We have been discussing on another post the nature of volunteering in the reserve forces context and the conversation wandered into other forms of volunteering and how that might inform the future reserves. Someone mentioned the The Royal National Lifeboat Institution as a good example. Get your wallets out!
The BBC have a collection of Army themed documentaries available for viewing on-line, click the image to go to the page. Some great programmes from the past. This is a good clip, especially the opening line, bloody BBC :)
This has been a tremendously rewarding series to write, the depth of expertise, team work, diligence and hard won experience translated into operational advantage has been incredible to read about, quite humbling and certainly a privilege. At every stage the UK has been at the forefront of military bridging operations and design. Looking forward… In the short term, the Royal [...]
Although not specifically about bridging, trackway is an integral part of many bridging operations because they mitigate the effects of multiple vehicles driving on and off the bridge so although this is a relatively broad post it is still bridging related. Vehicles Soft ground obviously creates problems for all types of vehicles reducing mobility and access to key points or [...]
With the advent of air mobile infantry it was a natural requirement to support them with appropriate bridging capabilities. This was reinforced by the setting up of the UK Strategic Reserve and a general change in posture as the UK withdrew its forces to the UK and BAOR in the late sixties. Class 16 Air Portable Bridge The requirements for [...]
After the pipe fascine, Number 8 and 9 Tank Bridges and the Medium Girder Bridge came into service a series of wide ranging changes to the research and development of all types of military equipment, the establishment of a tri service procurement executive and the mergers and ultimate run down of the various research establishments. MEXE were given the Freedom [...]
Revolutionising the world of military bridging (with the Bailey) once was a tall order, to pull it off a second time would be nothing short of amazing, but MEXE did it with the Medium Girder Bridge (MGB) A number of design drivers informed the requirement for the MGB, an increasing desire for air portability for example, but what made it [...]
A great video clip from the Tank Museum The Tank Museum has obtained the tank used in Steven Spielberg’s new World War One blockbuster Warhorse. The fully operational replica of a British Mk IV tank is set to go on display when the film is released next week, and will also be used in the Dorset based Museum’s tank displays [...]
The Bailey bridge was described by General Eisenhower as one of the three most important engineering and technological of WWII, along with radar and the heavy bomber. …one of the three pieces of equipment that most contributed to our victory in Festung Europa Churchill was equally effusive and Montgomery wrote after the war. Bailey bridging made an immense contribution towards [...]
As a follow on to the bridging post that showed the Kapok Assault Bridge for use over streams and small rivers. British science made some dreadful bloopers when they were give free reign to design during WWII. Some such as P.L.U.T.O. worked well, others such as “Kapoc Landing Stage MkI” and “Giant Panjandrum” didn’t!
The title for this post should really be ‘everything up to the Bailey Bridge’ because equipment bridging took a leap forward with the Bailey that made all before it more or less redundant although as I will show, the Bailey would not have been possible without the innovations introduced in the bridges described below. Most of the designs here saw [...]
This is relatively short post, construction, or non equipment bridging uses construction materials rather than pre –manufactured equipment like a Bailey or Medium Girder Bridge. As bridging equipment evolved, the need to use construction bridging techniques has lessened but it is still a subject that is taught to all combat engineers. As weights of vehicles increased the ability of these [...]
When I was in the middle of writing the last post in the bridging series it struck me just how far the UK’s indigenous armoured vehicle industry has sunk and how little imagination we now seem to possess. The Titan bridgelayer, one based on an existing bridge and existing vehicle, has taken over ten years to bring into service, the [...]
I know this is an old(ish) story but is £16million for HMS Victory a good use of defence funds? Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory is to benefit from a comprehensive restoration process which will see the ship returned to its best condition in over 200 years, it has been announced. BAE Systems Surface Ships have been awarded the £16m [...]
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