Military
CategoryForgotten military bases and abandoned hardware constitute many fascinating modern ruins, while educating us about our past and informing us of the heroic deeds carried out by previous generations across the world. Join us as we explore crumbling wartime airfields, isolated research stations, even top secret aircraft, and much more.
Top Secret Tombs: The Classified Stealth Aircraft Burial Grounds of Area 51
The Groom Lake air base in Nevada, popularly known as Area 51, has been used to test top secret aircraft for decades. Some have even been buried at the site, and there’s evidence that many more unacknowledged projects rest deep beneath the ground.
Plates from Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres)
I wasn’t expecting to find battle-hardened antiques lying around my parents’ kitchen, but this year I finally discovered that the metal plates they use to keep food warm were present at the Battle of Passchendaele.
Abandoned Aviation Museum lingers amid Redevelopment of Moscow’s Khodynka Aerodrome
This aircraft graveyard in Moscow stands on what used to be Khodynka Aerodrome, a newly redeveloped area of the city where rusting Soviet relics contrast with modern Russia.
Gutted British Harrier Hulks languishing in the Arizona Desert “Boneyard”
As prime minister David Cameron reportedly considers military intervention in Syria, Britain’s dismantled Harrier GR9 force bakes beneath the sun of the Arizona desert.
The Rediscovery and Salvage of Downed B-17 Bomber ‘Swamp Ghost’
When Captain ‘Fred’ Eaton, Jr crash landed B-17 Flying Fortress 41-2446 in Papua New Guinea in 1942, he and his crew could never have imagined that, 70 years later, their aircraft would be on display in California.
Then & Now: The Author Poses with Two Vulcan Bombers in 1984 & 2012
A rare first person article on Urban Ghosts but couldn’t resist this one – the author stands in front of a Vulcan bomber, arms out stretched, in 1984 and 2012 respectively.
Google Earth reveals the Ghostly Images of Britain’s Wartime Airfields
During World War Two, hundreds of airfields were hastily constructed across the United Kingdom. Their remains are often still visible today as ghostly reminders on the landscape.
Aircraft Modeller Brilliantly Recreates Famous “A1 Lightning” as Diorama
Lightning XN728 became a famous – perhaps notorious – landmark of Britain’s A1 road between 1983 and 1988. Now, the aircraft has been brilliantly immortalized in the form of a model diorama.
Pacific Wreck Diving: Exploring “Black Jack”, New Guinea’s submerged B-17 Flying Fortress
Lying in 50 metres of water off the coast of Papua New Guinea, the remarkably intact B-17 Flying Fortress “Black Jack”, discovered in 1986, is one of the most unique and important Pacific aircraft wrecks.
Abandoned Russian Tank reflects Laos’ Past and shows why it’s still Dangerous
This gutted Russian tank abandoned where it was destroyed during the Indochina War is a potent reminder of why Laos remains so dangerous – and why tourists should stick to well worn paths due to unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Undercarriage Bay of ex-Nuclear Bomber Aircraft makes great Nest Site for Swallows
Avro Vulcan XM597 made a heroic emergency landing in Rio de Janeiro during the Falklands War, but in later life the ex-nuclear bomber aircraft has become a home for nesting swallows.
Milfield: Forgotten Military Relics and Ancient Reconstructions
Despite the presence of the Borders Gliding Club, little remains to betray the history of this grass expanse at Milfield in the English county of Northumberland.
End of the Line: Disused Railway Disappears into Leuchars Military Base
Adjacent to the East Coast Main Line in the Scottish town of Leuchars is a disused section of railway track that disappears into the front line RAF Leuchars military base.
“Untitled”: Two Jet Engines filled with Drugs sit outside Scottish Modern Art Gallery
Two jet engines from a US military surveillance aircraft sit outside the Scottish National Museum of Modern Art – filled with three different types of anti-psychotic drugs.
Hidden in the Fields: Abandoned Wartime Runway of RAF Boulmer
It may not look like much today, but this long, narrow field situated on farmland in Northumberland was one of RAF Boulmer’s substantial runways during World War Two.
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