johnwardle

I remember someone rebuilding a Mosquito in their back garden in Huntington near York back in the late 60s/early 70s, by the time it was finished a housing estate had been built behind it and the Mosquito had to be craned over the owners house. Could this be the one at the Yorkshire Air Museum? As an aside, around the same time there were 2 Dragonfly helicopters parked next to a garage on the outskirts of Huntington near the Portakabin factory, does anyone on here from the York area remember these or the Mosquito?

I received the latest issue of Classic Military Vehicles in the post today, and what a difference!! As soon as I opened the magazine I could see how much it has changed, well written, varied content and above all interesting. The only thing similar to issue 188 is the front cover. Well done John, I hope that you can keep up the great work.

Have you tried p.m.ing Caddy on here, he was working on a Centurion at IWM Duxford, I don't know whether he works there or is a volunteer, but he should be able to point you in the right direction.

I have a large amount of Classic Military Vehicles and Military Machines International magazines from issue 1 to the latest CMV that I would like to dispose of, if anyone is interested please p.m. me, but be warned there is quite a lot of magazines and they would have to be collected from Westbury in Wiltshire.

I got mine made up in pressed aluminium at a classic car show, I explained that they were for display only on an ex military vehicle and they were made on the spot. A little tip for displaying the military plates, many car dealers put something e.g. network q over the number plate on their used cars, these are held on with plastic clips connected with small bungees. Acquire a couple of these and slide the military plates in the front (narrow) slots then simply slide the plastic clips over your civvy plates.

If you need any of the plastic clips p.m. me with your address and I will post you a couple.

Operation Nightingale is the army's archeological initiative, it is listed on the British Army website, but no contact details maybe someone on here knows someone who is involved with it.

There have been a few archeological digs on the Plain usually run by a military charity with injured troops, parts of a crashed Spitfire have been recovered and also a WW1 training trench system has recently been uncovered, the big problem on the Plain is the possibility of unexploded shells and bombs in the ground, but you never know stranger things have happened.

There was a big clear up on Salisbury Plain about 20 years ago, removing most if not all WW2 armour that had been used as hard targets. I saw heaps of shot up vehicles in Shanleys scrap yard in Trowbridge including the remains of WW2 German half tracks, I was told that the 'good stuff' was in their other yard at Warminster but I never got round to checking it out, remember this was over 20 years ago and their is nothing of interest left in either of their yards. An elderly chap that lives at the end of our road was chatting to me a couple of years ago and mentioned that when he was stationed at Warminster in the 1950s he was detailed to go to the railhead ( just behind where I work now) and help in offloading a full train load of Comet tanks, these were unused, they were refuelled then driven on to the Plain as hard targets!!! I have been told by current and ex employees of where I work that there are still buried tanks on the Plain, including the Sherman DD that I mentioned on this post a few years ago, it was discovered when a new trench system was been dug, then reburied. Apparently there is one of the Tortoise tanks buried in preserved condition behind Imber Clump, and a load of WW2 scrap under the hard standings at work. As all these are on active MoD property there is absolutely no chance of getting permission to dig up any of these.

There is a new version of cheese possessed in current ration packs, 'Cheddar Cheese FLAVOURED Spread' also made by Kraft. When I finally plucked up courage to try it I was pleasantly surprised, it's lovely on toast!

Simply because they are surplus to the collections requirements, and as they are live they can't be sold. Very sad, but that's the way it is thanks to a few nutcases.

I didn't see anyone walking strangely, so it could still be going for scrap, all I have to do now is find out who the scrap an is and follow him.

That would look awesome Clive especially if it was painted like the one I passed my driving test in at Arborfield, everything except the glass was deep bronze green, including tyres, woodwork and chrome.

The best person to contact ref military Morris Minors is Godfrey Crew who is a member of the South Wales MVT, what he doesn't know about military Morris Minors could be written on the back of a postage stamp! I don't have his contact details, but the phone number and email address for the South Wales area secretary are on the MVT website.

I couldn't agree more, I have just read the latest issue (187) and can't believe the amount of errors, did anyone proof read it before publication? Or have I just been educated and now know that Martin Baker make INJECTOR seats, also the article about the Atkinson Alligator, a little research would have found that the Blue Streak missile project got the go ahead in 1955 so why was a vehicle that was to be used specifically for that project built in 1947 (or 1946 on eBay)? Then the Champ article, what a load of codswallop. I'm not a Champ owner but I have a soft spot for them as my dad used to give me rides in them in the 1960s he also rallied them for the TA (yes proper stage rallies like the current WRC)

Hi Chris, could you please PM your email address and I will forward the details to you. regards John

I have managed to arrange a visit to the Small Arms Collection at the Land Warfare Centre, Warminster on Saturday 10th December from 09:00 to 12:00, there are a few spaces left, if anyone is interested in visiting this superb collection of small arms (probably the best in the country) please contact me. John.

Thanks Clive, it may be time to update the list of British Military Oils & Lubricants as there seems to be more synthetic oils in use by the military these days.

Does anyone know what OX24 is used for, or its civilian equivalent? I keep finding unopened 1 litre tins of it lying around in the workshop, and can't find out what it is used for. I've looked on Clive's list of Military Oils & Lubricants and can't find it listed.

According to the Pickering Showground website, this was a one off and the re-enactors and vehicles will (hopefully) be back in 2017.

Back in the late 80s I worked for Stothert & Pitt the crane makers in Bath, we had a Detroit Diesel V8 in stock that had come from another crane maker that Stothert & Pitt had taken over, after a total of 5 years sitting in the warehouse, an order came in for a crane with a Detroit Diesel engine. As the engine we had in store was over 5 years old the company called in an engineer from Detroit Diesel, who checked it over, found nothing wrong and issued a 12 month garantee. When installed in the crane the engine started straight away and ran fine. The engine had not been preserved in any way it just had tape over the air intakes and exhaust outlets.

I have some centre sections that I am taking to the Dallas Dig Out tomorrow, I had them for a FFR Land Rover, there are 2 different lengths, 1 metre for the rear antenna mounts and 1.25 meters for the front mounts. If you're going look me out.

Ahhh, the wonderful Excelsior Consort, my first motorcycle at the age of 13, 98 thundering cc 2 speeds, slow and even slower, girder forks and solid back end, but definitely not military. The standard paint n mine was light green although I have seen them in black as well. The James Comet was very similar, but I don't think that they were used by the military either.

I remember my father giving me one of these hats in the early 70s it was British army issue with the crows foot on the label, at that time my father was in Y Squadron of the Queens Own Yeomanry, a T.A. Regiment equipped with Saladins. Wether it was standard issue or not I can't remember, although Y Squadron did go skiing in the Cairngorms every year, until they burned the ski hut down.

My Leyland Daf is also 21 years old and is currently insured with Cherished, this is the second year I have used them. I used Adrian Flux for the previous 4 years. I switched 2 years ago because nobody answered the phone when I tried to contact Adrian Flux.