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As you all know, I have just bought a Landrover, but I am not moaning about being excluded from this event, far from it, I applaud Jack in what he is doing. Surely we are in this hobby to enjoy ourselves with our vehicles NO MATTER WHAT THE ERA?

Sorry, shouldnt shout like that, bad manners.

 

I propose that as this is posted on Rememberence Sunday, we stop for a second, and reflect that what we are doing with this great hobby of ours? Remembering service men and women of all eras and conflicts, because after all, if it wasnt for their sacrifice, we wouldnt be able to do what we do.

 

Like CW says, we are behind you Jack

 

Mark

Hear hear!

So how's it going? Have you managed to get a token quid out of the man yet?

Here we go again.... please explain why this HAS to be a WW2 only event???????? the forum is open to everyone & so should any event HMVF sets up...

I can understand why non WW2 members of the forum feel like this. I can also understand why WW2 non tank type vehicle owners (me included) might also feel this way. Could I chip in with my 'two pen'uth' without being flamethrowered too badly? There are quite a few shows out there which cater for all sections, and there are some others which cater solely for single era - mostly WW2, I think. I can see that a show organiser can see that something which Joe Public can get their head round easier, which WW2 is, is more likely for a first event to be a success than just another general show. If a theme is picked then it dilutes its impact if everything else is included. I ran an event early this year which was WW1 based, I had good WW2 guys wanting to come along and support the event for the very best of reasons but I said no and explained why. To their credit some of them came along as punters, thoroughly enjoyed it and afterwards made a point of letting me know that they felt in hindsight that I was right for taking the line I did. The next idea I am thinking of doing is going to be WW2 based and if it comes off I hope they will support it. Because a decision has been taken to make the first HMVF themed event a WW2 'tank' one shouldn't be taken as snub to everyone else. What I would suggest is that we all should start and look long term for the opportunities for where and when to put on the next 'Cold War' one (or whatever) in tandem - and the next and the next. I think the concept of moving locations is an excellent one if suitable relevant themed spots can be identified. To do the job properly on different sites takes a lot of planning. So getting background info collated and started on and put in to place pending the second/third etc show would make sense. I think if you try to make a 'show for all seasons' then you will end up with 'just another show'. It would be good for the name of the forum if HMVF was associated with something different and that bit more special. This needs to be looked at long term. It would be a pity if forum members, or indeed the wider owning fraternity, got the huff on and took their goodwill away because it wasnt 'their turn' straight away. (Please note SSwing this is not a swipe at you, I'm just trying to make a point, it just happens that your post triggered it. Not suggesting for a minute that you are or that this is what you intend doing) I believe it is a fair point that a WW2 armour based event would be a more sure hitter as a first event than any other period. It is the easy one, but the organiser still has to do the work and without the benefit of an established support team etc etc We should 'practise' with this one and use any lessons to underpin the potentially less atractive events so that they can be promoted and run in a way which makes them just as successful. A start has to be made somewhere. I think it is a good decision to try and go for something with a specific historically correct location and period. On that basis this will always disappoint owners from other periods. But lets be positive and look for the other opportunities!

Squatting firmly on the head of the second fitter from the right appears to be an airfield defence Armadillo at RAF Bottesford. The picture appeared in last Thursdays Daily Telegraph in connection with their campaign to secure a memorial to Bomber Command. Crown Copyright.

Hi George

Check your 'personal messages' at the top right.

You are going to be busy eh? A point about RAF colours. As yours, like mine, is a later version, '44 onwards, then during the war it would not be painted in RAF blue /grey at all. From that date all MW's for the RAF and Army came off the production line in the same olive drab. I would have thought, but have no photo or other evidence to back this up, that RAF ones on Malta probably had the same distinctive 'Malta' stonework camo as army vehicles. If however you are painting it in postwar RAF colours then blue/grey would be correct. Depending upon which post war period, then it may require gloss black front mudguards and front bumper. Maybe Ted could pitch in on this one?

I've searched for the scooter scam thread, but couldn't find the actual one (loads out there actually) but did find a good 'scambaiting' site which might give you a few tips on wind ups/time wastes and general good safety advice. '419eater.com'. Also some good laughs.

 

 

Which leads us to the next question - how many do you want/need??

:rofl::rofl::

You really ought to tell him they only work properly in pairs.

Chris is right about the brackets and the pick up by a 'trawler'.

However, if you want you can have significant fun pissing them about at their own game, just dont give an inkling of where you are! I came across a thread way back on a scooter forum which listed the exchanges between a scammer and a punter who strung him along beautifully for ages - even managed to get a token $1 out of the scammer via Western Union just to 'verify his account' etc. hilarious reading and I often thought I ought to have saved a copy just to do the same if ever I had the chance. Now if everyone did that who received one of these mails.... I reckon it might snarl up their mail boxes no end.

The four holes located around the starting handle hole? As far as i know this was for a pump using the starting handle dog on the engine as a pto, i have a picture of an early tanker with one on, but i guess this could have other uses than a pump too.

 

Is this one at the dli museum?

 

The two holes in line with the headlamps are manufacturing holes all mw's seem to have these to, apart from mine which has one, :sweat:wonder where that went?

Now you point it out the desert one does have two holes at either side of the starting handle hole doesn't it? Didnt see the top two initially. So yet another set-up! A pto arrangement sounds ok, and I can see that 4 holes for that would be better than two. Most ones seem to have just the two, but then the outer larger dia. two as well. Check your stock pics again though as some of the vehicles do not appear to have any holes including the outer 'manufacturing' holes.

I have a pic of EMR 256 taken in July 2005 and it was in a museum/storage in Newcastle. I dont know if this museum goes under the title DLI, it was only a brief visit I made. PFF 301 was at Elvington W&W in 2007, nice of you to include my pic , I had a short chat with the owner. From memory he was from Halifax, but I could be mixing him up with another MW owner who was also there. The motor was sweet as a nut, had been rebuilt and started on the button. Nice to see it more or less in original untarted condition.

Just out of interest what would you do here- I'm rebuilding the tailgate of my MW and when it was first constructed 'in the field' (converted from a 'C') it had the step reinforcing plates put on the 'wrong way round' i.e. the kickplate part is on the outside when the gate is shut. Would you rebuild with the original error or would you put them the 'right' way now?

Any chance of seeing some more pictures. Do the barracks look anything like this ? :-

 

 

If so, they've now been pulled down to make way for the offices of Telenet, my Internet provider !

 

The great fear of British Servicemen in NW Europe after VE day was that they would be sent to the Far East. Thankfully, it all ended before most of them could go.

Note to the mods- given that this thread is obviously now not a British vehicle enquiry you might wish to move it somewhere more relevant.

This is the best of the pics which show the town, the others just didnt scan well at all. (They are not too good to start with : ) ! ) The building is the same as there appears to be one of the pointed tower tops/finials visible in the bottom left of the shot. The others are taken in front of the same damaged building and dont show much else than the first. Not even a unit sign anywhere in view. The last pic is an earlier one from his days serving as a gunner on armed merchantmen on the Atlantic/Russian convoys. He later went on to italy, again initially on a ship- I didnt realise the Navy were so short of gunners. Another pic in the album shows his mate on the 12pdr at Taranto and another on an oerlikon at Alex. Both on board the S.S Samdak.

The lintel arrangement on the background building looks clearly Belgian to me. Mechelen (spelled 'Malines' by the French) is certainly a possibility but sometimes confused with Machelen which is now a suburb of Brussels close to the military airfield at Melsbroek / Zaventem which had a strong British presence.

 

Everything points to post liberation and they're warmly dressed. The winter of 1944 /45 would seem most likely.

 

Rich (in Belgium)

Brilliant Rich, thanks for that. The spelling in the album was actually Mechelin, which didnt come out as anywhere in my atlas so I presumed it was what I posted previously. But the Brussels connection is good as he also has a photo of Brussels in the album. Another picture shows 'Mechelin from the barrack tower' and there are other pictures taken I would guess at the same time as the truck shot showing more of the same damaged 'workshops' which they appear to be repairing.

Winter 44/45 poses an interesting one as the family thought he was in Burma at that time so this will have to be gone in to more. It could be he was posted out to the Far East in early '45 though. Pics of the VJ day parade, with Sunderlands doing a flypast, at Singapore confirm his presence there.

Thanks for that guys. Next question then has to be was this a common vehicle to find being used by UK units? Anyone know if there are there any still around on the circuit? Going by the sequence of others in the album I believe this photo was taken either in the UK or in Mechelen(?) Belgium. Did the truck stay this style throughout the war or did it only appear mid war onwards etc? I'll be doing some searching myself but someone might know the answer straight up. This might help me tie down some dates and places regarding his service 'pattern' as this isnt known other than by his campaign stars. Cheers fellas.

Just found this photo amongst an old family album, uncle from WW2. Gunner in RA. What is the vehicle in the background?

Nit picky detail I know, but does anyone have any suggestions as to what the regular pattern of 4 drilled holes on the front bumper seen on some vehicles was for? Visible on the sand one attributed to the DLI museum in post 1(is that the name of the Newcastle museum, where I've seen this one?) and also on one of those in post 23. Either side of the radiator area, large and small 'offset'. They suggest the bolting on of some standard bit of kit(s). Any ideas what? Obviously not something just on the earlier models as some later ones have them as well.

Can you elaborate on this one at all? I've not heard it.

Next thread down in this section.

Although an owner I'm pretty much on the new edge of the the MV scene so what are these 'key cards' I keep seeing references to? Thanks.

Easily tidied up with a match.

Thanks for that Steve. I did a search where you said - interesting article. I have to say that in the short bit of film I saw it was quite convincing. Maybe others who have seen more of it are less impressed ?

The other day I caught a small part of a film on Sky called the Sky Riders which I cannot recall having seen before. Most of what I saw was a bit on the 'slow' side compared to more modern fare but what I did see that intrigued me was a Wellington bomber that apparently was capable of moving under its own steam, at least on the ground. (In the part of the film I saw - flying sequences in other bits? dunno) Bit of an eye opener I thought given that the film is credited with having been made in 1968. Well after the date generally passed around for those in 'the west' to not be 'mobile'. Anyone know anything more about a Wellington in the Czech Republic region?

Best one I've seen is the 'Gloucester' Battery at Blyth, still has the generator house, etc etc. I'm told the battery was there as the Germans didn't follow the Tyne up to bomb Newcastle but generally went in up the coast and followed the river out. Hence the battery where it was needed - before the bombs were dropped. Dont know if this is just a local folktale though.

Found another one of these, courtesy of Google Earth. Not so close to home though, this time near to what is now Leeds Bradford airport. Again probably well know to those in the locality; but I am surprised to see it doesn't appear on the DoB database, unless i am looking in the wrong section. This one looks much 'cleaner' than my local one, shall have to take a nosey round when I am in the area next.

Yes, I too have to give a big thumbs up to Leger Holidays. No hesitation in recommending them. Can't compare them with anyone else as no experience of other companies. Very professional and on the trip I went on the guide/leader was very clued up and told a host of stuff to do with localities you would not know unless you were extremely well read. By the nature of an organised tour it always is a compromise but I didnt come back feeling in any way let down

I know of most of the "stop line" defences in the area, this is in the middle of nowhere, right on surrey/berks border in the centre of a former military training ground

Fair enough, given the training ground context I reckon you are probably spot on then in your interpretation. With reference to the second site do you think it is likely they were linked in any way from a training operational point of view? Are they that close? Do you know if the site has the same 'recognised' status as Hankley or are there any plans to try and gain it in order to protect it? Good of you to post the info - always interesting to pick up on these things in other areas.

Without checking the database records and I have to confess as to not knowing the area so will accept I could be wrong: but looking at the info on the linked posting it does seem to suggest it may be part of a 'stop line'. I do know there are other anti-tank ditches listed in Surrey but dont know their location in relation to these. They are in good nick though!

So following the time line ; on formation of the groups etc for 2TAF and their nominated sqns etc becoming tactical, vehicles were coming off the production line in SCC 2 ( you are no doubt aware it officially didn't have a name- but was a dark brown not too dissimilar to OD and is commonly but incorrectly called Dark Earth-yet is very different from the Dark Earth on RAF aircraft).

The ACI/AMO promulgating the intro of OD was not until April 1944 with the paint being avalible on a "repaint only as necesary allocation" from May. So it is highly unlikely many of the vehicles allocated in mid 43 would or even could, have been repainted into OD by D Day. ACI 553 prohibited units whose vehicles were SCC2 from drawing OD paint.

 

 

 

Regards TED

Happy to stand corrected on this. My suggestion was based on pics I'd seen and info received from the archives at Hendon. Nothing to beat some original source material though! Thanks for this.