Armoured Engineering

10/06/2026

🎟️ GRANDSTAND TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE 🎟️

Want to guarantee yourself a seat for the day's arena action?

Our covered grandstand upgrades are now available to purchase via our website for just £15 per day. Cheaper than a camp chair and umbrella!

With tanks, military vehicles and live demonstrations running throughout the weekend, these tickets are expected to sell out before the show.

Secure your seat, stay comfortable, and enjoy the action from one of the best viewing locations on site.

Book now to avoid disappointment 👀



*Photo from our Grandstand supplier and may not be the actual grandstand just in case 😅

06/06/2026

M3A1 Scout Car Restoration

This post concentrates on some more issues we found during the chassis works. The front axle spring hangers were found damaged, possibly from some historical oxy/acetylene activities. On closer inspection we discovered that both hangers had been completely cut in half and the crudely welded back together. The one shown in the images even had bits of old rivet included in the welded “repair”. After considering different options, which included casting new, and cast iron welding, we found that reproducing the part from billet steel was the most cost effective route to take. The parts were drawn up in CAD and new items produced.

On this same inspection, we discovered that one of the front spring hangers had also been poorly welded back together. As this is a cast part, our efforts concentrated on locating a replacement part.

Before placing an order for reproduction spring hangers, we checked the remaning suspension components for damaged or worn items. We didn’t have to look far, as all the spring bushes and spring hanger bushes were worn or out of shape. These were also drawn in CAD and reproduced as a job job from phosphor bronze.

The end results can be seen in the images. We can now offer reproduction bushes and spring hangers of anyone with a scout car needs them.please contact us via email: [email protected]

31/05/2026

⭐ INTRODUCING THE OPERATION MARKET HARBOROUGH VIP EXPERIENCE – NEW FOR 2026 ⭐

As Operation Market Harborough continues to grow, we’re always looking at ways to improve the experience for visitors whilst also helping support the future development of the show. Experiences such as this help us continue bringing in rare vehicles, special guests and unique attractions year after year, whilst also supporting organisations such as the Weald Foundation in their vital preservation and educational work surrounding historic military vehicles.

For 2026, we’re excited to officially launch our brand new VIP Experience Package — offering visitors an enhanced way to enjoy the show, along with some truly special opportunities that have never previously been available at OMH.

VIP packages will be strictly limited to just 60 tickets per day, helping us ensure the experience remains personal, relaxed and worthwhile for those attending.
So what’s included?
⭐ VIP parking within the showground for easier access and exit
⭐ Early show access — enter the show one hour before general admission for trader bargains, photography opportunities and a quieter atmosphere around the vehicles
⭐ 50% off the exclusive Jagdpanther 411 show print from Mick Graham Art
⭐ Access to an exclusive guided tour of Jagdpanther 411 hosted by members of the Weald Foundation alongside David Willey. These will be in two slots throughout the day to allow plenty of time!
⭐ Access to our brand new covered grandstand seating area overlooking the arena
⭐ Entry to our dedicated photographers area with additional space for tripods and equipment
And finally…
⭐ One VIP ticket holder will be selected at random by the Weald Foundation to receive the extraordinary opportunity to ride in Jagdpanther 411 during the Sunday 2nd August grand finale*

An opportunity like this is exceptionally rare, and we’re incredibly proud to be able to offer it as part of this new experience. VIP tickets will be available at an introductory price of £75 for one week only, after which the standard price will increase to £85. Tickets will go on sale on the 1st June 2026!

Separate grandstand seating tickets will also be available as a standard upgrade per day on a first come first served basis so that you are guaranteed a seat!

We’re extremely excited to launch this new experience for 2026 and hope it becomes another important step forward in helping Operation Market Harborough continue to grow and develop in the years ahead.

👉 https://omhevents.co.uk/tickets

Please note:
VIP tickets are supplementary tickets and do not include general admission entry. A standard admission ticket must also be purchased. VIP tickets are valid only for the selected day. There are also important conditions attached to the VIP Experience Package and we strongly encourage everyone interested to read the full details available on our ticket page via the website below.

*Terms and conditions apply to the Jagdpanther 411 ride experience and associated prize draw. Free entry available. Please view all conditions on our website for full details or contact us for further details.

26/05/2026

SPONSOR ALERT!! A big thank you from Team A&E to the guys at Armoured Engineering (link in comments) for their support!

'After spending 8 years as a Mechanic at RR Motor Services, Gavin decided to take the plunge and branch out on his own, setting up Armoured Engineering Ltd in 2016. Four and a half years later and after expanding into a larger premises in 2019, our restoration work is going from strength to strength, increasing our skillset, and with a busy calendar through to the end of 2026.

Having both Gavin and Paul as serving REME Reservists, we have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and have recently been awarded the Silver Award, fully supporting Reservist training requirements. Skills they have learned are easily transferable within both working environments.

STANDING ABOVE THE CROWD

Whilst in our care, we are not only insured for the work we carry out on your vehicle, but your vehicle is fully insured whilst on our premises too. Sycamore Farm, where we are based, is secured by a fob-entry gate system, over-watched by 24-hour infra-red CCTV, and is supported by floodlights throughout.

As an appointed Registered Fi****ms Dealer by Kent Police, we are certified to hold, and work on live "Section 1" fi****ms, including de-activation & certification to the latest specifications. This also means we have the added protection of a Redcare alarm system in operation out of hours.'

Thank you guys and see you in June!!

25/05/2026

🚨 VEHICLE ANNOUNCEMENT – ANOTHER WORLD WAR TWO ICON 🚨

Completing an incredible lineup of vehicles from the Bannister Historic Armour Collection for this year’s Operation Market Harborough is the legendary M5A1 Stuart 👏

Fast, reliable and instantly recognisable! The M5A1 became one of the most widely used Allied light tanks of the Second World War, serving across multiple theatres of the conflict. Despite its smaller size, these vehicles earned a reputation for speed, mobility and versatility on the battlefield.

Many of you may recognise this beautifully preserved example from regular appearances at Tankfest and we’re incredibly excited to welcome it to our arena this year.

This marks the third and final vehicle attending from BHAC and what an absolutely outstanding lineup they have brought along to support the show. Seeing these vehicles together is going to make for a truly impressive sight across the weekend.

A huge thank you once again goes to BHAC andarmouredengineering for their continued support and for helping us bring such historic and exciting armour to Operation Market Harborough.

But don’t worry… we’re still not finished 👀

There are still plenty more tanks to come, and we’re saving one vehicle announcement that will perfectly complement this incredible lineup.

22/05/2026

🚨 VEHICLE ANNOUNCEMENT – FIRST TIME ATTENDING 🚨

Joining the lineup for the very first time at Operation Market Harborough is this incredible Sherman M4A4 from the Bannister Historic Armour Collection 👏

Fitted with the only running Chrysler A57 Multibank engine in the UK, this is a truly unique vehicle and one that military vehicle enthusiasts will not want to miss.

This tank represents another astonishing restoration completed and stands as a real testament to the hard work, skill and dedication that goes into preserving these historic machines for future generations to experience.

We are incredibly excited to welcome this vehicle to the show for the first time, where it will make a fantastic addition to an already growing World War Two lineup.

We cannot thank BHAC and Armoured Engineering enough for their continued support in helping bring these remarkable vehicles to Operation Market Harborough. It’s support like this that helps us continue building something truly special for visitors to experience. This is the second out of three vehicles that BHAC are very generously bringing along to our show this year.

And yes… there is still more to come 👀 Remember there is just over a week left to be entered into our Mick Graham Art free draw! Grab your tickets now!

19/05/2026

🚨 VEHICLE ANNOUNCEMENT – WORLD WAR TWO ARMOUR RETURNS 🚨

Continuing on from last week’s exciting announcement; we’re pleased to reveal yet another fantastic World War Two vehicle joining us at Operation Market Harborough 👏

Returning to us after being one of the true stars of last year’s show is the incredible Centaur III from the Bannister Historic Armour Collection (BHAC).

Powered by the mighty V12 Liberty L12 aero engine, this vehicle absolutely commands attention the moment it fires into life. When this thing starts up, everyone knows about it 👀

Not only is it an outstanding example of British Second World War engineering, but many of you may also recognise it from the hit HBO series Band of Brothers, where it appeared on screen as part of the production.

We’re incredibly excited to have this vehicle returning to the arena once again where it will be appearing across the weekend courtesy of BHAC and Armoured Engineering and we cannot thank them enough for continuing to support our show.

And trust us… we’re still far from finished 👀
There are yet more exciting vehicle announcements still to come…

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

M3A1 Scout Car Restoration

After identifying all the issues with the chassis, a repair plan was put into motion. First off was to split the damaged sections of chassis into their component parts to enable their repair. This included the front roller as the support sections had been welded to the chassis rails during a previous repair.

We attempted to grind off the rivet heads and knock them out but this was impossible as they had been fitted very well! A mag drill and broach cutter were used to drill them from the chassis.

Our aim was to save as much of the original al chassis as possible, but given the gaps left being from the flame cutting, it was inevitable that repair sections were going to be needed.

The front roller was also seized but the vehicle owner has specified that this must “roll” on the finished vehicle. Details on the roller strip down and rebuild will follow.

09/05/2026

Capt. Bob Joanis, Major Miles Patterson and Capt. John Garland at Beaminister, Dorset. A stunning picture of the 745th Tank Battalion - waiting to embark at Weymouth or Portland.

Between 31st May and 2nd June 1944, the unit departed its marshalling area near Weymouth to board embarkation craft.

As part of Task Force "O" for Operation Neptune, the battalion joined the D-Day assault.

The Reconnaissance Platoon landed on Omaha Beach around 12:20 p.m., followed by B Company at approximately 3:00 p.m. on 6 June 1944.

You can see a lot of pre D-Day detail in this picture.

*NOTE the wading stacks. I can count 20 Shermans in this line up?

These tanks rumbled through the lanes and villages of Dorset, we replicate this during A&E….