Desert Rat

Yeh, of course you did.....:nut: Pity he wasn't able to bring them with him. Still, it's here now so fingers crossed for better weather this month.

As it came into Lincolnshire the weather became diabolical. We remained grounded due to the weather as did the Reds and the BBMF and for the Lanc to press on to Coningsby with what weather lay ahead, was impressive. Well done to those involved.

Clear skies ? I'm sat on airfield north of Scampton and can assure you the weather is fairly crap. cloud base of 2500-3000ft, broken in places, scattered showers and due to get worse later. However, there's still a chance it could break if the wind pushes it out. We've just stuck the covers back on the aircraft. I spy a bit of blue sky...

Fingers crossed as the weather is starting to get socked in around Lincoln with heavy embedded Cu-nim...:undecided:

No, apparently not. I always thought it was but it's said to have been the 12 tonner, not the 18. Also, only Famo made the sdkfz 9 but several others made the smaller Krauss-Maffei type.

I think they will be flying the three on the 21st for a flypast during the turf cutting at the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial. Marvin - just a heads up, I heard a rumour that the Police are closing and blocking the roads around Coningsby when the Lanc comes in from Canada to stop people getting too near and blocking the roads.... (how ironic) Only here in the UK can the authorities put a downer on any reason for celebration. Hopefully someone will see sense and allow as many to view as possible.

Apparently (please note the 'apparently'...) the one used in the Dirty Dozen eventually went across the pond and then after many years ended up with Jaques Littlefield.

Switching the mags off would have made no difference as the engine will still have windmilled. Also he didn't raise the other undercarriage leg - it collapsed as it slewed round. Chris did a great job at controlling the situation. He reckons the engine started running rough so he closed the throttle and put the gear down. He then headed for the runway, opened up the engine but nothing happened. He raised the undercarriage to improve his glide which allowed him to reach the very start of the runway. He then put the undercarriage down but the right leg obviously didn't lock and that led to the gear collapse. It was so near to a brilliant ending but still, overall it is easily salvageable and will be back in the air soon enough. As mentioned, they do have a habit of flipping onto their back which is exactly what killed Paul Morgan at Sywell. It was John Beattie who ditched the one in the sea, not Chris.

Various plant, motor graders etc.

I saw them putting it all on during the morning of the 5th just outside Arromanches. Also I spotted a pink and white cow camo jeep on the N13 outside Carentan !

Parts are plentiful both NOS and second hand. No idea what MPG we get as we just put it in as it needs it. I reckon your figures are about right though.

Bob, yes we concluded the gas masks were of little use to anyone as they had no scrap value. They would have taken up space somewhere and so were tipped in the hole and covered over until we dug them out (well, until we dug out a heap of entangled brittle rubber, rotten canvas and rusty tin) I have found 3 Lee-Enfield 303's at the bottom of a well where the Home Guard dumped them after the war on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Actually I found 3 lengths of corroded, rusty orange oxide that could be identified as once having been three rifles. Not a single bit of wood work remained and even after careful cleaning nothing really looked much like a rifle so they were scrapped. In the same yard, there was said to be some grenades and ammo dumped in a pond but I left that alone... After the war, the majority of stuff with any value was either scrapped for its metal or sold on.

I run TM's and MJ's on site and both are good vehicles. The TM is obviously a mile ahead of the MJ and it never amazes me the power it has even when fully loaded. They do seem to have a habit of shaking coolant hoses free but replacing them with modern hoses seems to help. Other than that they are a good truck.

All questions now answered by Richard Farrant :angel: Thanks.

All stood around in the sun with cups of tea this afternoon (as you do) and discussing the Scammell Pioneer SV/2S's the REME took across on D-Day. There's a black and white photo of one on King sector, Gold Beach and it has a crudely painted white star on the back body. Another picture of a Pioneer shows one with a smaller star on the door instead. So, we were all pondering how would they have been painted before they set off on D-Day ? Would they have been brush painted ? would they have been camouflaged (black and green ?) or just drab ? Reading elsewhere on the forum, they would have had their unit and Div markings removed but then there is mention of a three colour band signifying wading preparation ? Also I read in another thread about the 'Beach' markings on vehicles. Obviously different units would have made different preparations for paint etc but what is the general opinion among those gathered here as to colour schemes etc for D-Day for a REME Scammell ?

Indicators.

Does anyone know where I can get the military light fittings ? I want an indicator fitting (rubber boot, bulb holder etc) that fits into the back end of a vehicle and then the old type glass lenses screws on (I have the lens). Ideally I'd like the type with the cranked rubber boot to clear the bodywork but a straight one would do.

The only thing I have ever been told was buried and we actually found was on the A14 on the site of the Little Chef. I was told some gas masks had been buried and when we were doing some construction work there, we dug into a heap of gas masks. Actually, we dug into a lump of rotten rubber, glass and tin filters...

Looks like the MVT website has got it fairly sorted and unless you want to attend the ceremonies on the 6th, no pass is needed.

Just read through the thread which speaks about the authorization passes etc. My plan is to travel across on the 2nd/arrive on the 3rd and then drive to our camp site. We will go where we can and when the movement restrictions allow up until the lock-down on the 6th and then will travel back to Ouistreham on the afternoon of the 8th to catch the ferry. As I read it, the area will be locked down on the 6th except to those attending the official ceremonies. I like many others will pay my respects earlier in the week. All these application forms seem to be to attend the ceremonies on the 6th so is it correct that you won't need these passes if you don't want to drive around/attend the ceremonies on the 6th ?

Thank you for that. I haven't been on here in recent weeks to read many threads due to work and trying to get the bloody vehicle finished... :nut:

I cannot seem to find a definitive answer as to what documents/passes etc are needed for this years Normandy anniversary. Ferries are booked and we hope to take at least one MV over. I keep hearing about special passes or government documentation etc. What is needed to spend a week in Normandy this June with an MV ? Thanks.

If you take steam traction engines, ploughing engines etc, as an example, a Fowler ploughing engine (the ones with the winch cable underneath) would leave the factory as a new engine. However, it was not unheard for them to have been rebuilt once, twice some even three times throughout their lives as the barrel, box or boiler wore thin and had to be replaced or they would burn through or blow up if left. So, someone buys one now that's once again in need of a new barrel or firebox so although it's not original, nor are most bits several times over except the top motion and wheels etc. As far as vehicles go, isn't there a % of parts calculation recognised by the likes of VOSA etc as to what is a rebuild or 'new' vehicle ?

At this stage it will be arriving at Conningsby, have a few bits of maintenance done, then they will be flying from Conningsby to practice their routine together. The passenger flights will be done from Humberside (the old Lanc base of Kirmington) but they will operate for the displays from CGY. This is as I was told this morning but subject to change...

Along with the Bomber Command memorial in London, there is now the Bomber Command tribute at Beachy Head. We were able to get this put in place after much work and effort by Joe Williams, a former 625 sqn gunner, supported by myself and several others. It's great to have a memorial in London but as Joe and many more Bomber Command veterans pointed out, Beachy Head seemed more fitting because it was often the last point of England that many bomber crews ever saw. Not all bomber raids took off from Lincolnshire then headed over the North Sea to the target. Many more actually headed down from Lincolnshire towards Reading where they gathered, then headed out over Beachy Head to targets deep into France and southern Germany. This also helped to avoid returning USAAF aircraft who were heading back over the North Sea towards East Anglia. The Lincolnshire memorial and centre will be a very fitting, if overdue, tribute. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10387319.Bomber_Command_tribute_is_unveiled_at_Beachy_Head/