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The Tank Museum and YouTube creator Joe Hewes recovered a derelict British Conqueror tank from a swampy former Ministry of Defence firing range. Because the tank had no tracks and sat in an area where unexploded ordnance may be present, the Ministry of Defence required tracks to be fitted before it could be moved. Heavy recovery vehicles lifted it, and a U.S. military Oshkosh transporter hauled it from the site.
The Tank Museum and recovery specialist and YouTube creator Joe Hewes have recovered a derelict British Conqueror tank from a swampy former Ministry of Defence firing range, where it had been left without tracks. The vehicle, estimated to have weighed about 65 tons when new, was needed as a source of a turret and main gun for a museum restoration; possible unexploded munitions made moving it a safety-sensitive operation.
The Conqueror being restored by the museum was missing its turret and main gun. Replacement components were available on another Conqueror left at the range after being used for target practice. The donor vehicle was also missing its engine and transmission, but remained heavy and substantial enough that an ordinary tow risked dragging its road wheels into the soft ground.
The donor tank had no tracks, which normally spread a tank’s weight across a larger area. Without them, the vehicle rested on its road wheels, some of which had sunk into the earth. The report says the Ministry of Defence would permit the recovery only after a replacement set of tracks was fitted, in part because the site could contain unexploded mines and artillery shells.
Hewes brought in two former British Army Foden heavy recovery trucks to jack the tank up and lift it clear of the ground so the tracks could be installed. An Oshkosh M1070, a U.S. military heavy transport vehicle, then winched the Conqueror onto the tracks and hauled it from the site on a trailer. The account and video show a staged recovery rather than a simple tow across the field.
A Rare Tank Returns to Restoration
The recovery supplies components for a museum project and helps preserve an example of a British tank type that occupies a distinct place in postwar military history. The Conqueror was designed as a larger companion to the Centurion, in response to concern about heavily armored Soviet tanks such as the IS-3. Its story connects two better-known British designs: the Centurion and the later Chieftain.
The Conqueror did not become a successful all-purpose tank. As the report explains, large, slow designs had drawbacks, while later technology made more versatile vehicles possible. Recovering a donor vehicle allows the museum to restore its own Conqueror with original components, giving visitors and researchers a more complete account of the period’s tank development. The operation also illustrates why moving heavy military machinery from old ranges can require specialist equipment and coordination, not just greater towing power.
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Why the Conqueror Was Needed
In the years after World War II, NATO countries pursued heavier tanks in response to Soviet armored vehicles. The United States developed the M103, while Britain developed the Conqueror as a heavier counterpart to the Centurion. The tank’s role and design reflect a period when militaries were weighing protection and firepower against mobility and practical use.
Only a limited number of Conquerors were built, and few survive, according to The Drive’s report. That scarcity helps explain why the museum turned to a derelict example for parts rather than relying on readily available replacements. The donor had been left on a firing range and was described as having been abandoned for 58 years in the title of Hewes’s video, as cited by the report.
“The only way the Ministry of Defence would allow the recovery to proceed was by reinstalling the tracks.”
— The Drive, describing the recovery
Recovery Details Still Unreported
The available report does not give the date of the recovery, the exact location of the firing range, or a detailed account of the safety checks performed before work began. It says the area may contain unexploded ordnance, but does not specify whether any munitions were found or how the site was cleared for the operation.
The tank’s approximately 65-ton weight refers to its weight when new; the donor was missing its engine and transmission, and its actual weight at recovery is not stated. The report also does not confirm when the recovered turret and gun will be fitted to the museum’s tank, or when restoration will be completed.
Parts Move Toward Museum Restoration
The immediate next step is for the recovered Conqueror to supply the turret and main gun needed by the museum’s restoration project. The source account does not provide a schedule for removing those components, installing them, or putting the restored tank on display.
Further details may come from the museum or from Hewes’s recovery video and subsequent project updates. Until then, the confirmed outcome is that the donor vehicle was lifted onto replacement tracks and removed from the range on a trailer; the restoration’s timetable and final presentation remain unreported.
Key Questions
Why did the Conqueror need tracks before it could be moved?
The tank’s tracks distribute its weight across a broad surface. Without them, it sat on its road wheels, which were already partly submerged in soft ground. The Ministry of Defence required tracks to be fitted before the recovery proceeded.
Why was the tank being recovered?
The Tank Museum needed a turret and main gun for a Conqueror it is restoring. The recovered vehicle was a donor tank containing those components.
What equipment was used to recover it?
Two former British Army Foden heavy recovery trucks lifted the tank so tracks could be installed. An Oshkosh M1070 then winched it onto the tracks and hauled it from the site on a trailer.
Was unexploded ordnance found at the site?
The report says the firing range could contain unexploded mines and artillery shells, which influenced the recovery requirements. It does not say whether any ordnance was found during the operation.
When will the restored Conqueror be finished?
The supplied report gives no completion date or display schedule. It identifies the recovered tank as a source of parts for the museum restoration, but does not detail the remaining work.
Source: thedrive.com
