Larry Hayward

I have a spare canvas for my Lightweight that has been sprayed with a pressure hose in parts, which shows up badly. So I suppose the only cure is to wash it all over with a pressure hose to get it uniform in colour! But if it looks a bit faded after that could I dye it and if so what make of dye would I use?

Joris, The link for the photos no longer works for me (as it says 'access forbidden from this server') and yet if I cut and past the link with the number of the photos after HD/ it downloads the individual photo! Does anyone else have this problen or know a way of looking at these amazing photos?

Richard, The choke warning light on my Lightweight stayed on with the choke in - until I realised that turning the choke knob to the right or left a little made it go out! Now that it's in the correct position it works as it should.

For those with a Dodge it might be useful to see the underside of the completed seats to see how you folded the canvas at the corners - or is it a case of what you cannot see ytou don't care about!

Rick, The second photo of my link shows the back of a Bedford MW that is still around today and was up for sale a few years ago. Someone must know who owns it so you could go along and see the Motley mount for real. Also I seem to remember photos of this vehicle were in the MVT windscreen mag a few years back too.

Rick, Have a look at this on Maple Leaf Up http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?s=2cefa561cb92d70480fd71ee99954866&threadid=5570&highlight=Motley

When I was in the Army, I was out in a Land Rover that got a flat tyre and the Corporal thought that the best way to tighten up the wheel nuts was to tighten as far as possible then stamp on the end of the wrench till he got that scraunching sound. SO PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps his Dad drove Churchill Tanks on D-Day!

Its good to see the Daimler A/C will be there. I've been going to MV & re-enactment shows for nearly 30 years and every time I go I see a vehicle I have never seen before. Lets hope the weather holds out and event more of the paying public turn up. http://www.coam.org.uk/coamhome.htm

Final photo

Photo 4

Photo 3

Photo 2

These photos from 2006 do not do the event justice!

Once again the Chiltern Open Air Museum, at Chalfont St Giles, in Bucks will be holding a Prelude to D-Day event with British Army, RAF & US Army re-enactors plus a good selection of vehicles. I went to this last year and it really was well done as the museum itself consists of old buildings that have been saved and moved to the park, and these form a very good backdrop to the various camps around the site. The 43rd Wessex Div and Red Ball Express prepared some very realistic displays, as did the Para RA re-enactment group that were camped out in the farm yard. They also brought along three 75mm Pack Howitzers, which I had never seen before. It's a shame there is so much on offer that Bank Holiday week-end - but if you do live in that area and fancy something different go along and tell your friends. Its so rare to have an MV event so near to London. I shall attach some photos shortly. For more details see http://www.coam.org.uk/coamhome.htm Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks HP8 4AB, UK +44 (0)1494 871117 Contact us by email: coamuseum@netscape.net

Can you share the answer with the rest of us?

In 1979 I went on the D-Day 35th Anniversary tour of Normandy with the MVT and I was very surprised at the relaxed attitude of the French Police as they stopped local traffic when ever they saw us to let the MVs through. I was also surprised that they let Peter Gray in his M10 Tank Destroyer, with me and a half a dozen others in the turret, drive on a public road down to the beaches for a service of remembrance. The tracks marked the road a little but did not rip it up so I suppose the French Police thought what the hell, no harm done, let them get on with it. But I don't think the British Police would have allowed it in the UK even in 1979. On return to the UK I was riding in the front of Richard Beddall's M3 halftrack, when we were stopped by an unmarked Police car. Perhaps they were wondering why the person (me) sitting on the 'normal drivers side' of the vehicle had both hands on the door top and never seemed to look where he was going - not realising it was LHD! The reason they gave Richard for being stopped was that one of the front side lights was a little dim but I think they were just curious, as there were far less preserved MVs on the road at that time. The Police were very polite though.

Can anyone verify this story from BAOR when Margaret Thatcher was visiting BAOR as PM in the early 1980s? Imagine a broad valley in North West Germany, with a road running the length of it and a small village in the middle. On the hill side the top brass essemble with Margaret Thatcher to watch a mock attack along the valley by Chieftain Tanks, 432s etc by a British Armour Brigade (or two). During the course of the 'attack' smoke & flames start to rise from the village and a certain 'VIP' mentions that it looks very realistic. However unbeknown to her and the top brass a building in the village just happened to catch fire, in an unrelated incident. Sadly for the village folk the German Fire Brigade from a town nearby were unable to come to put it out in view of the mock attack and one or more property was burnt to the ground!

Ghasp, I can verify the story you were told as true, and from memory think it occured in 1980 during Operation Crusader 80 / Operation Spearpoint which I was on. Some of my mates passed the scene of the accident and said it was not a pretty sight seeing a crushed human being. No doubt the were many other incidents like it over the years!

Another advantage of a wide track is that you can see it in your wing mirror, so at least you know you are still towing something! As for the drop down tailgate, was this a Health & Safety requirement to stop soldiers hurting their backs getting stuff out, or perhaps the MOD abandoned the need for the Sankey to be amphibious as in the sealed tub version!!!!!!!!! :-D

I shouldn't be too hard on people who like to dress up in Army uniform and wear rank badges to which they are not entitled. As long as they look the part. After all most of us are faking it a little in kitting out our vehicles for MV shows and some of members have never served but I would not stop them from putting on a uniform that goes with the age of their MV. I've been to some really good WW2 living history events and seen people dressed as British Army Officers, WO's etc who have never served and yet have talked to veterans who love to see them and their vehicles correctly turned out! As for decorations I suppose its how they are presented. If for example a WW2 re-enactment group portrays a particular unit with Divisional badge, Arm of Service and Trade badges etc is it so bad that a few of the men wear typical ribbons for decorations & campaigns that the real unit may have got? Obviously some young kid running around with a Generals tunic on, covered in medal ribbons and the medals too, would look stupid, not that I have seen many like it. There are other things that make me cringe even more but still it's a free country, so go ahead and dress your kids as Hitler Youth, I do not have to look!

So is an airsoft SA80 a realistic replica?

In answer to the above post by Snapper, I must say that I find the whole lot a great big muddle and every time I read it I think OK that's and offence, yes that too - then I read a bit more and it gives exemptions to this and that! Anyway after reading it about a hundred times, the way I read it is that from April 2007 it will be illegal to sell or a replica or make your own 'replica weapon' or modify something to make it look more realistic - unless you belong to a Re-enactment Group with Public Liability Insurance in which case you can sell or buy a replica or make your own 'replica weapon' and buy parts for it and obtain blank ammo. It seems that there is nothing in the Bill to prevent you from owning a deact, replica or airsoft if you have one already, as there is no requirement to hand them in - but keeping a receipt of when and where you bought it might be a good idea! I think we will all need to think about the way we take these things to shows and also what to do with them if our vehicle breaks down on the way. You cannot exactly leave them unattended when you walk off down the road to get help - nor can you start carrying them like 'Rambo' to save them being nicked off the vehicle! " Hello Officer I'd like to report that a man dressed in camouflage, is walking down the High Street with a couple of machine guns over his shoulder!" That a sure way to get shot by the Police. So perhaps store then in a long kit bag or even ones used for fishing rods I think the ban on the import of these things will reduce your chances of taking deacts and replicas across the Channel as Customs are going to be all over your vehicles hunting for something you might of bought 'over there'. I could not see a direct reference to airsoft in the VCR Bill but to the ordinary man in the street or the Police these are the same as replicas so we will have to be careful.

Good News in deed! Though when I read all the pages and pages of waffle detailing each offence and exemptions under the Act I still think that it won't make one bit of difference to your average mugger in SE London! It makes me sick, as I know post April 2007 a MV enthusiast somewhere in the UK is going to end up with a conviction and a bigger sentence than someone who is a persistant robber. Too bad if Mr Law-abiding is sacked from his job for 'firearms offences'! The current Government have now passed over 40 'Law & Order' Bills none of which have helped, and as one person said at the start of our debate over the issue, it always has been an offence under existing laws to use an immitation firearm in a threatening manner or convince a victim it was real. What a waste of Parliamentry time

Kev, Strangely I have an interest in WW2 RN vehicles too, though they are not very common! As you can imagine the RN had less vehicles than the Army and the RAF and so far over the last 28 years I have seen only a hand full of RN vehicles of WW2 vintage at verious shows. The few I have noted include a Bedford OXD, a Morris 10 HP Light Utility, Ford WOT2H, a 'civilian' staff car and a motor bike. There is also an Ex-RN Austin K6 that is owned by an MVT member but I have never seen it. From dicussions with ex-FAA members it seems that the RN impressed a large amount of civilian lorries and light vans, which once released from service disappeared quite easily into the civil market- and so are likely to have been scrapped years ago after a hard life or if they lasted longer would have been hard to distinguish as ex-WD For a bit of inspiration and photo coverage of RN vehicles see the attached link http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?s=4cbaf2240e06cb458fb461e557c6fa28&threadid=5064&highlight=Larry+Hayward

So Kev, have you come to any conclusions about the vehicle you may buy? I was like you a few years ago, itching to get something and be a part of the MV line up rather than be a spectator! In the end it came down to the three p's - Price, Parts and Parking Thats why I ended up with a Lightweight Land Rover! There are plenty on offer at reasonable cost, the parts are very easy to get - even the rare bits with a bit of patience and it can be parked almost anywhere even out doors. NB - The crossing the channel by DUKWs was done a few years ago and was documented by the MVT at the time but I cannot remember when it was- perhaps 20 years ago!