London/Normandy 2016: Day 5

    After an early rise this morning, our group traveled to the Bovington Tank Museum outside of London,

near the southern coast of England. After an interesting underground ride across the city during rush-hour, during which our group was separated for a time we arrived at Waterloo Station to catch our train to Wool, the nearest town to the museum.

We all sought different options for food before boarding the train, as we would probably be eating lunch late or skipping it and going straight into dinner. One of us purchased a duck wrap, which was certainly not what he had hoped for, and after eating half of it, he gave it to another student on the trip. After finding food and then meeting for the train, we boarded the train for the 2.5 hour ride to the museum.

The ride out to the museum was in some aspects boring, but in other ways rewarding. While some members caught-up on some shut-eye on the train, others took in the sights outside the windows as best they could. One of the more spectacular sights was that of fields of yellow flowers, which stretched on for great distances throughout the journey. 

First World War British Tank

After finally arriving in Wool, we took a series of taxis to the museum, where we briefly observed an armoured personnel carrier in operation on the museum's field before entering. Upon entering the exhibit halls, we traveled through the history of armored warfare, starting with Little Willie and other early tanks from the First World War. The collection of these early tanks was impressive, and the ability to climb into them and experience them first hand was incredible. 

Following the exploration of the origins of tank warfare, we entered into the museum's largest exhibition area, where many tanks and armored vehicles are displayed, mostly from the period of the Second World War. Particularly noticeable were the two King Tiger panzers which were displayed prominently in the room. These massive pieces of machinery were beyond impressive, and the terrifying power they wielded for their time is quite noticeable. 

A Tradition unlike any Other: WJU Students in Front of a Tank (King Tiger)

While these massive war machines were to some the centerpieces of the room, there were numerous other tanks and vehicles around the gallery, including others' favorite vehicle, the Sherman tank from the movie "Fury." This was due to not only personal interest in the role of the tank within the film, but also to the importance of the Sherman  in the wider war itself. 

The "Fury" Sherman and its biggest fan, channeling his inner Brad Pitt

 After studying vehicles from the Second World War, the exhibition hall took two paths, one of which lead to an area examining recent British military operations in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick, and another which followed the continuing history of tanks and armor throughout history. 

Before exploring further however, the group took a side trip to the vehicle conservation center, which houses dozens of un-restored, incompletely restored, or not currently displayed pieces of hardware. This section of the tour was impressive as to both the number of vehicles owned by the museum and to the uniqueness of nearly every vehicle in the building. Each vehicle was different and had its own purpose, which amazed us all.

After returning to the museum itself, we were able to walk through a mock factory portraying British Centurion construction, which was followed by a journey through the evolution of the tank. The journey from World War One to today was examined closely, and examples of nearly every tank style, and of many different models were seen. Some were beyond thrilled to finally be in the presence of a real, live Tiger, which is the only remaining functional model in the world. 

The Tiger

A clearly deranged Individual

Others, however, set their eyes on a different piece of armor as their favorite overall. British Challengers and Centurions, First World War male and female tanks, Soviet KVs and T-72s, and the German Leopard tank were all interesting and impressive vehicles.

Stalin KV Heavy Tank

We finally had to pull ourselves away from the museum, however, as it prepared to close, and caught a train. Prior to boarding, we all were soaked in a torrential downpour, but still made the train safely. After a ride back into the city we went to dinner around Piccadilly Circus at an Italian restaurant. During dinner many topics were discussed, but the tanks still played a critical role in the discussion [Ed. note: As they should].

Dinner itself was fantastic. While some of our group left immediately after dinner, others stayed and explored the area of London around Piccadilly Circus. One of us found a donut shop and we passed many other shops until we boarded the underground again for our return it the hotel. The hostel gang generally settled down for sleep with a few people playing some kind of game, while others wrote about the day's adventures. After a fun-filled day of tanks [Ed. note: Is there any other?] rest was well deserved.