Report - Sherman Ram Tank..Upper Holme, Derbyshire March 2020

[Mikeymutt🐶]

Nothing really much to this but it's still nice. We had attempted this a few months earlier whilst that way, but as we pulled up the rain, sleet and wind was just far too horrific to even get out the car. So a few months later we were near again so gave it a look. Sitting in a firing range which I am not sure is still active (was no flags up). We took the trek up to it, it was a nicer day but bring fairly high it was still horrifically windy. It was still nice to visit it though as apparently their are not many of these about now. This place has had a few visits to it now.
During world war two the Canadian government developed this tank knowing that they were going to be drawn into the war. They knew the British would have a shortage of tanks and the spare American ones would go to Britain first. The ram was apparently was actually quite a good tank but the American M4 basically saw it relegated as a training tank and never saw active service. It was built in an M3 chassis and several variants were built. It became known as Canada's most successful failure.

The tank how it looked on parade. Courtesy of Google.

Heading up past an old training building.

 

[Salad_Dodger]

As far as I know the firing range isn't active.

 

[Mikeymutt🐶]

As far as I know the firing range isn't active.

I did not think it was, not much signage around. But was not totally sure as not local.

 

[Salad_Dodger]

I did not think it was, not much signage around. But was not totally sure as not local.

Well I could be wrong, as due to COVID its around 2 years since I drove past the place, Prior to that I'd drive past around once a month and no signs of activity on the range. There is a disused training camp close by which has appeared on 28DL numerous times. So if it is still a live range, then I guess the MOD is bussing in the troops and the ammo - but can't think of a barracks close enough to make it viable. Of course I stand to be corrected on this if anyone has information to the contrary.

 

[DegenerateBum]

As far as I know the firing range isn't active.

The range *is* still in use although I don't think they've done any live firing up there in years. It's mostly infantry training using blanks and pyros. The MOD publish the dates it is booked although from my experience, it isn't always used on the booked days. The timetable used to tell you the nature of the training too but that info isn't included anymore:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/leek-and-upper-hulme-firing-times

I've never had an issue with access. They have sentries posted when in use and they obviously politely tell you to fuck off but other than that they're relaxed. I live fairly local and took my Grandson for a look-see at the weekend. We arrived just as they were packing up and the guy in charge said it was fine if we went into the "out of bounds" area so Bob and TedTheDog could give the tank a good coat of looking at and climbing on. There's no lock on the gate.

 

[DegenerateBum]

If anyone is in this area there are a couple of historic aircraft crash sites nearby worth checking out if you've made the journey. Is it OK to post a map?

 

[Bikin Glynn]

If anyone is in this area there are a couple of historic aircraft crash sites nearby worth checking out if you've made the journey. Is it OK to post a map?

thats fine by me but none of my business tbh lol
I guess these arnt the sort of things that will get vandalised easy regardless of if its given out.
Saying that the overexposed site has been pillaged over the years

 

[DegenerateBum]

If anyone is in this area there are a couple of historic aircraft crash sites nearby worth checking out if you've made the journey. Is it OK to post a map?

There is no obvious surface wreckage at the P38 Lightning site, just an impact crater.
1943-12-22|P-38J|42-67670|27th ATG, USAAF|Strines Moor, Leek

At the Stirling site there is a memorial and a small wreckage pool.
1942-07-13|Stirling Mk.I|N6075|No.101 Sqn Con. Flt, RAF|Merryton Low, Leek

At the Hurricane site there is an impact crater with a memorial and a few scraps of wreckage.
1944-07-27|Hurricane Mk.I|V6793|No.5 (P)AFU, RAF|Merryton Low, Leek

 

[DegenerateBum]

thats fine by me but none of my business tbh lol
I guess these arnt the sort of things that will get vandalised easy regardless of if its given out.
Saying that the overexposed site has been pillaged over the years

Yeah, the Peak District aircraft crash sites have been a thing of mine for decades. There are hundreds of them and they've all depleted down the years. Some of it is natural. Sites become overgrown or reclaimed by the peat and the elements move stuff about. One thing I'm convinced of is that the blame for the human magpie effect lies mainly with aviation collectors and not people like us who like to visit, absorb and document. I visited all three of these sites over the weekend just gone. On my previous visit to the Hurricane site I saw evidence of digging and a significant pile of scraps I figured the magpies had decided weren't interesting enough to steal. Since then, the thieves have been back and cleaned the site out. At first I thought there was nothing there but a bit of poking around in the impact crater did reveal a few fragments.

I also don't think it's right to extend the blame for damage and theft to people who share knowledge about places and history that should belong to all of us. The blame lies squarely with the scruffy thieves.

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

@DegenerateBum Of those three aircraft wrecks, only one I have been to but I am aware of 120ish wreck sites in the Peak District with either extant wreckage or some form of marker. Of these I have been to about half. I have a report here which I am trying to turn into a comprehensive record of all these sites. You are welcome to add any details and photos of any sites that I have not yet recorded.

 

[DegenerateBum]

@DegenerateBum Of those three aircraft wrecks, only one I have been to but I am aware of 120ish wreck sites in the Peak District with either extant wreckage or some form of marker. Of these I have been to about half. I have a report here which I am trying to turn into a comprehensive record of all these sites. You are welcome to add any details and photos of any sites that I have not yet recorded.

I've no idea how many I've been to because I can't remember half the ones my Grandad and Dad took me to in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I didn't keep any decent records myself until the last 10 years or so. I have started recording everything though and I'm happy to share

I visited/revisited 9 sites just this last weekend. It keeps me out of trouble and stops me from bothering nice folk (which was mostly my Dad/Grandad's aim in the first place)

 

[Rio3]

The range *is* still in use although I don't think they've done any live firing up there in years. It's mostly infantry training using blanks and pyros. The MOD publish the dates it is booked although from my experience, it isn't always used on the booked days. The timetable used to tell you the nature of the training too but that info isn't included anymore:

Leek and Upper Hulme firing times

I've never had an issue with access. They have sentries posted when in use and they obviously politely tell you to fuck off but other than that they're relaxed. I live fairly local and took my Grandson for a look-see at the weekend. We arrived just as they were packing up and the guy in charge said it was fine if we went into the "out of bounds" area so Bob and TedTheDog could give the tank a good coat of looking at and climbing on. There's no lock on the gate.