woa2

If you want just a player, I bought one for £60 that plays 78, 45, 33 plus CD, cassettes and radio. It comes in an old looking wooden case and I have seen these in the catalogues that fall out of magazines you get from newsagents.

If you want to met Andy Robertshaw, come to the Aldershot Militaria Society meeting on Thursday October 30th at 7pm at the Galpin Hall, Windsor Way, Aldershot (look for Holy Trinity Church) where he will be giving a talk on the 'Digging the Trenches' TV programme. No charge, but you can donate £1.

I read there was to be a tank made out of balloons at W&P this year. Did anybody see it, as I didn't and can't find any photos of it on their website. Also, was Monty's Rolls Royce there?

I beleive you're right.

I did see that, but I bought one last year.

I kept hearing rumours at W&P that next year would be the last that Rex Cadman was running at the Hop Farm. Nobody knew anything for certain, just rumours. Maybe the Jeep raffle is related???

No, sorry. I saw the plate on a Dodge at a friend's house, but it wasn't his vehicle. The man from Rootes was called Ron, and I beleive the Dodges he was talking about were US and not British. Can't ask him as he died about 15 years ago. Anyone else on the Forum have a Rootes rebuild plate on their Dodge?

I was talking to a relative of my landlady in Acton when I was there in the late 1970s, and he worked at Rootes during WW2 and just after. He remembered Dodges being reconditioned after WW2, and they tended to end up as a 'Bitsa' after the work. For example, if there was any problem with the engine, it wasn't investigated but a replacement new engine fitted instead. Dodges reconditioned had a Rootes plate fitted to them - I have only come across one of these since I knew what it meant. As for other vehicles, any that went for a total rebuild, had a registration number in the R series, such as 12RA34 whereas vehicles not wanting a total rebuild but just an overhaul had a number at the end of the alphabet such as my WOA2 with 79YG18. Hope this helps.

I've been listening to it all day and it's free. It stops after a while and you have to select 'continue' to start again. If you become a VIP then it charges but you get no adverts.

As well as WW2 Military Vehicles, I like WW2 music. I was looking for a suitable Radio station to listen to and found this one in America called 'Rat Patrol Radio'. They only broadcast wartime recordings. Worth listening to. http://www.live365.com/stations/torgen_magnusson

Don't think I made a good impression at school. Most of my school reports had 'Could do better', and one had my name wrong - It was to Richard Davey instead of Robert Davey. Still it did teach me about Woodwork, Maths and Tech Drawing, which has come in useful later, and playing Tuba in the school band was very interesting.

I looked around the stalls on the Sunday looking for bargains, but all I bought were some cards I can use for Birthdays/Christmas and some cheap toy soldiers I can use for presents. I also bought a dog bowl for my dog, Monty. Didn't find any British Ford V8 parts at all on the stalls.

I was there for a week, and I still missed seeing some vehicles.

Yes, all the vehicles are British Ford.

A selection of my photos I took at War & Peace this year. Apologies for any bias you may find in my selection.

Unfortuntely I can't go as I am being draged off on holiday. Can you give my regards to John Marchant, and I hope you all have a good time as it looks a good event. Robert Davey

Update - I had a look at the weather charts today (Saturday) and it looks like the weather will be getting better. I suspect some rain Sunday evening/Monday morning, but apart from the odd shower, the outlook looks good. The High pressure in the Atlantic is moving our way at last.

Today (Friday) I drove a Ford Focus into Beltring to pitch my tent, and drove it out again without any problem. I even drove my Daughter's Ford Fiesta through the 'Knee Deep mud' by the entrance to America's Field without it getting stuck. It is muddy, but it's not that bad, and the weather will get better.

The Humber Radio truck shown here is owned by Bernard Venners from Pangbourne near Reading. He restored the vehicle himself.

FURTHER UPDATE - Seems like that occluded front is breaking up. Seems to be better weather. Might still get a shower, but that is all.

UPDATE - There is an occluded front heading Beltring way on Monday afternoon (This means Rain). However, things may change so keep watching the skies. Robert

There was a TV programme on some years ago where they interviewed one of the surviving members of 'Chet's Circus' and he explained the details of how they got that particular shot. His advice was, if the photo shows action in the far distance then it is probably a genuine photo - if it is in the foreground, then the photo is probably faked. The faked action photos were usually done the day after the battle had happened.

Gentlemen I have just looked at the Atlantic pressure charts on the BBC Weather site, and my conclusion is that the weather should get better at least for the start of next week (from Sunday). There is a big High pressure hopefully coming our way that should bring dryer weather (it won't be exceptionally hot). Might still get the occasional shower up to Sunday, but it should get better. I will check again on Saturday evening and give another 5 day guess.

The first photo I think I have seen before. The second photo is most definitley published and is well known. The 3rd photo I have not seen before, but I have seen very similar photos of a WOT with 'arranged' bullet holes (IWM photo E23186).

The truck in the first 2 pictures is a Ford WOT2H. The 3rd picture is, I beleive, a Humber radio truck. All the vehicles are from the AFPU unit in North Africa called 'Chet's Circus'. They were famous for faking photographs, and the second photo is a good example. The explosion was actually caused by one of the crew throwing a hand grenade for effect. Chet's Circus was led by Sgt Len Chetwyn, and they re-staged events to get good photographs. There is a classic photograph in the Imperial War Museum, number E18908, which is supposed to show troops advancing in battle. It actually shows Australian troops storming a cookhouse in the rear areas. If you want to read more on 'Chet's Circus', I can recommend 'The Desert War 1940-1942' published by the Imperial War Museum, where a photo of all of Chet's Circus personnel are shown on page 185.