Kuno

Was asked by the boss to introduce myself...

Found this forum accidentally and since I was mentioned in one of the threads, I thought it mit be good to participate a little bit.

Actually I am not restoring old vehicles - ok; I own an LR.110 which ensures the workshop a good income and has the bad habit to refuse work in the middle of the desert.

My interest in old vehicles is based on the interest on the Desert War of WW2. Since many years I am running behind the traces of this campaign and -seldom enough- have the luck to fnd one of the wrecked vehicles as a witness of that past time. So, it might be, that from time to time I will present the remnants of a wreck in the desert and ask the forum to help to identify it...

Kuno

@ SAS Pinkie; thanks for sharing the pics. Is it correct that on pic 4 there is a suncompass mounted on the dashboard. Are -were- they still in use with this version of the vehicle or did you just add it? Would it be possible to show some details of this instrument?

Above picture is another Chevrolet-wreck. A french one of 1942. And for those who might be interested in the mentioned book:

http://www.afrika-korps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4900

Hi; I am that "Kuno" mentioned above. Found this forum just by accident...

I know about the dispute to preserve wrecks in a museum or to leave them where they are. My opinion is that it depends about the circumstances. Sometimes it might be better to transfer them to a museum but sometimes - and this is the case for Jebel Sherif- I would prefer to consider the whole zone as something like an open-air museum.

The wrecks in a museum, even worse: restored, would be without any value. Rebuilt trucks can bee seen for example at exhibitions where the "British Desert Raiders" take part.

These 4 particular trucks are a part of the history and ther only value is, if they are left "in sito".

Ok; there is no place remote enough to protect such wrecks against relic hunters. Whilst for the local population it is only scrap to be brought to the melting pot (but they are too far off to be taken), the real danger is the TOURIST. It is quite normal for tourists to take away their part. One by one...

What I try is to wake up a certain interest & understanding amongst the local population and local tourist operators - and I was more than happy to recognize that it seems to work!

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Normally I do not give away co-ordinates of such places. But in this particular case, and after long discussion with other enthusiasts, we decided that the place is too known to be kept secret. So the only chance to smehow- protect the wrecks is to become "offensive": We decided to publish a book about it. (Considering the work and the cost - I a not sure, if I would do it again ;-)).

This book will also be handed over to the Libyan "Department of Antiquities" and the Tourist Authorities.

Until then - all wrecks will be labeled to make people aware about that this is not only scrap: