Blackpowder44

The carrying frame attached to the front of "Para bikes" is not the Everest frame, that came out well after D day and is a rectangular aluminium frame. The parabike frame is A shaped with a forward facing platform covered in canvas which also folds. I tried to put up some pictures but upload failed?

I have listed the complete numbers relating to the total welbike production. To clarify, the Mk.1 welbikes were numbered up to 1213 all the other numbers relate to Mk. 2 welbikes. John.

in the book from Welbike to CorgiSerial no. for the Mk.1 bikes ran from 14 to 1213, second contract from1214 to 2613, third contract no. 2614 to3954, fourth contract no. 3955 to 5195. the problem seems to be that your nos. do not fit in with the official numbers. John

Baptys film hire provided many of the vehicles via C. Mann. I bought 18 vehicles from peter Dinley in the early 1980. The ones that were taken over for film use were, 2 Schwimmwagens, 2 kuble wagons 2 R75 BMW 1 Kettenkrad, 1 1Ton demag halftrack, Humber Box, Universal carrier Mk. 2* White armoured car, Horch type 40 kuble.BMW R12. I still have the carrier and the Humber box.

I was at the Army Air Corps airfield at Middle Wollop on Saturday for the families open day and the Spitfire arrived at 4.20 p.m. and gave a fantastic display. Possibly the same one that you saw. I have included some pictures of their static aircraft on display. John.

Single No. unladen weight, greater no. weight of vehicle plus load. Jeep would be 1 over2 for example. John.

Some pics. of the spares for Schwimmwagen

If no one likes you then you do not get asked to lend tools and are not pestered by damn fools. John

I have the bulkhead pannel and the rod for lowering the prop into the water, also a complete set of new seat cusions if you are interested. I used to own two schwimmers but sold them on and this is what I have left. John.

Bin it and buy a pushbike. John.

You have been extremly succesful in turning it into a heap of junk. John.

Before you varnish the wood, feed it with lynseed oil and only use yacht varnish, this is flexable unlike polyurethine varnish which is rubbish. I used to have a set of scotch pine oars and using the yacht varnish they were perfect for many years. John

I have put in considerable thought today about how I could meet Wayne"s critirea. I would like to be accepted as a re-inactor of a soldier in the Arrakan swamps of Burma, this would entail buying some jungle outfit and a few weeks before turning up I will emerse it in a very smelly bog. Then on the night before I will eat a huge meal and when arriving will take an emetic. I will then cut the ass out of my jungle green trousers, just as they did, so when the potion begins to work I can crouch down in front of the adoring public and have a C**p. This would be totally authentic behaviour. If as a bonus you have any Japs in the audience please could you tye them to a tree with barbed wire and I could show your fans what they did to prisioners with their bayonets. John

So, Wayne, you want everyone to dress up in period gear at the Tank Fest. If I turned up with my brencarrier marked up as 7th. armoured Div. and I was wearing a gaudy coloured silk scarf,scuffed brothel creeper suede shoes highly coloured corduroy trousers and carrying a flywisk, you would ban me for not being in period uniform. This outfit is described in Churchill"s Desert Rats by Patric Delaforce. Page 1. Also seeing as I will be 65 next year I would look a complete pratt dressed up in BD and posing around as a combat soldier. I agree with Catwesel with his comment that the museum welcomed us old farts when years ago they had nothing much to display outside. John.

Well said. John

Never argue with an idiot. John.

Be very very afraid, I shall be arriving on Saturday, J.F.

Make sure you have a True 12 volt coil. Dynamo should be O.K. test to see if it is puting out 13 plus volts. My Jeeps have all been converted to 12 volt and in every case the original dynamo works fine. The original starter will be capeable of taking a 12 volt shunt. John

What is "originality" many mods were done in the field, most famous the Sherman tank with the "Bank buster" welded on the front . Today our armoured vehicles in combat zones have add on armour that was not originally envisaged. I have had idiots come up to me and tell me that my SAS land rover wasnt right because it was painted green and black and not pink. I believe in your assment of the various Land Rovers, too new for me to know anything about them, but as for WWII vehicles ,once used in combat many had add ons which the purists today drip on about. Colonel Weld told me that he had two leather seats fitted into his Jeep in Italy. That would make the "Rivet Counters" have a fit if that was done to a Jeep today. My pet hate is Hotchkiss Jeeps done up as a WWII jeep. John

My jeep came out of service in 1958. Was in use at No1 Command worksshops, Aldershot. Maybe one of the last in service. John

If you go for extra springs you will have to put the rear shocs. on the front and buy longer ones for the rear. Tony Sudds supplied mine. John

Go there yourself and hand over the cash on receiving the goods. The only safe option. Thats what I used to do. John.

Did you see the grave of a 16 year old DLI soldier there. So sad to see such a young lad laid to rest. John.

another view