Bentwaters Cold War Museum

[Alpha Delta 210]

Hi

 

I finally managed to visit the Bentwaters Cold War Museum and can highly recommend it. All the exhibits are clearly labelled, and there are some incredibly well-built scale models helping to tell the story of the "twin bases".

 

A few pictures from the day:

 

 

 

 

A-10A Thunderbolt II 80-0219

 

 

Harrier GR.3 ZD667

 

Vehicle collection and Hunter GA.11 XE707

 

 

 

 

 

BT Frame Room

 

Cold War Room

 

Original TACAN Check Marker

 

Psrt of the Bentwaters Room

 

Crashed Warthog canopy

 

Another part of the Bentwaters Room

 

Warthog tail cone and GAU-8 Avenger barrel

 

Aggressor Room

 

Special Operations and Rescue Squadrons Room

 

 

War Operations Room

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

 

[Latinbear]

What a fascinating place! I wish I'd made the effort to the go and take photos when it was an operational base. I must and go see the museum.

 

Thanks for sharing these. 

[Alpha Delta 210]

I pleased that you enjoyed the pictures, Latinbear. The pictures don't really do the museum justice, as there is so much more to see.

 

There were some great photos on display of various air shows during the height of the Cold War.

[canberraman]

Excellent pictures from a fascinating museum - yet another place that's on my to do list. I have fond memories of spotting and photographing at the twin bases in the late 80s and these artifacts certainly do evoke that period.

 

Mark

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks Mark. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the taster. I never went to "Commie Corner" when the base was live, but wish I had as I find it quite sad to see the base as it is now....

[bentwaters81tfw]

Weekend before last. Our Jaguar lives. First engine runs with our very experienced Jag fitters and ground crew.

 

[Jonny]

Oh great!!!

i wondered how the Jaguar was coming along.  I visited the BCWM a while ago and saw the almost bare airframe in a hardened shelter.   Great to see (and hear!) her sitting in the open with engines running.  It’s a great museum, run by enthusiasts, one of those which put the bigger ones to shame (are you listening, RAFM and .Duxfird?).

 

I’ve a soft spot for Bentwaters:  both my parents worked there, Dad, a Quantity Surveyor, officially retiring from there aged 65 whereupon he joined s civil company and almost free to select the contracts he worked on. Mum worked in Base Supply and managed to arrange for me to see their new Sperry Univac 1050  computer.  Strangely enough, some time later I joined that company and had a ball, travelling to and working in 13 countries as well as the UK.

 

A fond memory of my visit to BCWM is one of the (American) guides who had us in fits of laughter.  He said if an A10 came in needing re-arming the pilot was instructed to keep both  his hands in plain sight of one of the ground team.  That person’s role was, if BOTH of the pilor’s hands ceased to be visible, to shout or scream at the armourers who would promptly move well to the side of the aircraft.  We were assured that was because - so we were told, cannot resist playing with cockpit switches, sometimes inadvertently releasing a weapon. Whether thaf’s true I can’t say!

 

thanks for sharingp your photos,  Alpha Delta.

 

Jonny

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks for posting the video, bentwaters 81TFW. I hope to see the Jag running sometime.

 

Thanks for sharing your memories of Bentwaters, Jonny. I'm pleased you enjoyed the pictures.

[bentwaters81tfw]

18 hours ago, Jonny said:

 

 

A fond memory of my visit to BCWM is one of the (American) guides who had us in fits of laughter.  He said if an A10 came in needing re-arming the pilot was instructed to keep both  his hands in plain sight of one of the ground team.  That person’s role was, if BOTH of the pilor’s hands ceased to be visible, to shout or scream at the armourers who would promptly move well to the side of the aircraft.  We were assured that was because - so we were told, pilots cannot resist playing with cockpit switches, sometimes inadvertently releasing a weapon. Whether that’s true I can’t say!

 

 

 

Jonny

That would have been Bob Hale. Yep, standard procedure for a 'Hot' turnaround. Keep your hands in sight and off the switches.

[F-32]

Looks like a great place, some of the models look really good!

[Alpha Delta 210]

5 hours ago, F-32 said:

Looks like a great place, some of the models look really good!

It sure is a great place, and the models were built to an incredibly high standard and were intact and dust-free, unlike in some museums!

[bentwaters81tfw]

The models are courtesy of our very own ghaynes, sparker, and yours truly.