Jack

Hi Karoshi

Hope all is well and as promised here is an update for the Bovington weekend.

Basically it is open to any member of the MVT, it is the 'end of season show'. You can bring your tent or kip in your vehicle

If you would like to come then I can give you Johns number as he is organising it. See if you can make and we can chew the cud over the weekend!

Best wishes.

Jack.

Went off down to the Bovington tank museum today it is only about 20 minutes away and we visit there at least once or twice a year. Today was 'tanks in action' day and as it says on the tin....its tanks in action :shock:

They display and demonstrate a range of vehicles from different periods, loads of smoke and noise and wonderful and informative commentary. The guy was saying that the showground that we were standing in was the collection point for all of the tanks that came back from WW1......and then duly cut up for scrap :shock:

Here some pictures of the display and something special happened to me today and those pictures and details are further down.

This next picture is of Jess and his face says it all as we were flying around the track in a M548......an USA tracked vehicle.

Now for the special bit :shock: the family and I were stood talking to a WW2 Tank Commander and he was telling us how he was part of the BEF and was taken of the beaches at Dunkirk, he was then sent to the Far East and then he fought in North Africa and then with his crew worked his way up through Italy and ended his war in Germany after being blown out of two tanks :shock: . He then took a lump of shrapnel out of his pocket and placed it in our hands and this was the piece that was removed from his chest, it was about the size of a tea spoon and about an inch thick!

We always make a point of introducing ourselves to veterans and we always ensure that the kiddies talk to them as well and I always, without fail look into the eyes as I am shaking their hands and thank them for everything that they had done. Without doubt, they appreciate it even though it may make them a little uncomfortable.

As we were stood there taking the old Commander, the Sherman driver came up to me and said 'follow me' :shock: so I followed him thinking 'what does he want with me'. He stood me in front of the Sherman and said 'see that top hatch up there, just jump up on the tank and get in............I am going to take you for a ride' :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I tell you, I was stunned, what had I done to be so privileged. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that I absolutely adore Sherman's, just to look at them is something special for me but for someone to offer me a chance of a ride, well that is something else.

What a machine and what an experience! The driver is a man called Ian, thank you Ian, you are something special and that moment will stay with me!!

Didn't need to be asked twice. This was the last picture as the camera was full :cry:

Ron Huggins WW2 Tank Commander, 85 years old and as proud as he ever was.

Strange how life goes sometimes.

Best wishes.

Jack.

Part 1

Well it’s a bit like this, I have wanted a GMC for as long as I can remember but never thought that I would have one at this stage of my life, as some of you will know having a children is very demanding in both time and money. Anyway, it pretty much all came together this year as everything was falling into place and I could see that it wouldn’t be too long before I could embark on the journey of tracking down a jimmy.

I knew exactly what I wanted, it had to be a restoration project, I am not much interested in off the shelf vehicles. It was going to be my vehicle and it had to be my work. It is the same view as I hold about our ancient woodlands, as soon as you do anything with them you become part of the woodlands history – you are historically link forever, I like the profoundness of that.

On the other hand I didn’t want a chassis up project either so it had to be just right. You take council from many people and everyone has there own scare stories but that is to be expected but I soon found a common under current of opinion i.e. look at the tyres, make sure it is a Norwegian truck, listen for rumblings in the engine, make sure that it isn’t rusted out around the bulk head, and the list goes on.

So knew what I wanted a GMC 353 soft cab in need of restoration but also in perfect condition, well that is pretty straight forward then, isn’t it? Well of course it is…………not! I was buying MMI and CMV as it came off the press. All the vehicles that I saw in the magazines where ‘restored’ but I did enquire about one or two that we near completion and just needed ‘cosmetics’. It is like this, I may not of been around the world but I have certainly be around life once or twice, the vehicles were inexcusable, to me it looked like someone just bought the GMC’s to make a pound or two. You see this is most trades, people believe that if they can make the outside look attractive then it is immaterial as to what everything else looks like. For sure a case of buyer beware – you live and learn. So the chase went cold for many months until returning home from the Veterans Day held down here in Dorset at Weymouth and I flicked on the PC and there was this humble advert…………

“GMC 353 1944 Soft cab, W/winch, runs well, nice original vehicle, drive home, £2700”

That was it, no picture just a simple ad but a very effective one as it grabbed my attention. I tried not to get to excited but it was only posted that day…so I thought about it and put together a very well constructed email, it went like this……..

“ere mister still got yer jimmy”!

I also left a message on his phone. That evening he called back and we had an excellent natter, sounded a very nice chap, very peaceful. He told me that it was coming from Norway and that it should in country in about a week “I will send some pictures over when it is here”. You wouldn’t believe bloomin a week could take so long. He called me to let me know that the truck was here and he would take some pictures over the weekend and would send them over on Sunday night. They arrived in my email, I nervously open the first of four pictures thinking is this going to be any good and all the rest of those thoughts that we have, so click the first one opened up and then number two then three and then four then that was it! I HAD FALLEN IN LOVE, that was the one that I had been looking and waiting for and I knew that truck was mine, no matter what and that it would soon be on its way down to Dorset. It is one of those moments.

I called the family around the PC and they also fell in love with it. So job done, called the seller and he said that he would be happier if I came up to have a look at it just so that I would be assured, I didn’t fancy a 9 hour round trip and said that I would have it without seeing it. Now I know that I lot of people would say that was a completely dumb thing to do and a completely naive move and if I got it wrong could cost me thousands, well it is like this, the deal was done on trust, good will and my gut instincts. These three things are pretty much missing into days world and it is a sadder place because of. I am pretty much one for listening to my instincts and it paid off.

The jimmy arrived and it simply was everything I wanted and then some. The seller was true to his word and wouldn’t hesitate buying cold from him again.

…………….to be continued.

Part 2.

My plan of attack for the restoration, what I did as soon as I got it home, up close and personal and my thoughts on my life long want………

But for now here are some pictures.

The pictures that were sent to me by the seller

Being delivered

That is a good point Steve.

The first thing I did was to photograph every single inch of the jimmy inside out and underneath. I will tell you my plans when I add my jimmy to this thread as it seems to change every week.

Blimey that is some great work Demon. Do you know how many hours you put into it so far?

I am just work on my GMC and I will post up some images later.

Stars and Bumper numbers of vehicles

This page contains information from TM9-850 which deals with lettering and identification of WW2 vehicles. I have included information that would be important to the Chevy, CCKW, and DUKW and their trailers.

Click on pages to open in new browser window and then click on page again to enlarge

it is with many thanks to Bill over on http://www.cckw.org for his permission to reproduce this information here for the benifit of all of us, thanks Bill :wink:

1.2.3.

4.5.6.

7.8.

9.10.

11.12.

13.14.

15.16.

HI Ross.

How did the weekend go?

Cheers.

Jack.

I am just thinking that if I had thousands of pounds worth in my collection and then overnight, they essentially become worthless I would want to sell them as quick as I could, this doesn't seem to be happening.

A place to talk and record the progress of your restoration projects, the highs and the lows. What you have learnt and links to suppliers. Please fill free to post your pictures here as well.

Post away!

Cheers

Jack.

A place to talk and record the progress of your restoration projects, the highs and the lows. What you have learnt and links to suppliers. Please fill free to post your pictures here as well.

Post away!

Cheers

Jack.

A place to talk and record the progress of your restoration projects, the highs and the lows. What you have learnt and links to suppliers. Please fill free to post your pictures here as well.

Post away!

Cheers

Jack.

A place to talk and record the progress of your restoration projects, the highs and the lows. What you have learnt and links to suppliers. Please fill free to post your pictures here as well.

Post away!

Cheers

Jack.

Just a thought really but if the VCR bill goes through and it is seen as a huge threat to the deact industry then why aren't we seeing the price of them plumit, I would of expect to see a price crash.

Jack can you give us any more info re the Bovington meet in sept. Did I hear Road Run mentioned ? Is this a camping weekend? More info please.

 

Karoshi

Will have info after tomorrows meeting. Do you live in Dorset?

So can we expect to see more British MV out and about?

Welcome aboard, make yourself at home and look forward to seeing some pics of your jeep!

Hi Danzo.

Nice to have you aboard and thanks for the heads up on legal issues, very kind of you :wink:

Some great sites that Danzo moderates on and please find the time to check them out.

Cheers mate.

Jack.

Gun Crime Bill

As you are probably aware the goverment is intending to ban the sale, import or manufacture of Replica and Deactivated guns, rather than deal with the core reasons for the problems, and enforcing existing laws. This will affect all collectors, businesses, re-enactors and living historians, so if you are thinking of buying a deac' for your collection do it NOW as ownership will still be legal, and If you are concerned about this write NOW to your MP and sign the petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/cb112233

We see mainly US vehicles at shows and get togethers...

But who made all the British vehicles and where were they produced? Or did we no longer bother after the Lend Lease deal?

No,

 

She is an MV fan too!

 

She was driving Jeeps and going boating on DUKWs well before I got into it.

 

 

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Thanks for the input Ken.

I don't think any of realise how many groups and how many hobbies this will effect but I know that we are running out of time.

Hi Ross.

Glad you could make it mate.

Now, was your good lady expecting something a bit more traditional as a wedding car :shock:

Cheers.

jack.

Good to have you here Ken and please do make yourself at home

Nice way of finding out about HMVF! :shock:

Hey Jack I thought I answered most of these questions on the CCKW site,

A lot if not all vehicles had their unit markings deleted for the D-Day landings as a security measure and because it was believed that Rommel was going to use captured vehicles to infiltrate behind Allied lines, this actually happened later at the start of what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Hi Degsy.

Yes you did :wink: ................just thought that it is a subject that a lot of people would be interested in.

Plus the fact that I wanted to give you something to do :shock:

Best wishes.

Jack.

Decided to make this a sticky as it is such a huge subject and would be a great resource for members wanting to understand and mark sense of all of those markings and symbols.

Some questions regarding markings/stencils;

1. Did all vehicles have standard markings.

2. I have seen some with markings on the petrol tank, bonnet and loads more without, is this a personal preference?

3. Again, I have seen on the tail gate 'left hand drive, no hand signals' but not on many vehicles.

4. What do the numbers mean that run on both sides of the bonnet.

5. What are the numbers on the bumper?

6. I have also seen people 'name' their vehicles, was this practiced during the WW2.....

7. How were British vehicles marked.

8 .Do we still mark our modern vehicles in the same manner.

9. What do the yellow disk mean on the front of vehicles.....

Jack.