berna2vm

You are indeed a very brave man! That would cost a fortune(in the pub!):-D

Tony,just a couple of points. This is not about a comparison between U.S. and British vehicles,this is just a debate about which your favourite British/Canadian vehicle is. I do not agree with your opinion of any American vehicle being superior to any British truck. Take the Matador for example,do you honestly believe a CCKW Jimmy is a better vehicle? Diesel engine v petrol, air brakes v hydraulic. I know of vehicles still working everyday with the original engine! I like all the vehicles from this era and I am negotiating the purchase of a Jimmy,maybe an equal but certainly not superior. Please Tony, don't be narrow minded...:tup::

I must admit that the Matador has to get my vote... I cannot think of another softskin British vehicle of WW2 which fulfilled it's tasks as competently as this one.It was judged so after the war by the allies as a decisive piece of equipment. Power,reliability,economy... She posessed all these qualities.I also think it has a ruggedly handsome look,but I am a little biased working with AEC trucks in the 70's and 80's. Please put your favourites forward because there are many other great trucks that deserve a mention.

Hmm,if they put any more so called speed cameras up round here I may be very tempted to do that very thing!!!

70 years since Germany invaded Poland. We declared war on them 3 days later on the third of September.The rest is history...

I wonder how it would compare with my favourite and to my eyes the most handsome machine gun of all time,the MG42... I am still seeking a deac MG51,which is a Swiss copy for the mount on my Berna.

Wow,Storming, it is the highlight of my month getting CMV... Must be my age,I suppose!

Presumably powered by Saurer diesel engine?

Hope show is one of the better regional shows.I usually go every year as a good friend helps run the equesrian section and another friend is involved with St Johns Ambulance at the event. The only reason I did'nt go was because I had to pick some panels up in Newcastle for my Celica which I am restoring. Is this the Caterpillar which featured in CMV last month?

Totally agreed,my friend.

Where there is life,there is hope. I think there is maybe a chance right up until the demolition charges are detonated. After that point they will be scrap! They would make great gate guardians,that would be a better fate than destruction.

Hmm,red tape syndrome strikes,yet again....

That is a real shame. I wonder how much shipping would cost from there to Southampton?

Thank you for your reply,Dave. I think the latter is the better option and if he is naive enough to accept then it would only be fair to give him some extra cash in with the deal!!!

Hi all, a friend of mine is wanting to sell me his 1944 CCKW Jimmy. Upon asking him what he wants,he replied how much is it worth... Open cab with full weather protection,tilt canvas in good condition. The tyres are also good. What is it worth? Cheers Richard.

Were there many doctored SLRs in existance? What was the cyclic rate of fire?

Fantastic thread!!! I can vividly remember Job Earnshaw & son operating their Matadors in the seventies and eighties.My wife lived 200 yards away from their yard in Flockton West Yorkshire and even she can recognise a Matador... My Father had a haulage company which included Ergomatic cabbed AECs and they were fantastic trucks. I never had any affection for the DAF and Mercedes trucks which replaced them( apart from the 1988 1644 twin turbo Mercedes). A chap near me in Huddersfield has a beautiful Matador with power steering,and I believe an AV 505 engine.

Without sounding foolish,what are the problems with the M60 as a weapon? I can hardly believe that the U.S. armed forces have just adopted a gun that has been in the British army's arsenal for nearly fifty years. Maybe our guys in defence procurement did some good work (for once). I think that we call it the L7 A2, but to most people,it is known as the 'jimpy '.It replaced the Bren gun which was in service in WW2. It must be a real honour to become part of one of the most respected fighting forces in existance. Unfortunately I am now too old to ever be a part of such an organisation and am what is referred to as an 'armchair warrior'. I sometimes wonder what might have happened if I had joined the Army when the Falklands campaign was current... I cannot begin to imagine what beastings occur while you are training.If 'Full Metal Jacket' was easy, I would fear the reality greatly. Take care, Richard.

I could go with either the Lightning or Phantom(that dihedral,so sexy!),but what about the Gloster Javelin, what a shape!!! Are you related to Keith Park, one of my heroes?

Fadedsun,is the M240 a derivative of the M60? Is the M60 still in service? Sgt Hartman is pretty cool,though.I like this actor he is believable in this role somehow.I would not like him for a drill instructor though!

In fairness the fact that the Centurion was so good was down to the realisation that many of the tanks we fielded in the war were substandard,and this was a serious effort to remedy the situation,the cause of many more deaths of tank crew than was acceptable.

I would love to air my opinion on this matter,however being just on the other side of the pennines and hence a Yorkshireman I may be misconstrued as being biased!! :-\ Seriously scary though,assuming that they used east coast ports for invasion,they would have visited me prior to this...

British Bath & Company!!! They made bathtubs as well?

Yes,Sir yes. I will do this very thing Fadedsun sir. Incidentally,which character do you most identify yourself with in Full Metal Jacket? Everyday I am underneath a 4x4 fixing a bust transmission etc I now think of how you spend your days on the beach! Have fun, Richard.

I watched Jarhead last night ,I thought it was a fictional story,fadedsun!!! I liked it though. Liked your poetry too!