Bordon and the Conford Range.

[Robin Craig]

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

[Chris Abraham]

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.

[Ed Storey]

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.

[Darrell Zinck]

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.

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

[Jonathan Moore]

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

[Chris Abraham]

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.

[Chris Abraham]

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.