Le Prof

Hi Again, It's always wise to bear in mind that 'abscence is not proof'. Not finding the Ginetex symbols helps indicate a date, but they might be hidden in the lining, or have fallen off, or been removed by someone trying to make a coat look older. An interesting phrase on the lable is 'Do not use Biological Powder'. In the UK, Bio was only generally available at the end of the 1960's, and I'm not sure how longit would take for a manufacturer to start putting this detail on a lable. A couple of years? Below is a Morcosia lable from a late 1960's coat (fashionable Leopard's skin print (-: ), you can see the washing instructions are similar, but do not include Bio. Also the whole typeface looks older than your lable. So, I guess (without seeing the style) your coat is early 1970's. Morcosia Coats Ltd. had two lives, founded 18th March 1944 (so presumably military contracts) to 4th February 1991. The name is now owned by a company called Covecall Ltd. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00386288 Made in England can still be used, if the component parts are all made in England, so it's not much use for dating. Most research is learning from observation and experience. I've found this site quite useful for clothing: https://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/ Best Regards, Adrian

Hi, Not a military pattern. Not prewar, since Nylon was only commercially available from 1938. In WW2 it was mainly used in Parachutes and stoclings, and only started being seen in linings and blends with other fibres in the late 1940's as the maker Dupont looked for other postwar markets for it. Previously, silky linings were either Rayon, Cellulose Acetate or, well, Silk. In the UK, 'Dry Clean Only' lables don't start much before the 1960's, and the 'Made in UK' also makes me think quite a bit later, since it would be more normal to see 'Made in Gt Britain' on earlier goods. The 'iron' symbols are an international code called GINETEX, and they state on page 5 here: https://ginetex.net/userfiles/files/Ginetex_fifty years.pdf that Great Britain adopted this system in 1975. I hope this helps. Best Regards, Adrian

Hi, All, Paul L Welch has written some excellent research on Twitter about Hobart's Funnies. https://twitter.com/PaulIWelch I would like to get in contact with him, since I some further information about one of the tanks he's writing about, and I would like permission to quote one of his interviews if possible. However, I really don't want to have to join Twitter just to do this. Since he is obviously interested in WW2 MV history, I wondered if anyone knew him? Thanks for the help. Best Regards, Adrian

Et voilà. MOËT et CHANDON, Epernay, France 1900. Happy Christmas! Adrian

Hi Al, I can get back to 1906 (Columbia Spectator). and 1905 (Life Magazine). The importer then was Geo. A. Kessler &C° of New York. I may be able to get back further, but I need to get on with some Christmas Shopping this morning (-: Best Regards, Adrian

Hi I think the photo was taken inthe US. Moet and Chandon "White Seal" appears to have been the advertising name this champagne was sold under in the US. It's been around since at least 1900 (Columbia Spectator 30th July 1900) to the 1950's. Schieffelin & C° of New York were the sole importers from around 1920, but I'm not sure if this is too late for the Riker pictured? Best Regards, Adrian

Hi Sammy, @Betsy the Bedford @chriscarte hasn't been back since 13th March 2019, so is unlikely to see your post. By typing @ and then starting the name of the person you want to contact, you will get a pull down list of names, you can select the one you want. Then they get a notification that someone has used their name and where. Otherwise, I guess, trying to contact him through Ebay is your other option. 'ask seller a question'. Sorry, I can't do a link for you I'm in France, using an American computer and a German VPN, so his link doesn't work for me! Good luck. Hippos are big beasties. Adrian

Yes, you'll see some variations between makers, and often simplifications as the war went on. The angular mudguards are probably not original, though, that said, there is something very similar on the Mortar trailers of the time. The most difficult part to find is the water filters, which were brass, so got weighed in when these were surplussed out. You'll see many requests from people searching for these. Best Regards, Adrian

Hi @1922aveling You're welcome (-: I guess these days it's on Traction Engine duty? I started my MV collecting days surrounded by them at Hollowell steam fair in the 1970's. I'm pleased that people are still able to keep them going. Best Regards, Adrain

Hello, and welcome. It's a British Military WW2 20CWT Water Trailer. You can learn a lot about it in general from this restoration by @Ian L To find the maker, date and original service number, you would need to locate the data plate, which is often no longer there. Best Regards, Adrian

Hi All, Just to add to the topic a little. One of these Military Pattern bikes was recently re-exported for France via the UK back to the USA. This bicycle has a so far unique USA marked saddle. These saddles were undoubtedly military issue, but probably only appreared on the second batch of these bicycles built in 1918. The earlier bicycles had civilian made saddles, Troxel N°1 Motobike were specified. These are of similar or the same design, but have Troxel stamped into the leather rather than USA. Pictures and research by New Mexico Brant. It was found a few years ago in a northern French countryside attic. It reportedly was used to transport American soldiers to work in a sawmill used to produce lumber for trenchworks. Further history (and an FWD truck and trailer picture) here. https://foresthistory.org/digital-collections/world-war-10th-20th-forestry-engineers/ Best Regards, Adrian

Hi, Silly question (sorry), since I see you are in Belgium. Is the Speedometer in Miles per Hour, and (naturally) the GPS in Kilometers per hour (I know there's not a precise corrolation between 60M/h and 85Km/h, but it's not far off). Best Regards, Adrian

Hi All, BAFO (British Air Forces of Occupation) RAF existed between 15th July 1945 and 1st Sept 1951. Read all about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Second_Tactical_Air_Force CVTC was an official abbreviation for the Civilian Vocational Training Centre, I think training for Demob, but perhaps there were other usages too. Best Regards, Adrian

This Gentleman had a few Grover Washers to spare... (-: Best Regards, Adrian

Hi, All, APR 929 was issued in Dorset in 1941, between Jan (APR 879) and April (APR 999). (Source: Glass's Index of Registration Numbers 1965) Best Regards, Adrian

Hi All, 2 AFK, if a civilian registration, was issued November 1959 by Worcester County Council. Best Regards, Adrian

Dear Graham, @Grumble Below are your photos, and commentry "Attached are the photos of the brick structure and the below ground tank. The first photo shows the "coffin" (our nickname for it because it is that size) with the four 2'*1.5' capping slabs removed. Inside it was full of broken bricks and rubble. I excavated all that in the hope of finding some clue as to the date of its construction but nothing at all, no coins, no inscribed dates, just rubble. The other two photos show how it was before the excavation of the inside. Ignore the blue shed to one side and the logs on the other, we put them there! The photos of the tank show how it was, sunk level with the ground, and also my excavation around it to find that the pipe at the bottom was actually blanked off. The only open pipe is visible at the top of one photo. It stops just the other side of the tank wall. The tank is about 20 feet away from the "coffin" and is the other side of that little blue shed. Someone has suggested that the tank might have been a latrine but I do not think it is big enough for that. It is only 1.5 ft wide 2 ft long and about 2 ft deep. That would give it a capacity of only about 30-40 gallons. I think it is either a water or fuel storage tank. We have no way of knowing whether the two items go together or were put in at different times for unconnected purposes. We only know they have been there for more than 20 years. The house did not have mains water until the late 1950's, it had a well. The well was more than 200 feet away from these structures. We bought this house 20 years ago. Remember we have no idea of the date when these items in the garden were built. It could be any year after 1925 when the land was originally purchased. The house was built in 1932. Thanks for the offer to upload the photos. Hopefully someone might recognise what they were. We are clueless, except my father-in-law (a rat of Tobruk) reckoned it was a field kitchen but, in his old age, he was fixated about the war. He was a POW for 3 years and in later life the war became his reason for being. Everything became related to the war, hence our scepticism about whether he was right." I tend to agree with @Scrunt & Farthing that the gravel surrounding the tank is a ground drain or soakaway to allow water from the top of the tank to diffuse more evenly into the ground. There would have been no necessity to use the gravel to refil the hole, since there would have been plenty of excess soil after digging it out. The base could have been for a field kitchen, but then I think the tank would be too eloborate, waste water could have gone straight to a ground drain. It is more likely the base for a field latrine. The toilet seat and boxes with drain assembly would have been in wood, and mounted on the brick base, the sewage arriving in the tank. The liquid part would overflow into the ground drain, and the solids remain in the tank for someone to have to empty periodically as a guard room punishment. This modern US Army publication describes a urine ground drain built in a similar fashion. If a soakage pit is used, it should be dug 4-feet (1.2-meters) square and 4-feet (1.2-meters) deep and filled with rocks, flattened tin cans, bricks, broken bottles, or similar nonporous rubble. Below is a standard US Army latrine tent, too big for your system, but then yours may hevr been 'Officers Only', and it gives you a good idea of the layout. Info from: https://www.med-dept.com/articles/ww2-medical-tentage/ Possibly the slabs on the ground are part of the same cnstruction, to keep your feet clean. Here's some German soldiers with a similar thing (I had to find a 'polite' photo as a demonstration). Best Regards, Adrian

Dear @Grumble Email address sent. Best Regards, Adrian

Welcome, @Grumble Sorry there's been no immediate reaction, but despite your detailed description, it's a little difficult to visualise. Plus, seeing the actual construction tends to give a better feeling of when and why it was built. If you know how to attach pictures to emails, let me know and I'll send you an email address, to send them to and I'll upload the pictures from there for you. Military sites are prone to all kinds of enigmatic structures, some of which were only used for very short periods before being abandoned. It's quite possible the structures you refer to are to do with the military if, as you say, the 101st were based there. Also, since it's separated from the house, it could be to do with ablutions for tented accomodation nearby. Best Regards, Adrian

I suspect it is more of a 'Port -a-stand', for going racing or watching other sports. You travel in the bus, then onto the roof for a good view. The fact we don't see them more often indicates what a good idea it was.... (-:

Hi ruxy Thanks for the further information. The rovers were used both for recovery and running out the winch cables for winch launch gliders (Sedbergs, Kirby Cadet Mk III's). Also for putting out 'Gliding in Progress' signs etc. My first gliding was in Kirby Cadets, but by the time I did my first solo course, we were on Venture Self Launch Gliders (which had a motor, so were taxiable), so the rovers spent most of the time on watch in case of accidents., and collecting 'Civgas' from the petrol station, or towing the fuel bowser. Really these yellow lightweights were my introduction to military vehicles. Also, the FMT600A I gained to drive them came in very useful at later points in my life. I had a quick look around the internet for other examples, and came across this one: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1969-genuine-series-2a-land-rover-482933349 I certainly drove this one at RAF Sealand on courses there. Anyone here buy/restore it? Best Regards, Adrian

Hi All, in a previous life I was a staff cadet at 637 Sqn VGS (Volunteer Gliding School), based at RAF Little Rissington. We had two RAF lightweights, which I think was standard for all VGS. I seem to remember the serials were 20AM56 and 20AM58, or 'Crash 1' and 'Crash 2', with Crash 2 mounting a large foam extinguisher in the back. This would be about 1983. We carried out several week long gliding courses for Combined Cadet Force cadets, and to keep us busy we were tasked with refreshing the paint on the landrovers. They were all over yellow. We contacted MT at RAF Brize Norton for more paint, only to be told that they didn't hold it, and we would have to buy it from Texas Homecare, shade 'Sweetcorn Yellow' and charge it back. Both were repainted all over yellow. A bit of mooching over at the Home Office Fire Research and Development hanger on the same site provided enough fluorescent orange stickyback vinyl for us to put stripes down both vehicles, and the word 'Fire' on the door of 'Crash 2'. A quick look on the VGS websites shows they are still using all yellow landrovers. Best Regards, Adrian

@Zero-Five-Two Just in case you havn't seen the post above. Best Regards, Adrian

Hi @Doc "The Bing Boys" refers to a very popular music hall show at the Alhambra in London, between 1916 and 1918. Probably the most well known song today from it is 'If you were the only girl in the world'. Though they may of been thinking of "Another little drink wouldn't do us any harm" (-: More details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bing_Boys_Are_Here The cap badge is probably RASC, Royal Army Service Corps. If the name is reasonably uncommon (not Jhn Smith!) I could probably do some more detailed research, if you want? Best Regards, Adrian

Hi @BobNotTed Always possible, I guess. But I think it'd be a bit of a concidence if that were the case. Does it have the 'Broad Arrow' marking on it too? Best Regards, Adrian