Cold War tank reports for duty at museum

A Cold War era tank has been delivered to Nottinghamshire to become the latest attraction at a military museum.

The 51-tonne Centurion Mk13 has been brought to the Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (RLNY) Museum from the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, on the back of a specialist army lorry.

This type of tank was used by two of the units commemorated in the museum and will be used as a "gate guardian", close to another tank that arrived in 2022.

After a slight delay in transport, it arrived at the museum at Thoresby Park, near OIlerton, shortly after 16:00 GMT.

This machine was one of 4,423 Centurions built from 1946 to 1962, which were used by armies across the globe and deployed on active service into the 1980s.

The RLNY records the service of three units, The Royal Lancers, The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and The South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry.

All three were originally cavalry units but the first two converted to armoured vehicles and would have used the Centurion.

Robert Willmer, vehicle historian and museum volunteer, said: "The background of Thoresby Park is that during World War One and World War Two it was used for training.

"In World War Two, it was used for actual armoured vehicle training and the King came to inspect the units there before Normandy.

"The hardstanding from that is still there and that is where this tank will be placed."

Once in position, it will be restored by volunteers with the aim of having an official unveiling in 2026.

The tank has suffered some corrosion and a funding appeal towards restoration costs, somewhere in the region of £4,000, has been launched.

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