mcspool

See Life Magazine images for a picture of Champs leading a parade during "King Sauds Visit To Iraq", 1957. If you search related images you will come across Dodge Power Wagons, Land Rovers, Chevrolet CMP gun tractors, M24 Chaffee, Centurion and Churchill tanks, Ferrets, etc.

See http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=157 for information about the Ambulance conversion. You will need to do research as the information you require is not readily available, but that is part of the fun (in my opinion anyway). I am sure many people and organisations are willing to help if you are going to recreate one of these interesting conversions. HTH, Hanno

My pleasure. The M14 MGMC with twin .50 cal Maxson AA turret was primarily manufactured for Lend-Lease use, the United Kingdom being the main recipient. But the British army did not have a use for the AA half tracks and removed the Maxon turrets. Converted M14s were used a GS load carriers, personnel carriers, Command Vehicles, Armoured Observation Posts, Ambulances, etc. by various Commonwealth armies, including the British, Canadian and most likely others like the French and Polish. The M14 rear hull plate did not have a door but the half-tracks often had a door added as part of the conversion process. AFAIK no M14's are preserved in any of the British conversions, in my opinion it would make a great restoration subject with lots of variants to choose from.

Hi Jamie, Good to see an International Half-Track under restoration. Do you intend to restore it as a Commonwealth vehicle. Just in case you did not know, see http://news.webshots.com/photo/2438641570039564579wrfpZE for a good internal view of an M14 converted as APC. Possibly easier to do that the M5? Regards, Hanno

Hi Perry, Welcome here! Hanno

See for a nice 1939 picuture of a Morris-Commercial CS8. Coincidentally, the CS8 with registration number FMX 179 (8 numbers apart) still exists! H.

See http://www.flickr.com/photos/64723528@N00/2326599664/in/set-72157603621576487/ Wrecked Champ, Light Stone?, gun clamp on dash?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64723528@N00/2802297851/

Definitely - combatreform.org is well known for its controversial viewpoints on military matters. I believe there is a page on troops on bicycles as well, raving about Swiss bicycle troops. The author of the website does give some interesting viewpoints outside of mainstream military thinking, but takes it over the top.

See attached pic (source: http://www.marechausseenostalgie.nl/), dated 1965. The sign says "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", so I this picture fits the subject of the thread and the time of year.

Mark, It is a helmet worn by the Royal Netherlands Military Police called "Marechaussee". Hence the crown and the "M". I guess it dates back to the 1960s. HTH, Hanno

I think this is a vital point: "His worry is that when the Harriers are taken out of service, the skills needed by the air crew, pilots and deck handlers will be hard to regenerate." Very true, if a replacement is available in 10 years time or so, it will be not so much a matter if you can afford to buy the aircraft, but much more a matter of being able to raise the competencies to operate it safely and effectively. In other words: if you scrap Harrier now, you scrap your abilities to operate fixed-wing Navy flying in the future. This is not a cost-cutting operation but a diversion from a set military strategy. H.

They are waiting for the F-35B Lightning II to be delivered - see for what the RN will use to replace the Harrier with, too. Harrier is a magnificent aircraft, when in the Navy I once saw a very spirited display which everyone watching tought was defying the laws of gravity and aerodynamics.

I think you will find they have That Other Sherman Engine . . . the GM Detroit Diesel 6-71.

If you google for "LCM Rhine crossing" or similar you come across stuff like this: http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/beachhd_btlefrnt/ChapterXVIII.html Quite a daunting task to transport those big LCMs over land! As you can see in the picturee below they used the largest transporter they had (Dragon Wagon), but there are also pictures of Diamond Ts with Roger trailers dwarfed by their load.

Thanks for posting, I downloaded some of them.

Background on this Dakota from http://www.francedc3.com/spip.php?article116 & translated by Google:

Identity of the demolished Dakota: Douglas C-47B Skytrain 42-100847 / L4-B c/n 33119/16371 ex-USAAF 44-76787 ex-French AF 476787 ex-F-BAIF Also see http://www.ruudleeuw.com/dc3-best.htm and http://www.ruudleeuw.com/hayes-c47-best.htm for some recollections from a Mr. Karl Hayes who flew with this plane.

Last night I saw it with my own eyes. Very sad! While nothing is irrepairable, this Dakota looks well and truly beyond it. It is still on the premises where the musical is performed as an eyecatcher while decisions are made what to do with it. It will take huge amounts of effort and money to get it repaired. Mind you, it wasn't is a very good shape to begin with, having been out in the open for many years at museums in Arlon (Belgium) and then Best. (source: own picture) Its role in the musical has now been taken by another Dakota, formerly on display at the Aviodrome in Lelystad. The whole scene only lasts a few minutes, portraying the arrival of Queen Wilhelmina back in the Netherlands in 1945. It is fitted with electric motors and comes taxing in with propellors rotating. Very impressive! The door then opens and the Queen steps down on Dutch soil once again. (source: internet)

Well, yes, and a big one. Not wanting to belittle the human effort, but without that stretch of water between England and the mainland Europe, the British Army would not have been able to withstand the force of Germany's Blitzkrieg like so many other European armies in 1939 - 1940. H.

Steve, Sorry, digital only, found in my mailbox. Hanno

Happy Birthday Mike!

Some more period pictures:

Three wartime shots of the C9/B.

Ah yes, I recall it now! His AT tractor was standing next to it.