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Route To Victory


Keith Brigstock

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May 3/4/5 Route to Victory incorporating "The Gathering of the Eagles" –Organised by The Kennet Valley Area of the Military Vehicle Trust. This event is a WWII Vehicle Convoy and Re-enactment event based in Ramsbury, Wiltshire, commemorating “Operation Market Garden”.

 

The event will be held over three days, with 2 days of Historic Vehicle Convoys and a public day on Monday 5th. Each of the two convoy days will have its own theme the Saturday is US Airborne day and the Sunday is British airborne and 30 Corps Day, on each day the convoy will visit sites relevant to the day. Each night there will be entertainment relevant to the day including a dance and 1940's fashion show.

 

The Public day will start with a parade through Ramsbury lead by Guards Armoured Division Sherman tanks, 43 Divisions Armoured Cars and 50 Tyne Tees Troops and Artillery all flanked by US and British Para's. This parade will lead up to the Event field which will be open to the public. There will be arena displays during the day with a finale of a small air display and Para drop into the area.

 

For more info see attached or contact Keith Brigstock 01672 564562. keith.brigstock@ticali.co.uk

For Vehicle bookings Theresa Soley 01793 702221 theresaandpaul@tiscali.co.uk and web site http://www.routetovictory.info

 

Keith Brigstock

Event Organising Team Leader

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Just a few words of support for the new Kennet Valley Area MVT and their first organised event..................

 

Have no doubts about this one ladies and gents - This is going to be a biggy :yesmaster:

 

A severe amount of arm-twisting was exercised in my direction this summer after the success of Operation Bolero - Tour of the Dromes, to do another Gathering of Eagles next year in Wiltshire. Unfortunately, with a major house project (complete roof-off job) scheduled to start in February 2008, there was just no-way I could contemplate undertaking a big event as well..................Enter Keith Brigstock 8-) 8-) 8-)

 

Keith is first and foremost a living history expert with a sound knowledge of period MV's and works full-time for the British Army. Keith was eager to carry the Gathering of Eagles torch forward next year (2008) but incorporating his own twist and innovative ideas. So with both myself and brother Neil's full blessing, Keith has carried 'Eagles' onto the next dimension with the fantastic 'Route to Victory' event (but still incorporating the Gathering of Eagles theme and flavour.)

 

Although unable to submerse myself to any great degree in the organisation of the event, Neil is very much on-side, designing adverts, publicity material and the website and both Neil and I are acting as telephone advisories to the overall plan - Not that Keith really needs it, having organised many high profile LHG events himself.

 

Furthermore Ed Abbott and myself (the team who put the convoy routes together for Bolero) are coming out of East Anglian retirement to organise the two days of convoys and movement orders for Route to Victory - So blame us if you get lost on Salisbury Plain!

 

The Military Vehicle Trust both Nationally and on a regional level with the newly formed Kennet Valley Area are happy that this event is being organised to coincide with next year's 40th Anniversary of the Military Vehicle Trust's founding.

 

To those collectors and exhibitors of appropriately aged vehicles, mark this event firmly in your diary chaps as its going to be every bit as good as Operation Bolero was this year - In fact, it could even be better!

 

NB - The convoy photograph used in the publicity poster above was taken on day-two of Bolero as we approached Maurice Hammond's airstrip at Hardwick - Norfolk, but it would pass for Holland any day - don't you think? That's Phil Benham's GMC up front with Richard Taylor's GMC Bolster truck following. If you look closely towards the rear ranks of the convoy you can just see some cloudy smoke - That was Jack Beckett's five cylindered wonder running on the petrol vapours :whistle:

 

Only joking old boy - It just wouldn't have been the same without you there :-)

 

Keep your eyes posted for further updates of Kennet Valley MVT's - Route to Victory 2008

 

Clive D Stevens

 

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That's Phil Benham's GMC up front with Richard Taylor's GMC Bolster truck following. If you look closely towards the rear ranks of the convoy you can just see some cloudy smoke - That was Jack Beckett's five cylindered wonder running on the petrol vapours :whistle:

 

Only joking old boy - It just wouldn't have been the same without you there :-)

 

Keep your eyes posted for further updates of Kennet Valley MVT's - Route to Victory 2008

 

Clive D Stevens

 

 

Sir!

 

RTV2.png

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Sorry Jack!

 

I thought those two people in the picture were a couple of Eastern European immigrant workforce out in the Norfolk fields trying to bag themselves a Christmas Turkey :-D

 

That's just such a damn shame that Neil chose to use that pic to publicise the convoy, that inadvertantly, totally covered your truck from view with another of the General Motors six cylinder engined variety..........

 

.................I'd have a word with him if I were you................After all you've done for us :whistle:

 

:-D :-D :-D

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Sorry Jack!

 

I thought those two people in the picture were a couple of Eastern European immigrant workforce out in the Norfolk fields trying to bag themselves a Christmas Turkey :-D

 

:-D :-D :-D

 

 

 

Hmmm.. you must be getting us confused with Mr. & Mrs. Joris :whistle:

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  • 1 month later...

Yes Indeed Joris!

 

The mighty plan is coming together stunningly well! Vehicle entries are swelling exceptionally well and the C-47 Dakota in USAAF Troop Carrier Group markings is booked and the aircrew accommodation is sorted!

 

Three half tracks are booked in so far, along with a Sherman tank (or possibly two) and all the usual soft-skins. Ed and myself are getting together next week to start the mammoth task of planning the two-day convoy routes, which are going to visit some of the very best rural countryside in the West Berkshire/East Wiltshire region, including Savernake Forest (the wartime home of the largest open-air ammunition dump in Northern Europe), Aldbourne, Ramsbury and Chilton Foliat (wartime home to the entire 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division), RAF Netheravon, the former Ramsbury and Membury Airfield's of the USAAF 9th Troop Carrier Command and elements of the British Army's Salisbury Plain areas, used extensively by the Allied Forces in the build-up to D-Day and beyond.

 

Both local parish councils at Ramsbury (where our base camp will be) and Aldbourne are both fully on-side and co-operating fully with the organisers and assisting in every possible way, including road closures for the convoys and use of the village community halls for the historic displays.

 

Sponsorship is also flooding in, with the MVT National Committee granting the event a generous donation towards its associated running costs. Ramsbury Brewery, British Aerospace, Benham Heavy Haulage and TH White Landrovers have also been very generous on the sponsorship front and a National Lottery Grant has also been applied for (from the same formula I used for Operation Bolero) so we are hopeful that this application will also have a successful outcome!

 

So in essence, the event is progressing very smoothly indeed - Don't miss it - It will be a blockbuster 8-)

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so it looks like the old uns are also on the plains that weekend

looks like a lot of mvs in wiltshire for the bank holiday

those on this run and not on the plains visit could always pop over so as we can use some diffrent targets on the range :evil: :evil: only joking

will be intersting for those on this trip you can come on a roadrun to the burstead sat night for a good get together

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Some of the slower moving vehicles have already shipped out yesterday under the cover of dusk, heading for Route To Victory in Wiltshire. I watched them leave and snapped a quick pic, but under censorship regulations, have had to hide any number plates..............

 

width=640 height=411http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/DSC_0560.jpg[/img]

 

 

 

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