Well...WE DONE IT!

[Adrian Barrell]

A few special thanks:

 

Adrian: for the ride in his tank.

 

Finally, i know Jack said he doesn't want to, but if enough people say it it might just come true, heres to the next Armour and Embarkation.

 

Once again, thankyou all, Richard

 

You're welcome Richard, good to meet you.

 

I wouldn't worry about what Jack said, we all know it's too good an event not to happen again in some form or other......:-D

[Jack]

Part two...

 

 

Objectives – I had many objectives for A&E here are just some...

 

- To prove to the hobby that ANY private individual can get off their backsides and do something special and to do something that we would change the hobby. You don’t need to be a charity/trust/organisation to do something unique. You just need a bit of vision, passion, drive and focus. Don’t rely on others to do something – DO IT YOURSELF. Think and dream big. This hobby like all others has to evolve to survive and thrive – if you keep doing what you have always done you will keep getting what you have always got.

 

- For us to take our hobby to the public – this hobby is very insular – it only really advertises to itself. This hobby will clearly be under threat from one form of legislation or another from the EU. We need to get the public behind us and we need the public to understand our hobby. Shut away in a field somewhere isn’t going to do that – we need to go to them. The hobby needs a high impact flag ship event (s).

- To get a group of like minded people together and to have fun.

- To show the word that in fact the UK can hold a tank event and you don’t have to travel to Europe to do such things.

As I said on Sunday – I was selective on who I had at A&E. I had politely turned many folks away as they didn’t fit with my ethos. I don’t like working as a committee and I haven’t with A&E. I like to make my own decisions and happy to deal with the outcome of my decisions good or bad. It is the only way to get stuff done. Otherwise egos and hidden agendas get in the way.

 

 

 

The people.

This point has been very hard for me to write – how do I sum up to everyone else the elegance of everyone who attended. This is one of things I will remember most about A&E – the way everyone just jelled. I think there will be a bond there between us all for a long time to come.

 

 

Everyone just arrived at a remote field in rural Dorset. I didn’t have time to brief anyone on the Friday evening about the following day and I had no time to brief on the Saturday morning either – but it didn’t matter. Everyone just got on with it. Everyone just followed my and Kev’s whistles and those pea whistles were an amazing tool and made our job so easy. It was amazing to watch everyone jell and everyone just became one. The biggest event of its kind in the UK and no one was briefed at all so you can only explain the way the convoy worked so well was because we did all indeed become one – it was incredible to witness and it was a testament to everyone’s enthusiasm and skill and passion.

All of us entered the village and town with such grace and style and in the words of the Chief Inspector – with elegance and not one person faulted. In the brief I was suppose to give I want to underline the fact that we are all ambassadors of our hobby and we need to act in such manner – I didn’t give the brief but this is exactly what happened with no prompting from me – pure class and congratulations to everyone.

 

The guys from the Normandy 44 re-enactment group were outstanding in their help and in their attitude. As part of the sponsorship deal I had to fill 2500 carriers bags with fliers and I knew that on Friday night I would be up doing this until about 03:00am but those guys came to the rescue and we formed a chained and nailed it all in about an hour – that was a great moment and very much sums up the whole ambience of the weekend. They saved me a massive amount of work and we had one hell of a crack whilst we done it – one of those memories of the weekend that will stay with me.

 

 

Part three to come.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Jack

[Jack]

Saturday – well as we know we made history. This is how memories are made.

 

 

I woke up at 05:30 and had to take a deep breath or two and said to myself ‘well this is the day – you had best get on with it’. I kicked Jack Jnr out of bed at 07:30 as we had to whizz in to Dorchester to do a Radio interview with the BBC – never been in a studio before and it was fun! We got back to the campsite at 08:30 to help Kev form up the vehicles to head down to Maiden Newton which was our starting point for the run into Dorchester. We were pretty time perfect. Going down the steep hill into Maiden Newton made me squint a bit so I jumped off Jason’s Diamond T and walked the whole route down the hill and jumped backed on when I got to the village. To see those vehicles entering the village was awesome.

 

I blew the whistle at 10:29 and we all pulled out for Martins Town. I jumped on the back of Jims Sherman and hung on to the .50 for the ride out of the village. We had Pete Lacy and his Dingo lead the way and he was joined by another Dingo, DR’s Bren Gun Carrier and Adrian Scott in his Jeep with the TPM team aboard.

Jim with his Sherman was lead tank and Jess was in the turret and Jamie was in the gunners seat in the front. We were Followed by Adrian in his Sherman, Mike in his Hellcat, Mark in his Sherman , Mitch in his Stuart, followed by John in the M8 and he was followed by four halftracks which was followed by the soft skins. Pulling up Wynford eagle hill and looking back at that historic sight took my breath away and all I could do was pinch myself and say WOW about one million times as the same time as having tears in my eyes.

 

It wasn’t until I saw all of the pictures here on HMVF did I realise what a convoy we had and what we were achieving. The sights and sounds of that convoy with all of the DR’s buzzing up and down was very special and was real time travel. We travelled the lanes of Dorset just as they had done in 1944 and nothing had changed. We got in to the village of Martins Town bang on time. Kev and I formed up the vehicles right throughout the village and there a black and white picture on here taken by Phil Royal that is stunning and you really could tell if it was 2010 or 1944 – perfect. Kev, Bodge and I set up the traffic systems with nothing more than whistle and hand signals and we done that solid for an hour. I knew that two double deckers buses were due through at 12:30 and we took care of them.

 

Someone passed me a bottle of cider and I took one swig and didn’t have time for anymore. I didn’t even have time to roll any cigarettes and thanks to those who through cigarettes and food down to me as I walked by and yes I did smoke around 300 cigarettes that day!!! Again it wasn’t until I saw the pictures on here that I realised how bloody good that stop was. We left at 13:01 and headed for Dorchester – we had to be there for 14:00.

 

The DR’s spun off and went to work and shut off the A35 for us at Poundbury – we entered Dorchester bang on 14:00! To hear the sounds of those tank engines bouncing of the buildings of Dorchester was again breath taking – to look back and see that column working its way through town was something else. We had recreated the pre- D Day scene I was looking for.

 

The original route was to take us into Brewery Square from the back end of town but I didn’t want that. I wanted us to be able to drive through town twice. I had to work hard to get what I wanted but with my boyish good looks – I got what I wanted and it worked. The look on people’s faces when we drove through for the first time was perfect. Brewery Square – which is currently a building site was a perfect place for us to park up. Just have a look at the pictures that Bernard took as we were forming up for the Carnival – it could be anywhere in war torn Europe.

 

Part of the sponsorship deal was to hand out Wellworths bags in the high street and again the guys from Normandy 44 stepped in and saved the day. Keith asked me if they were allowed to carry weapons up through the high street – I didn’t know the answer but said I would ask the Chief Inspector. Keith came back and said that he had just asked him and he said it was OK – I wanted to make sure I had done my due diligence and followed that up and he yes it was fine – just count the weapons out and back in again. How on earth Keith managed to pull that off I don’t know but it shows the professionalism that group has – to do that is a major deal and hats off to them. So off we marched up through town and proceeded to have a scream with Claire from Wellworths and the N44 guys and they gave out thousands of bags out in the matter of minutes whilst I struggled to give out one in a matter of hours. Their uniforms certainly made the difference and those guys are a great ambassadors to their hobby. At this point I had hit the ‘wall’ so I sat down outside Barclays bank, lit a cigarette and feel asleep only to be awoken when the cigarette started to burn my fingers.

 

We formed up to lead the Carnival procession for 18:00 travelled throughout the town with thousands of people lining the streets and waving – one hell of a buzz. Once we had cleared the town we headed back to the campsite. On the way back Adrian’s tank had a fuel problem but the wards where there to take control and we ended up with tandem wards pulling Adrian back to the site – even when something went wrong it went right!

 

I am had promised myself that I would not rest until everyone was safely back from town so I stayed with the recovering crew until we reach the site and the reception said it all.

 

Going forward – well for me I need to get my life back on track. I am going to bug out for a while and take a complete new direction. I need to restructure my life. It has been a tough year so far in so many ways and I need to remember why I got involved in this hobby.

But what I will ask of you is to subscribe to The Pathfinder Magazine – not so I can take early retirement but it is the next thing that we need to work on The Pathfinder Magazine is the print version of A&E – something unique and will also be something special and different and it will help the hobby go forward the same as A&E will do. Embrace and GET involved. Plus we will have massive coverage of A&E.

 

Finally. What a day. What and unique experience. The memories will stay with me forever.

I thank you all WE BLOODY WELL DID IT!

 

Jack.

[Tony B]

Jack, there is old saying from the services told to recruits on thier first day. 'Ladies, when you leave you will have nothing to prove to anyone. Trouble is while you are here you must prove yourselves to us'. Jack, you have nothing to prove to anyone.

[chevpol]

Jack, there is old saying from the services told to recruits on thier first day. 'Ladies, when you leave you will have nothing to prove to anyone. Trouble is while you are here you must prove yourselves to us'. Jack, you have nothing to prove to anyone.

 

here here!!!!!!!!! :yay::yay::yay::yay:

[Jack]

I would also like to thanks Adrian Scott and his crew for calling me over and presenting me a bottle Moet champagne - thank you very much guys - I was very touched and I will save it for a very special time and I will raise a toast to you when I pop it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jack.

[rosie]

Jack-your 3 accounts have had me in tears! I thought I knew how much all of this meant to you but it seems I didnt know half of it. We all know what a poo year you have had, but you are a fighter and you just got back on the bike and got riding again (in a manner of speaking!). Jack you are an inspiration to us all. YOU had this dream, YOU decided to do it and YOU saw it through to the end. As I said in the video "YOU did it Jack, you did it"

 

Now its your time to stop, take a breather, sort yourself out. Pathfinder is fantastic, and although I love this hobby I know nothing about the vehicles and all their specs but I sit and read TPM cover to cover!! Its written by the people for the people!!!!!!!

 

Be proud of yourself hunny and make sure you eat properly! Bananas and cigarettes is not a varied enough diet!

So until next time :kiss::kiss::kiss:

 

Love and kisses Rosie (Roxie) Rixon!!

[Bodge Deep]

Yep, well done old fruit... sit back, smell the flowers and feel the sunshine

Thank you for the best weekend i can remember... in a looooooooooooooooong time

Read that book and remember the inscription!

 

can i have a whistle too please next time

[Jack]

Read that book and remember the inscription!

 

can i have a whistle too please next time

 

Thanks mate and it is next to my bed I am going to copy and stick the inscription up on my wall, it is perfect, thank you.

 

Whistle - it is currently at the framers so I can hang my A&E whistle on the wall - it is a legend to me now.

[Jack]

J

 

 

and make sure you eat properly! Bananas and cigarettes is not a varied enough diet!

!

 

Thanks Rosie as I have lived off banannas, cigarettes and coffee for the last six months and thanks for trying to make sure I was fed! I didn't eat at all throughout Saturday:blush:

[Jack]

Another thank you to Cripp and Ian2B for driving my folks in the convoy they adored it and loved you guys.

 

STOP PRESS

 

- we aren't far off from Ian2B turning into a WWII freak :whistle:

[Bodge Deep]

Yes

Very many thanks to Adrian and John for ferrying me and Mark around

I would've bought you a beer but Jack put me on traffic detail

Hope the half a BLT made up for it

[ian2b]

Another thank you to Cripp and Ian2B for driving my folks in the convoy they adored it and loved you guys.

 

STOP PRESS

 

- we aren't far off from Ian2B turning into a WWII freak :whistle:

 

It was our pleasure spending the day with your folks, they made us both laugh on many occassions but we won't embarrass you with the stories we were told.

 

As for turning me into a WWII freak, I will admit I totally loved the weekend and the atmosphere was fantastic and wish I had managed to get my weapons carrier on the road for the event, will make sure its ready for A&E 2012 :cool2:

[cripp]

Ian's spot on, we had a good laugh, especially when he shouted "hello pops" to a bloke probably younger than him. And he likes eyeing up the skirt , followed by a ticking off from your Mum.

[Jeff Glasser]

Here's a few more pics, of M.N. at war weekend. Other photos' in post 15

[haybaggerman]

Hi Jack

 

Posted this elsewhere to, but it belongs here as well. This is an account of the sunday from my uncle, who deseerved a special day and got it, thanks to you and Adrian too.

 

"We were up early because Paul said he was coming for us at 8 o'clock. In the end it was just the three men. Mary had a bug and wasn't well and Lesley, (Paul's wife) hadn't had a good night with the kids so didn't come. I'm sure it wasn't good for Paul either but he certainly seemed fresh enough.........

 

So, we set off on the Sunday morning with blue skies and sunshine and it was pleasant for us three men to be able to natter together. It was a long journey to Dorset, nearly 100 miles, but the roads were quiet and it only took us 2 hours.......

 

After 3 or 4 wrong turns we met a farmer who directed us to the right track.... and it was a track! It was just earth and full of deep pot holes and would have been impassable to anything except a tractor (or, of course, a tank!) after rain. However, it was quite dry and we bounced along about 5 m.p.h. for at least a mile. It seemed deserted and then, suddenly, there was the field before us, with vehicles and tents where many owners had spent the night.

 

About half the trucks, armoured cars, motor bikes, etc. had already left, but there were 3 Sherman's and a Honey tank still there. One Sherman was on a low loader about to leave on a long journey to it's base, and another had broken down, but the third Sherman was O.K... We immediately started chatting with the owner, (I don't know his name, but I am sure Paul does), and he asked me if I'd like a drive round the fields. Of course I was delighted because that was really what I had come for more than anything else.

 

I was pleased that I had no difficulty climbing on to the hull of the Sherman and dropping down through the hatch into the co-drivers seat. I said 'no difficulty' but it was a snug fit and I would not have made it if I'd been any fatter! It's funny how your memory plays tricks because two things surprised me. First, the tank looked much bigger than the ones I was in, and second, when the owner started the engines ( I believe this was a Chrysler Multi-Bank petrol engine, five car engines all linked together), there was an earth shattering roar, far louder than I anticipated, indicating immense power. Which it was, of course, to enable it to throw around nearly 40 tons of steel at more than 30 m.p.h. I shudder to think of the petrol consumption. Probably gallons per mile and not miles per gallon!

 

What a thrill and what memories! There we were rolling and bounding around the fields, taking hills and ditches in our stride, just like the old days so long ago. Thank you, for arranging such a fantastic event to happen.

 

On our return other vehicle owners gathered round (including one all the way from the Netherlands and in full combat gear), firing questions at me and looking a me as if I were a member of a pre-historic species which, I suppose, I practically am. It was a wonderful and gratifying experience to be 'the centre of attention', asking me what it was like to fight in a Sherman and hanging on my every word completely engrossed. At the end, each and every one shook my hand or clapped me on the shoulder, and wished me luck. It certainly made me re-think my belief that all WWII veterans were clapped-out geriatric has-beens, whom nobody was interested in or cared about.

 

There is a lot of respect out there for us.

 

So, we climbed back into the car, to join all the vehicles going down to the village of Maiden Newton as the skies cleared. There were hundreds of people, many dressed in clothes from the 1940's, quite quaint, old fashioned (what did I expect?), also police, Fire Wardens, Home Guard, etc. Also, three young ladies made-up and dressed identically in navy and white polka dot frocks and seamed silk stockings. When somebody asked they said they were The Andrew Sisters. More memories. When our tank was not in action we used to tune in the radio to the American Forces Network so all the crew could listen to it on their headsets and hear all the popular U.S. hits.

 

There were food and drink and ice-cream stalls and lots of marquee's either selling or showing souvenirs and memorabilia, including every type of military equipment and uniforms. It was all quite fascinating. Next, most went to a sloping field overlooking a valley where there was to be staged a mock battle.

 

The weather was perfect as we sat on the dry warm grass, under a hot sun. The "battle" involved more than a hundred participants, all in German, British or American uniforms, as well as several armoured cars and half-tracks but, sadly, just the one Sherman. Never mind, they put on quite a good show with lots of crackling small arms fire and mortar bombs but, not surprisingly, it did not impress me when compared to the real thing! It would have been much more authentic if they'd used live ammunition instead of blanks!!

 

All the bodies littering the fields got up and walked away at the end.

 

By the way, there are no prizes for guessing who won! At least, all the kids, and there were a lot, loved it and although I think I was the only veteran there, many boys wore berets and when I asked, they said they were their Grandad's.

 

Well, that about sums it up. On the whole a most interesting, exciting and enjoyable weekend. Pity about the blanks though!!"

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone for making this day so special.

 

 

 

Thankyou, owe you beers upon beers if you are ever in Devon and feeling thirsty

 

Paul

[Enigma]

Good to hear he enjoyed himself.

He even remembered me.

 

I am surprised he thought we had forgotten about the lads who fought for our freedom.

So good to know we managed to convince him he and all the others aren't forgotten!

[abn deuce]

This was/is Jacks goal just like in the movie "The Great Escape" with a twist ....If even one Veteran feels remembered see's their actions have been recalled then WE have done our job . How many more had a simular response to the events sights and sounds of that Glorious weekend ? I hope it was a positive memory maker for them as well .