettes on their racing suits so that they can be used to be quickly pulled out of the car in event of fire etc. Might be handy for tankers too. regards Chris
Usual brilliant lectures, hugely informative. One thing I have to correct you on however is your contention that the 17 pdr APCBC projectile contained an explosive bursting charge, it did not. Unlike most German, Soviet and many US anti-armour rounds the vast majority of British WW2 AT rounds did not rely on an explosive bursting charge for "through armour" destructive effect. British thinking of the time deemed the havoc caused by armour penetration and spalling sufficient to destroy the target.
Curator at Home, Director at Home, this is almost a daily thing. And all interesting and fun. You really spoil us!
I am having trouble keeping up as I still have to go to work. Maintaining a large school never stops, especially in Autumn Downunder, damn leaves doing their best to clog up gutters and drains.
Bloody hell, made my heart skip a beat when you started talking about David Fletcher there with “unfortunately”
Right? Bad way to start!
Now, unfortunately...
Me: Noooooooooooooooo... Oh, he's got bad Internet. Phew.
I KNOW
“David fletcher is staying somewhere there’s not any internet”: he’s holding out in the museums Mk VIII.
Or in the TOG 2, he can even make a dance party in it :O
@@pdehun6234 You just know he has his own one, out the back. I would imagine furnished like a Hobbits hole with a fine selction of cakes and real ale.
I don't know. I bet WiFi reception is just as good in there now as it was in 1918. Should be fine.
As unpleasant as those tales may be, it is imperative that we are all told such things. Only through knowing the horrors of war will we do our best to avoid it. Thank you.
Obsydium both on point and missing it. Knowing on an intellectual level and knowing at the physical and emotional level by living it are two entirely different things
Absolutely and wholeheartedly agree. Superbly handled here in the video too.
Well said. I think that this topic as unpleasant as it is, it's more important then "fun" stuff with tanks.
let politicans pay with their own money for wars and suddenly you'll have world peace, war is expensive, and is never payed by those who start it
Agreed. If the reality is horrific, the knowledge of it has to be as well or people start to lose the gravity of it.
Lest we forget - war isn't about games, but death and destruction. Thanks, David, for reminding us all.
The curator of one of the most important and influencial tank museums in the world sitting in front of his compost heap explaining the jacket hanging over his chair.
There's upsides to this virus situation.
David I'm so glad you told the stories about the casulaties. I"m sure its unpleasant for you in many ways, but it is necesary and too many people do disassociate the horrible sites, smells and experiences from the games, the displays etc.
David here I was thinking, what if the COVID-19 lock down didn't come along? You would have never told us the story about Ron? With all this great detail... what a miss. Think how long these videos can be seen in future, how many great details are mentioned in each talk that you might not even realize are of great value to others looking back. Dave you must keep this going. Thank you very much!
Indeed, as awful as these times are the tank museum have produced some real gems
For the record as an American the first time I went to the Museum I cried like full tears which the thought “these were there they saw soo much” it was truly beautiful
Yes! David thank you for the hand rubbing and the clap! Love from Canada! We’ve had to postpone the effort to adopt David Fletcher as my grandfather! We had maybe one vote for! Things made in Canada last for ever.
“It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.” William Tecumseh Sherman
Thank you for remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice. It is comforting, that even in the midst of War, Chivalry and Honour is upheld. Stay Safe Sir.
11:40 for David's dog :)
A welcome cameo appearance to soften a very morbid subject.
I was a US 3rd Armored medic in Desert Storm. The smell from Highway of Death has remained with me to this day. I can not associate the smell of diesel without the smell of .... well, you know.
the Highway of Death was a damn war crime....
Great to see Finn. Sorry David what were you saying ? Great episode once again and so glad to hear David Fletcher is doing well. Please keep up the good work until I can get back down there once again.
Thanks for the story about the casualties. It’s important we know this stuff.
Well done sir. Well done. As a vietnam era vet it disgusts me when people forget the human cost of these battles.
Thanks for doing these. Should be a regular go.
Thank you for talking about the dark sides of military technology and history. It's important keep it in mind.
The sort of motto of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna is fitting here: Wars belong in the museum.
The mustache is well gentlemen. All is right in the world.
Kim Jung Un hasn't been seen in public, neither has David Fletcher. Coincidence?...
It couldn't get any more British. Decided to shoot the vid with a compost heap as backdrop. Love you to bits.
These little explanations are excellent. Thanks very much for going out and doing them. I only wish you had a good cup of tea to enjoy as you do them!
So quintessential British. A guy in a sunny garden. Blackbirds singing and some great commentary about a favourite subject. Perfect.
If I remember correctly, it was interview of Red Army veteran, he was mechanic in a tank battalion. He said that some times knockout tanks came for repair with dead crewmembers inside the vehicle, so it was their duty to get them out and bury.
German and British tankers talked about using a shovel to scrape out the remains of burnt tank crewmen.
The gentlemen of the Tank Museum do great work. You are doing very well without your central collection at hand. And extra thanks for reporting on Mr David Fletcher's condition. I recall he had some health issues some time ago. I regret I may not be addressing him with his full honours. This just a quick note, without proper research. I hope by next year the usual evens may return. I am in America, so your RUclips videos are my chance to see them. God bless you all.
BTW If Mr Fletcher is the Museum's Mustache, Mr Wiley must be its Beard. And a regal Beard it is, Yes Sir..
Are you being cheeky with that thumbnail or is it just me? Really glad to hear Fletcher is well! You are quite right to state the truth about these matters, its not a game after all.
i think it's pretty dope that a museum has such a active social media presence with actual good content! i wish the local museums near me in the Netherlands had this too...
one of your tanks is lend to one near me i think? (national military museum soesterberg) wish i could go see it...
Another great film. Good to have Finn formally introduced as well! 🐶
Mr. Willey, there is no possible way you could go "overboard" when reminding us all of the purpose of these magnificent machines, and the consequences of their use. Not yet inside a tank, I've been very fortunate to have taken a short ride in a B-17 Flying Fortress. What the young warriors, land or air, had to contend with is inconceivable to me. Carry on the great work.
John Kipling [died 27th September 1915] was the only son of Rudyard Kipling - he died at the Battle of Loos which grieved his father terribly, he never got over it. John didn't need to go to war because his eyesight was so poor he was rejected, but Rudyard used his influence to get him an army commission. After WWI Rudyard got involved with the Imperial War Graves Commission - probably as a result of his son's death - perhaps some guilt it is claimed. I speculate that this was also part of the reason Kipling wanted the tools of WWI [the tanks etc.] preserved for later generations.
Kipling also penned the inscription for unidentified soldiers - "Known unto God".
Check out the play and film My Boy Jack about John (Jack) and Rudyard, heartbreaking
Thank-you for another superbly informative video David. Nice to know that David Fletcher is keeping well as I hope all the staff at the museum are. Finn the dog is a total star with his super canine sense of when to enter camera shot! Your piece about Ron Huggins (Hope the spelling is correct) really touched me. Profound words from a man with a first hand experience of such terrible events carries so much impact. I hope his wish that if Civilians could share those experiences that War would become less likely will one day come true. A pipe dream I know as mankind seems hell bent on self destruction regardless of the cost but the example set by such museums as yours provide an insight not just into the technological advances made through war but that technology can be developed to eliminate the excuse for going to war in the first place. 👌👍
It amazed me how long the museum has been about for! My grandad can remember going when he left the 1st royal dragoons in 1959!
Finn is adorable.
I wonder where he got his name ....
I had a border collie named Finn. He was named after a former beagle. It's hard to let go of pets. You just have to keep naming new ones after the ones you've lost.
@@teme82 David does explain in an earlier chat, Finns full name and where from
No problem. We completely understand that the Internet connection on The Ramtops can be problematic the closer you get to The Hub. 'Tis common knowledge round these parts.
Chris Gibson the clacks are quite reliable these days, I hear
Kudos for the TP reference
I didn't even notice that was an inflatable until you said.
There was a man who used to live in my street who once talked to me about his experiences being part of a Sherman crew in Normandy after D-day. He specifically told me about being told by his officer to climb into destroyed tanks with a hacksaw, as the burned bodies inside were in too much of a state to remove from the tank in one piece. I think he said his memoirs were somewhere in the Tank Museum archives, but this was about 8 years ago now, and I fear he's passed away.
Such an amazing video to watch and very well put! This reminds me why I cant wait for our restoration of our DDay sherman Holy Roller next spring!!
Thank you for reminding us of the ultimate result of war. As you say, the films and games are great, but in the real thing people die, and they die in horrible ways. To me that’s what the phrase “Lest we forget” means.
I really enjoy, and look forward to, these chats that you offer. They're both informative and entertaining. Keep up the great work, it's greatly appreciated.
Thanks for looking a bit at the grimmer side as well. One may admire these machines/equipment but not necessarily idolize or romanticize them.
i worked with a fine gentleman for decades who manned to Browning .50 on an M-32 Tank Retriever in the Battle of the Bulge. The results that the presenter talks about were a big part of Uncle Bruce's job. Peace be with them, for theirs was the stuff of nightmares.
I have to say, Iove the clap. Good video. I went to the aftermath of a Challenger one system error in the Balkans in the 90s. A crewman was badly injured whilst cleaning above the breach, when the system reset and went back to battery. It was a horrible sight. I am glad to say, unbelievably I discovered some time later that the chap had recovered, amazing. As a veteran myself, I agree, everyone should just once see the result of war first hand and particularly smell it!
Please don't apologise about talking about the darker aspects of this. It's such an important part of the museum. I was really fortunate to visit last year and speak to people in your education team about how they approach these subjects with children as part of some research I'm doing. I have to say the Tank Museum team are one of the best I've seen with regards to presenting all the gritty nuances of these difficult subjects head on, and in a sensitive manner.
I just want to say hey from the USA. I want to see the tank Museum some day and listen to David F or David Wille and give me a tour keep up the good videos at home I enjoy watching u speak David and to learning things that I didn't know☠💀
As a child, it was always a treat to visit the tank museum en-route to the west country for holidays. You could climb all over them in those days, everything was painted in three colours of gloss paint, dark green, grey or pale yellow depending on which nation they came from and irrespective of the original camo scheme - always remember sweet wrappers stuffed in the vision ports on the tiger's cupola!
Some of the WW1 vehicles were outside rusting away, almost unbelievable now.
Now I live in the west country and every trip back to Sussex entails a visit to the museum - not sure my wife is always overjoyed though.
We;re glad to know that David and all the tank museum personnel are okay! Also, another question - why did nations decide on from drive sprockets or back drive sprockets?
A perfect capture of a collective knowledge
Thank you for what you do. Thank you for saying what need to be said.
In Alaska: FURIOUSLY GOOGLING "Canadian Army Mackinaw Coat".
*Sees him heft a 17 pounder shell one handed* What. Oh it's an inflatable.
Nah, Willey is just that much of a man
@@JamLeGull or is he a Manly Man
His names pronounced David yes I will
A tank shell that blows up? I didn't expect that! 😉
Some say, he can load a 17lber one handed, others that he can kick start Tiger tanks , and leap over M60's with a mighty bound. We just know him as : "The Curator"
I have a sudden urge to buy that 17 pdr inflatable.
Yet another great chat and some interesting little known facts. These are great. My interest in tanks came from my first visit as a boy to the museum, and it continues now as a man in his fifties and these chats are every bit as interesting if not more so than the usual ones. Keep safe all of you and thanks for the work you are doing.
I stopped paying attention for a moment as Finn came on screen and instead my mind switched to dogdogdog. He is a very nice addition along with the birds makes this a very relaxing video to listen and watch.
Fantastic, informative, interesting and touching as always. Thank you, for all you are doing during these challenging times.
What a perfect half hour. Thank you
I had a great uncle who worked as a tank repair crew out in North Africa. He said when they came in they'd often have to hose out blood and small body parts before repair and returning to service. Grim but the reality of war .
Crazy idea...someone drive out to fletchers home plop a cammera on his lawn and see if you can catch him in the wild so to speak..then pick up the cammera after.....i do have a new respect for curators though thank you for all your hard work and for sharing all this awesome history.
Thanks for doing such a great job ! really enjoying these videos. Keep up the good work!
Superb job during a very difficult time.
Fascinating David. I have ordered Dad (Ernest) a 17 pounder shell. He used to load these in the Sherman Firefly. I also enjoyed your Jerry Can chat
Thank you for keeping it real. We should never allow politicians to manipulate us into wars again.
Thanks for continuing to do these videos even from home!
It is my understanding that the bore evacuator is charged with 'fresh' air from in front of the round, that the 'rear' holes usually have valves that allow gasses in and not out, and that the system works best with semi automatic and fully automatic breeches which automatically open as the gasses are at their maximum forward momentum.
Thank you for your continued and excellent efforts as Benny Hill said “learning learning all the time”.
Thank you for another great Q&A Curator. It's often the little stories & personal tales that are most interesting!
Could you please share a few of the more unique examples of how the Tank Museum acquired some of the tanks in its collection?
On my bucket list to visit Tank Museum. Lock down in California
I didn't even know that the Germans and the British had such an arrangement. Interesting.
Quite the stark difference from war today isn't it?
In most case (non SS etc) the soldier on both sides are just ordinary blokes trying to get on with life. I have read reliable accounts of American civil war look out posts that were used by one side in the day and the other side at night for days and they always ensured the fire was fuelled up for the other side before leaving because you get back what you give.
they had Gentlemans agreements, such as stopping for afternoon tea and swapping/ransoming prisoners, read Pegasus Bridge by Stephen Ambrose, the first chapter mentions this!
"War: a massacre of people who don't know each other for the profit of people who know each other but don't massacre each other" Paul Valery
If you follow this link here www.forces-war-records.co.uk/blog/2018/05/11/75th-anniversary-victory-of-the-allies-in-the-north-african-campaign-as-the-afrika-korps-and-italian-troops-surrender and scroll to the bottom you'll see a German POW lighting a cigarette of a wounded British soldier. The photo, for me, gives an insight into the people who fought in North Africa and how they behaved once the fighting was over.
Good to hear from Mr. Fletcher! Glad he's OK.
There are many photos of bodies being removed from armoured vehicles burnt, broken and blown. You are correct in identifying the disconnect between the tank aficionados and the reality of reality of torn, shredded results when a crew gets plastered. Which begs the question of what were the tank crews looking out for? Apart from concentrating on their individual tasks what were the general threats beyond the vehicle that the crew were ordered to keep an eye out for? How were units of tanks covering themselves? I ask this because so much of the reminisces of tankers in ww2active operations basically seem to accept hits as just bad luck that was unavoidable, the enemy not noticed almost like no one was really keeping a look out, just hoping that someone else would be hit by the rpg or 88 or whatever. Those kids, Russian and American, British and commonwealth took terrible punishment from very efficient German anti tank artillery with materiel which never got in front of the curve of the armour, Armourment and maybe tactics which their opponents possessed. It was like sending these children into a big pool and 80% knew they couldn’t swim and their ‘leaders’ also knew this. Bloody hell, that is bravery being expected to get within 500m of the enemy with any hope of knocking him out when he can kill you at 1200m. It was also murder. So in the interest of reality maybe we should get to see what the engineering companies saw when they had to clean up and hose out battle damaged tanks and armoured vehicles. Won’t be pretty but we should stop pretending that there were no downsides. Respect and best wishes and thank you for all the work you chaps do.
The first time I visited the Tank Museum was in September 1974 when I was a Junior Leader RAC - spent my pass out term in 1976 in the what was known as the ‘ Spider Huts’ now somewhere under the Museum’s extended footprint🙂 It was definitely rows of ‘rows’ of stuff then!
God Bless David Fletcher stay safe
great vid as always
I saw a video from Bovington where Armoured Officers were being trained in assessing the key features, strengths and weaknesses of different tanks. Very interesting.
Really enjoying these videos. It shows that content is absolute king not flashy presentation. Best of all the moustache is alive and well!
As always, thank you for your time and knowledge
Love all your videos and what you do for the tanking community. Can you do an updated Panther chat when we all get back to normal. The Panther has become one of my favorite ww2 tasks and would love to know more from your all point of view on this machine. Thank you Cheers!
Im from Michigan and love your guys videos saved up for awhile to afford a plane ticket to get over there to see your museam and the virus shut me down lol so since i cant support you directly i ordered a few scale models to do while im on lockdown thank you for the videos great operation!!
So David did you ever touch on how you ended up at the Museum?
What's your interest in tanks ? Did you serve in a tank unit?
I feel like I'm having a set down with you in your proper English garden. All that's missing is the spot of tea. Thank you for having me and my mission in life is to visit the Museum one day soon..
-Randy from California
From what I recall reading, the Germans and British in North Africa often communicated in the clear over radio giving names of captured soldiers to each other. There were allegedly occasions in the deep desert where both sides passed right next to each other rather than fight it out and die in a pointless little battle with no hope of medical care or rescue.
David I really have enjoyed your at home chats. I could see that when you spoke about the question of real people being in war it was difficult for you, but unfortunately that's the reason these fascinating machines exist. Also I'm loving my tiger 131 mug that arrived 2 days ago. Keep up the good work, and when we can get out a bit more the first thing I'll do is travel from Dublin to visit the museum.
Loving these chat episodes and the history of the museum. Just bought a tank model from the shop. Many thanks!
Thank you , Mr Willey
Your comments about extraction of casualties from armored warfare echoed the words of Randall Jarrell's poem "Death of the Ball Turret Gunner":
"I awoke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose."
Chilling thoughts. RIP to all that perished.
Hello David, and Finn!
I'm glad to stop by and I've enjoyed your chat.
At first I thought "So that's what tank curators keep in the garden shed to control the gophers!"- Not.
Your story about Ron's experience with tank crew mortality reminds me again of my Grandfather, the WW1 big gun man. He became a Norfolk constable, and during WW2 he would get up have a crumpet and a cuppa and tell his wife he was going "for a walk".
His "walk" was to go to his patrol section of the Wash, passing through the barb wire and look for the airmen that washed ashore over the night.
What an awful way to start your day.
ps- Does Finn supply the canine landmines?
26:49 made me laugh. I have had a really bad day, so thank you Sir.
What kind of propellant was used in the 88 shell? Was the propellant the same in the HE and AP?
Excellent film once again. Thank you. 😊👍🏻
Thanks for keeping these videos coming. Much appreciated
I love the coat. I've been looking for one for nigh on 20 years!
Excellent video. I firmly believe that we, as fans of military history and military equipment, should always keep the horrors of war in mind.
This is what David does here.
Also as a Greek, I am curious to know what is written inside that Greek helmet.
I don't think David mentioned it in this video. In another one maybe?
Excellent clip David, you have a great screen presence, Im sure you could talk for hours and it would still be interesting. I first had a look around the Tank Museum in about 1962 / 63 when My family (I was about 7 or 8) was shown round by my uncle who was a very senior rank in the Army. It was great as I could have a close look at the exhibits as it was after hours in the museum! Interesting to hear the comments on the injured / dead of tank crews. Ive had the job of putting deceased in body bags, some of whom died by burning and it is a task which is very difficult to clear from your mind. Perhaps we never do. I had another Uncle who was a tank commander during the war, who had lost two fingers of his right hand (not the important ones-he could still invite you to leave!) - - I remember his story was his tank had been hit (normandy I think) and his hand had got involved in the still racing engine of the tank somehow and the fingers had been removed. I remember him relating that he was in a ditch some fifty yards away before he noticed! Keep well David, and many thanks for these clips, great to listen to whilst marooned in our houses!
Imagine looking over your garden fence, to see your neighbor handling tank shells 😂
And he's just turning the massive thing around with one hand like it's a pencil.
Very interesting. Made a purchase of an 88mm shell and two books.
Don't ever forget the reality of what those awesome vehicles were there for. My Uncle George McAdams was there.
I saw the aftermath of a Type 59 that had been hit (GW1). The turret was off and lying by the hull, the crew were burned and naked. One had a s*** half out his butt. Another had half his head was gone.
"waffling on" the man says. These new videos are brilliant.
Yeah, on cleaning up after war... One of my grandfathers was crew on a LST at Omaha beach. After the landings they where assigned to help clean up after. I cant remember now if it was that they where there for a week gathering the dead or if it took a week for bodies to stop washing up, but... Eigther way, its one of those things that is so frequently glossed over, isint it?
Dunno why I felt like sharing that, even.
A bit late for my comment, but regarding the difficulty of getting wounded out of tanks etc,
All racing drivers have reinforced shoulder epoullettes on their racing suits so that they can be used to be quickly pulled out of the car in event of fire etc.
Might be handy for tankers too.
regards
Chris
Thanks a lot for these videos
Usual brilliant lectures, hugely informative. One thing I have to correct you on however is your contention that the 17 pdr APCBC projectile contained an explosive bursting charge, it did not. Unlike most German, Soviet and many US anti-armour rounds the vast majority of British WW2 AT rounds did not rely on an explosive bursting charge for "through armour" destructive effect. British thinking of the time deemed the havoc caused by armour penetration and spalling sufficient to destroy the target.