Bordon and the Conford Range.
 

I live in Bordon Hampshire UK. As well as being into armour and ordnance i am also a local historian of the area. Bordon and the surrounding area during WW1 and WW2 stationed many Canadian units etc including the big Canadian base workshop in the camp that repaired all the tanks vehicles and weapons. Eventually the workshops were taken over by REME in post war years when the Canadians moved out in about 1948. As for vehicles the whole area in Pre war and WW2 was tank land, tanks everywhere of all types, including the rare ones and early war types. Most early tank photos shown on common land was taken locally.
The area still has many historical features that can be seen including the Atlantic wall which was built for testing to see if Hobart funnies and other weapons could breech the wall, its still there today. As well as the camps the Canadians were stationed at such as Bramshott, Headley, Whitley and Bordon, the Australians and New Zealand troops also occupied a camp near the Longmoor military railway known as Park camp on the Blackmoor estate. All the camps have long gone only the derelict footings remain for all to visit.
The area still has many hidden secrets from both wars including the latest one i found about 4 years ago, The Conford Range, a large Z shaped moving target range, with target trolleys on rails with cable winch house and a 30 yard range. This range was used mainly by the Canadian tank crews for gunnery practice for 30 yard training and coaxial machinegun practice before they went to bigger full sizes gunnery ranges in Wales or Lulworth in Dorset. The range is still on MOD land and those officials at Longmoor didn't know it existed. Much of the structure of Conford range is still there but hidden under a jungle of undergrowth and is now on a preservation list by the MOD under Operation Nightingale. The Book by John Owen Smith 'All tanked Up' gives an account of the Canadians in the area, which is worth a read, stating the use of the Conford range in extracts from Canadian Diary's. The Curtis Museum in Alton up the road has photos of Australian troops in the town most probably from Park camp.
It would be interesting to find if there are any Canadian or Australian or New Zealand Veterans still alive who were stationed in the area especial anyone who was at Park camp or used the Conford range.

Chris,

Thank you for posting this detail of history.

Many of us here are in touch with veterans and maybe others, as I will, will ask about that when talking with them.
Have you thought about reaching out through the Legion Magazine which is a function of the Canadian Legion https://legion.ca/join-us?gclid=EAIa...SAAEgI8r_D_BwE
and asking them to publicise it?

For me Longmoor was a place I know from my military training exercises

Hi Robin, i did try a Canadian veteran's organisation but no luck. It would be interesting to hear from any veterans who are still about who were in Bordon and the surrounding area as well as any Australians and New Zealand personnel. Its lost heritage as councils and so-called large heritage organisations like the national trust etc are not interested in the areas history only Roman.
We have people visiting the UK from Canada and elsewhere who go on to Normandy etc only to find theres nothing like a museum in the area to tell their grandfathers story, after all these veterans spent 3/4 of their military career training here. I was thinking of getting the Canadian government to invest in a museum in the area as recognition to the troops who trained lived and worked here, they would have more clout than the weasily county council we have who offer nothing.

Bordon Museum
 

The Canadian Government investing in a military museum in the UK, hahahaha! Good luck with that. So you are a comedian as well as a historian.

Hi Chris

Don't mind Ed; you're doing a great job.......but he's right about this govm't.

I have read with interest your other thread on the AA site. Tres cool. :smoker:

I'd try (or try again) with the Royal Canadian Legion's Legion Magazine. Not just some "Canadian veteran's organisation", I'm sure they'd be interested.

https://legionmagazine.com/en/

There is a contributor's tab. :)

regards
Darrell

Chris,

There is a gentleman in Alton, which is not a million miles away from Bordon, that is trying to open a cold war museum, he's awaiting planning permission. I have suggested to him that he could open an area of the museum dedicated to the Bordon training area. I know It's not Bordon itself but this is a privately funded scheme and it would give any relatives of ex-service personnel a focus point.

http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/35525-the-co...ge/9/#comments

He is trying to register on MLU but isn't having any success.

Jon

Hi Darrell, i have seen some Canadian WW2 documentaries on the history channels about Normandy etc with Canadian veterans telling their story, their minds are bright as a button, i wonder how these film company's get in contact with such veterans. I have tried but to no avail with the legion you mentioned but didn't get anyone from WW2. I was thinking about seeing if there were any Canadian vets who visit Normandy every year to attend any ceremonies or events put on for them. I may try Portsmouth D Day museum and have a chat with them.
As for Ed, i am a comedian and a bit of a joker, you have to be in this game when you are up against the local and county council who have no interest in WW2 heritage especially Pill boxes, they already demolished a mint conditioned range wall going back before WW2 that was right next to the Canadian base workshops. I can also see your point of view on my mad cap idea, politics around the world is not the best place to ask for governments to put money into things, especially in todays political climate where military history would be taboo with the woke but if you don't ask or try you don't get either.
Jon, Alton is just up the road from me where i work, i heard about this guy setting up a Museum and was going to pop along to see what he was up to, i may pick his brains.
In the mean time i will post more pictures of the conford range, plenty to show. As well as this being history in my area, its your guys heritage as well Canadian, Australian and New Zealand, especially if you have relatives who were here and served in the UK. Theres so much to see as well as to discover. At the moment there look out for a buried tank in the area over Ludshott.

Here is some more photos showing what there is now. The remains of the target trolley, the winch house and the track on the last embankment.