Jessie The Jeep

I'd like to see some photo's of these if anyone has any wartime or restored vehicle pictures. Steve

USAAF Vehicles Tankers - 4000US Gallon Capacity, 6 x 7 1/2 ton F-1 Tractor Units built by Biederman, Federal and Reo. Prior to US tankers, the USAAF used RAF bowsers. Here's a Cletrac at Debach ( 493rd BG ). It is in need of a little work! Some were modified with A Frame hoists on the front. Another USAAF trailer was the Flying Control Trailer, usually fitted with a B-17 or B-26 nose glass on top as a viewing position. This one is also at Debach. Most were built on station and varied considerably. The tricycle bomb trailer featured twin front wheels and could carry 3 tons. It's most frequent load was 4 x 1000 lbs HE. Some fields had GMC CCKW 352 & 353's with air and water cooled .50's mounted for air defence. Some trucks, both Dodge and GMC had aircraft gun turrets mounted for practicing gunnery. While the vehicle drove around the base, gunners would practice their aim at overflying aircraft. Some GMC's featured the front mounted A Frame crane and were used for aircraft maintenance. Also for mobile maintenance was the 4-5 Ton 4x4 Autocar Model U714T Tractor with a 10 Ton Fruehauf semitrailer. The tractor had a 112bhp Hercules engine. The trailer was fitted out with a 110 volt generator for power tools, storage bins, plus heating and ventilation. Jeeps, Command Cars and Dodge Ambulances were also seen. Jeeps, GMC's & Dodge WC's were often used to carry pilots and aircrew to the planes. Some jeeps were painted black & white checkers as "Follow Me" vehicles for aircraft marshalling. Steve

There were also the tricycle and four wheel bomb trailers. I'll have a look through my stuff and see what else I can come up with. Steve PS Re USAF - Up until 1947, the Air Force was part of the Army and was known as the US Army Air Force ( or US Army Air Corps ). They didn't become a separate force until after 1947, after which the red strip was added to the star and bar insignia on the planes.

Mine was almost white today!! Steve

Also check the earth and positive connections are good. If they aren't good, you can sometimes pull enough power for lights, but not the heavy amps required to start. Steve

Jack, how do we know YOU are real?? You've got a 'Red Deuce'. Isn't that a giveaway, and not a very high hand at that!!! :lol: Steve

As you grow older, you become Nocturnal. Before you know it, you'll be hunting at night and bringing mice home as presents! Steve

Here's an interesting story of how my grandad got into the Royal Engineers, and avoided the trenches. He was sent for a test to see if he had the skills needed for an engineer. The test was to file a lump of metal into a perfect 1 inch cube. He was given a lump of steel and a file, and told to start...... He immediately replied that it was impossible with the tools they had given him...........as the file was completely blunt; at which point he was told he passed the test. All those who just tried to file the steel went to the trenches. Steve

My dad was a kid during the war, living near to Thornaby and Middleton St George bomber bases. Heard several stories of damaged aircraft flying back over the house on the way back to their home base. His dad was in the Royal Engineers in WW1, and served in Ypres among other places, working on the ammunition trucks. He said there was never time to do a job properly. All the maintenance was done as the trucks were being reloaded, so that loose nut never got fully tightened, just nipped up enough to hold it till the truck came back next time!! Steve

When I got my insurance earlier this year, it was just over £100. I was 35 at the time. I'm not sure how much this would increase for a 17 year old, but I can't see it being huge. Ever tried getting an online quote for a jeep!!!! Best off phoning a few of the specialist insurance companies. Steve

Well that is what I was going to do, but after seeing Cripp's idea, I then decided to keep the side lights as well as adding indicators in the same housing. Steve

LED's etc from http://www.farnell.com Mail order, usually next day delivery. Steve

OK, I got daylight for some photos today, actually too much daylight. The sun was low and very bright shining straight down my drive, making it difficult to see normal car indicators, never mind the jeep ones. Normal light should be ok. First of all, the front sidelights which are 5 white LED's each side. and the rear sides which also have 5 LED's each side. Next a picture of the 7 rear LED indicators, 'though with the sun shining directly into the light housings, they don't show up too well in the photo. and finally, with the magic of an animated GIF image, my front indicators. Steve

Two major highlights for me..... Buying the jeep in April, and taking it to Normandy, France in July. One major surprise this year too, brake failure in France while heading rapidly towards a roundabout!!! Fortunately I missed everything else on the roundabout and stopped safely. It was also on the last day of the holiday so didn't spoil the trip. Steve

After seeing Cripp's indicator modification, I decided to modify my original idea and keep the sidelights in addition to fitting indicators. Whether they are legal in that position, I'm not worried. I'd rather indicate illegally than be splatted by a big truck that didn't know where I was going. When they ask about indicators at MOT time, I'll wave my arm out the side. Since my jeep is 24 volts, I used voltage regulators to drop the LED's and flasher circuit to 5 volts. I went for a bit more visibility on the indicators and added 5 ultra high bright ( 5500mCd ) Yellow LED's, together with 5 White (9500mCd ) LED's to replace the sidelight bulbs. They were mounted in parallel rows on a PBC that fitted into the back of the light housing, held in place with a couple of dabs of hot melt glue. Here they are from the front. The rear light uses the rectangular slit to house 7 Yellow LED's and 5 Red ( 8300mCd ) LED's for the rear sidelights. A 555 Timer IC is used to flash the Yellow LED's with a DPTP Centre Off switch in the dash next to the choke. I'll try and get some pictures at the weekend as the garage is a bit dark to get pictures in the evening. All components were purchased from Electronics suppliers, Farnell.com Steve

Bah Humbug!!!!

Jeeps have more pulling power than Rudolph! Steve

Who'd have thought Santa was an MV fan? Steve

Lynne and I saw Jimmy about the dance at the MVT meeting so we should see you there. Steve

I was wondering what other MV owners do with their vehicles over the winter months now that the chill has arrived and open sides and canvas roof seems less of a novelty. I'm still driving my jeep, at about once a week, to keep all its joints from feeling the cold :lol: and because it's fun, 'though is gets a hose down once back home to remove any salt it may have collected. If you store your vehicle unused over the winter, do you take any steps to see it will sleep through the winter chill ok until spring, ie draining any fluids, disconnecting batteries etc? Steve PS Tim(1) we know what you do to jeeps over the winter months and I don't believe that is the best way to care for them.

Anyone remember the BBC TV series "Secret Army" back in the 1970's? I once sat on the tube beside the actor that played the Luftwaffe Officer who was in the series for a while. If I remember correctly, the character was shot by a firing squad for doing something that the SS officer didn't approve of, though I can't remember the complete story of that episode. Steve

My jeep just squeezes next to my aircraft trailer in the garage, with about 1 1/2 inches each side. Steve

Back in 1994, I found some pieces of the original 100th Bomb Group B-17 "Hang The Expense", that I based my flying model on. The pieces remained in a ditch at the edge of the field since November 1943, where the plane crashed. In 1994, the ditch was cleaned out and ploughed into the field. The pieces were just lying on the top of the soil. They included pieces of wing skin, fuel pipe and plexiglass. One of the pieces was mounted in the nose of my model and now still flies, 62 years after leaving the Boeing factory. Steve

We keep telling the southerners that, so they don't come up here!!!! Steve

Cat sick is almost as good. Steve