words and pictures Phil Loder
While FV4005 was the headline act at Tankfest, there were loads more armoured vehicles to see at this year’s show in Bovington, reports Phil Loder
The newly restored FV4005 heavy gun tank, with its 183mm L4A1 main armament, didn’t disappoint as it trundled around the Tankfest arena. But there were many other fascinating vehicles on show, as tank and armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) enthusiasts gathered from around the world for The Tank Museum’s biggest event of the year.
Each day Chris Price, the new director of the museum, officially opened the show, after which a Leopard 1, Warrior and Leopard Bergepanzer thundered around the arena, trailing coloured smoke and making the air thrum.
The pace slowed down immediately afterwards with a World War One battle re-enactment involving the museum’s British Mark IV Male and German A7V replicas, plus an original Liberty truck brought in for Tankfest. The World War One living history encampment included further vehicles such as a replica of the Whippet tank ‘Musical Box’, in which Lt Clement Arnold won the Distinguished Service Order on the first day of the Battle of Amiens in August 1918. Also, tucked around the back was ‘Clyde’,…
