Just over two weeks ago we brought you the story of a previously unseen picture which we believe could possibly be of the so-called Wet Bridging Site where training took place on Second World War kit bridges on the river near Bishop Monkton?

The picture was found by BM resident, Adrian 'Gunner' Mardon, on a social media thread from the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset which referred to the scene in the picture as being in the North of England. Adrian feels pretty certain that the scene is the river near Bishop Monkton opposite Newby Hall.

During the War, extensive use was made of so-called 'Bailey Bridges' - effectively kit bridges which could be carried in parts by advancing troops and then constructed on site. They were used particularly after the Normandy Landings in 1944 and the subsequent Allied push into Germany.

The area around Ripon was one of the main centres for the testing of these bridges and the training of troops to use them. The Army Bridging Camp on the river near Bishop Monkton was one of the sites where testing and training took place. Many people will be familiar with the Nissan huts which still remain there.

Adrian has now double-checked with the Bovington Tank Museum who can't confirm the exact location of the picture.

The Museum told him:- "All we have is this caption from the Tracer entry.. Deck raft tank ferry carrying a Covenanter tank across the river by means of power boat. Man jumping with road anchors to an obstacle and the ramp is dropped on to the shore for the tank to land. Part of visit to Royal Engineers in Northern Command. Dated 24 July 1942. 6099/E3.

It’s from an “album loaned for copying”, so we won’t still have it. No details of who loaned them but judging from the other captions it’s a collection of official photos, not a personal album. Sorry we can't help you with any more details."

Undeterred, Adrian has been walking along the canal and the river near the village to see if he can match up the scene in the picture with the landscape." I'm pretty certain this is the spot, " he told us, (see pictures above).

He's also found another image which he believes could be related to Bishop Monkton (see pictures above).

Adrian, along with the Local History Group, is hoping to find out more about the picture. If you have any ideas, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us with any thoughts.

There's more about the Second World War history of the village on the Local History Group website