REME Museum facts for kids
A retired BAE Systems Phoenix UAV on display outside the REME Museum at Arborfield in Berkshire, 2011
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| Former name | REME Museum of Technology |
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| Established | 1958 |
| Location | MoD Lyneham, Wiltshire, England |
| Type | military museum |
The REME Museum is a special place where you can learn all about the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). This group is a very important part of the British Army. Their job is to keep all the army's amazing vehicles and equipment working perfectly. Think of them as the army's expert mechanics and engineers!
The museum shows off many cool things. It has a huge collection of historical items and technology. These items tell the story of how the REME has helped the army for many years. You can find the museum in MoD Lyneham, which is near Lyneham in Wiltshire, England. It's about 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Swindon.
Contents
The Museum's Story: How It Started
The REME Museum first opened its doors in 1958. It began in a place called Arborfield, Berkshire. Back then, it was quite small, only taking up two rooms in an old house. This house used to be where the commander of an army depot lived.
Over time, the museum grew bigger. It moved to a nearby building, which gave it more space. This extra room meant they could show off even more cool objects and large vehicles.
Moving to a New Home
In April 2015, the museum closed its doors in Arborfield. This was because the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers themselves were moving. They were relocating from Berkshire to MoD Lyneham in Wiltshire. This big move was part of a larger plan to change how the army trains its technical experts.
The old Royal Air Force Officers' Mess at RAF Lyneham was changed into the museum's new home. This new building was much bigger and allowed the museum to completely update its displays. They could arrange everything in new and exciting ways. The brand new REME Museum opened to the public in June 2017.
What You Can See: The Collection
The REME Museum has an amazing collection of military vehicles. These are some of the actual vehicles that the REME engineers worked on and kept running.
Awesome Vehicles on Display
You can see many different types of vehicles, including:
- Aircraft
- BAE Phoenix UAV: This is a type of drone that the army used.
- Westland Scout: A cool helicopter that was used for many different tasks.
- Land Vehicles
- Scammell Pioneer: A very strong truck used for towing heavy equipment.
- FV434 Armoured Repair Vehicle: An armored vehicle designed to fix other vehicles on the battlefield.
- Sherman Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV): A special vehicle based on a Sherman tank, used to pull things off beaches during landings.
- Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV): A huge vehicle used to recover and repair Challenger tanks.
- FV106 Samson ARV: Another armored recovery vehicle, smaller but still very powerful.
- International Half Track: A vehicle that is half truck and half tank, used for carrying troops or supplies.
- Morris Commercial: An older type of military truck.
- Churchill Tank ARV: A recovery vehicle built on the strong Churchill tank chassis.
- Western Star: A modern, heavy-duty truck.
- Snow Trac: A unique vehicle designed to travel over snow.
More Than Just Vehicles
Besides the vehicles, the museum also has a huge collection of military records. These records help tell the stories of the people and machines of the REME.
The museum building is also a great place to visit. It has a shop where you can find souvenirs. There's also a large café where you can grab a snack or a drink. For schools and families, the museum offers special workshops. These workshops are a fun way to learn more about engineering and army history. There are also rooms for researchers who want to study the museum's collections in more detail.
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