One of the UK’s largest Cold War tanks is now on show in Yorkshire.

Visitors to Eden Camp can see the Chieftain Mk 10 05EB53 which has arrived at the modern military museum near Malton from the former British Army gunner Rob Dove who bought the very tank he served in during the 1980s.

Mr Dove joined the British Army aged 17 and trained as a tank gunner. Stationed in Detmold, West Germany, he spent two years serving aboard Chieftain Mk 10 05EB53 alongside his crew before deploying to Cyprus in 1989.

In 2023, he bought 05EB53 and began working to restore it.

The Chieftain Mk.10 05EB53 has arrived at Edan Camp near Malton. Pictured alongside it is former British Army gunner Rob Dove who bought the very tank he served in during the 1980s.

placeholder image — The Chieftain Mk.10 05EB53 has arrived at Edan Camp near Malton. Pictured alongside it is former British Army gunner Rob Dove who bought the very tank he served in during the 1980s.

The tank represents a famous period of Britain's Cold War military history, but it also has strong links to the North as the Chieftain was built using components manufactured at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Leeds, with final assembly by Vickers Defence Systems in Newcastle.

Mr Dove said: “Seeing 05EB53 at Eden Camp is incredibly special because it’s not just a tank to me - it’s part of my own story.

"We spent years training and serving together during the Cold War, so finding it again decades later and restoring it has been an unforgettable journey.”