Gogar Services to the rescue 

Armed Forces Covenant signatory and Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award holder Gogar Services Limited recently came to the rescue of a West Lothian military museum.

The Military Museum Scotland had been gifted an air defence system for display at its Kirknewton site. The donation to Curator Ian Inglis came from the Army’s 16th Regiment Royal Artillery which is based at Baker Barracks, Hampshire.

Ian’s problem was how to transport the decommissioned trailer-mounted Rapier Field Standard C (FSC) air defence system plus eight practice missiles to their new home 448 miles north while keeping costs down.

After exhausting all possibilities and almost giving up hope of bringing this fantastic new addition to the museum, Stuart Banks who volunteers in the museum and who works at Gogar, propositioned Alison and Alistair Snowie, directors of Gogar, to donate the heavy haulage required to bring the equipment to Scotland.

Both agreed that it would be an exciting and unique opportunity not to be missed, and so the equipment made its long journey north. The main image (above) shows the system on a Gogar truck.

The Rapier air defence system ready for delivery to the museum.

The equipment was brought back to Gogar’s Operations Headquarters before being transferred to a flat rack trailer for easier delivery to the museum, where it has been put on public display as part of its external exhibit offering.

Many thanks to Stuart Banks at Gogar Services Limited for supplying the story and images.

The Military Museum Scotland is located at the Legion Hall, Wilkieston, Kirknewton, West Lothian, EH27 8DU.

Find out more about the museum.

The Rapier system being loaded.