Snapper

Is this an Ambrose book? He was rattling them out towards the end.

Good call. The Big Show by Pierre Closterman is an acknowledged classic. I mentioned this book briefly a while ago in one of my review posts. It has been reprinted in an unabridged format with greater content. The author died on 22.03.2006 aged 85. I was lucky enough to find a first edition for the princely sum of £1 in a book sale at the Pilot Inn, Dungeness. I started reading it over my fish and chips. His descriptions of his plane Le Grand Charles and all his friends is excellent. I hope the revised edition is even better than the original - looking at other forums input it is definitely a favourite.

interesting motor. I used to see a USAAF aircraft maintenance version on the UK circuit - it had lots of spaces for tools and spares. It was always on late 1980s HCVS London-Brighton runs. Anyone know where it went?

Yes this is the 432 based StuG III, as seen at Beltring with the "Jagdpanther" T-62/T-55 until recently. The 432 seems to be ideal for conversions and I remember seeing a website where some Jap tanks were built from them for an Aussie tv series. Quality items. I know of an american serviceman looking to buy a 432 to build a StuG III. Don't know how far he got.

Greetings one and all, I spent the weekend in a nice hotel at Camber instead of taking my Iltis to the MVT bum freezer. On the road out of Rye on the way back yesterday we saw a neat Zil 131 in Northiam and a very smart Reo on the A21 between the Little Chef and the newish roundabout where the road bypasses Lamberhurst. Happy days....

I agree this is WW1 - I'm sure they have one outside the Verdun museum at Fleury. I think the one at the museum is also on more modern tyres. I'll have to check my snaps.

Beats me. Presumably they will be looking to get some of this stuff up and running to give the Iraqi army some punch - maybe the British army could use some to supplement the FV430 Mk 3 Bulldogs!! tumbling into service (I drove past Lydd ranges on Saturday and I only saw desert trim snatch Landies in the compound). No doubt someone would like to get in and buy up a mass of it. We'll have to see what turns up on the circuit. I am sure I recall that the coalition did not allow any MVs to be brought home as trophies in 2003 - someone will know otherwise.

This confirms my response! The German stuff is always very well made. I presume the older grey uniforms are still easy to find. The steel helmets are easy enough to find, of course. I got mine for £5 several Beltrings ago. Bundeswehr stuff always seems/seemed to be cheap - but I bet now you want it, it will have shot up in price.

My son got a Spitfire keyring from his girlfriend. But no scotch from her mother. He is 14. Not that that makes any difference these days. He discovered alcopops over the New Year. Not impressed. It was cider in my day.

Snapper is a commonly used press name for photographers. Mark B

Indeed. They had a nice imports business going with Colonel Gadaffi didn't they!

I'm sure Lee has a tale to tell of his Fox and a dozy woman driving a small car on the way to Beltring last year.

Part timer???? I bet you like your sunday paper.....without scum like me you'd never know who's zooming who in the Big Brother pigpen or singing for their supper on the BBC. I think I'll have to shoot myself.

bit worried when I saw this, because I live in Cotswold Road. You could probably all swing round in the synagogue car park, and there is a decent chippy round the corner. I can always lay on a brew. Parking is a nightmare though.

Nice burger van. Will Mr T be doing hot dogs as well next time????? As for the Mill walk - would love to come and can probably bring some extra bodies who wanted to come on the subterranean tours but none of us could escape the clutches of senior management.

Fun times for me yesterday taking my Iltis out for a run to pick the kids up from school. They love the old rust heap and it baffles their friends (mostly). Anyways - there I was cruising at comfy speed - about 28 mph - through Leigh On Sea when a crazy woman driving a Morris 1100 pulled out without looking. I braked carefully. With the Iltis you know what it does when you slam the anchors on....what it blimmin' well likes...and there we were on collision course. She had her eyes shut and a hand on her head, waiting for the worst when with stunning driving skills I managed to sort of steer/glide/doughnut round her and carried on my sweet way. A small crowd stood in a kind of awe. True!! It could have been one to explain to the insurance company and would have made for some interesting snaps. I've already written off a Fiesta with the thing - a kid reversed into me in a McDonalds car park. He had no insurance. I had not a scratch....I am sure my luck will run out somewhere, but given that an oil seal blew on the gear box driving it home from Derbyshire in 2003, I've been getting positive payback. Don't you just love this way of life??

Drat. Missing out again this year - taking the mrs away to a hotel at the seaside. Where do we live? yep, you guessed it...at the seaside. Swapping Essex for East Sussex. Roll on Kelvedon Hatch - but no rain dancing this time please Lee.

Having to miss out again thanks to work commitments......sorry chaps.

I would assume your vehicle is Luftwaffe. I believe they wore similar stuff for day to day as the Bundeswehr but with the obvious differences for badges and headgear. The moleskins stuff is always good for the winter. I don't know when the flektarn stuff came in - but would assume mid to late eighties. There are some real West German military experts out there - I know of a great bloke who used to do Bund re-enactments with an Iltis and a T2 van plus a VW beetle and assorted two wheeled stuff. His era was the pre-flektarn time methinks. What about Vehicle reg - is yours a Y series like my Iltis?? I presume so because this is the standard military letter I tried to get some made last year - but the Germans changed the law on this and made it impossible to get some proper pressed steel/tin versions..so it's make your own time. I don't know enough - about the vehicles or kit for this time (My Iltis was built in 1979 and was in service until 1996) having enough trouble trying to translate my way on to the German MV forums pinged to us by DCLI. Always happy to share info. I do have a link to a German site detailing formation signs - not sure if it does Luftwaffe too, will check and ping on if useful. My heap came from 280 Panzer Brigade at Castle Martin - which collates to a sausage in a box with a diagonal line through it. Clever people those Germans....

Thanks Lee. Interesting times ahead. I wonder how much of a police presence we will see at shows this year? I own an airsoft G3, an Uzi and several broken pistols. My lad James has a few of what I would call "toy" replicas, too; including one of those neat plastic MP40s that did the rounds a year or so back. My wife has been vociferously anti-gun all the time I've known her. Her dad is a retired policeman from the "Blue Lamp"/"Dixon of Dock Green" era and it is safe to assume his attitude to them influences her greatly (christmas and birthday I ALWAYS ask for a Bren gun). He once attended the scene of a shooting where a teenage girl had blown the top of her head off with a Colt .45 while playing with it. She was at a party in a house belonging to a war service special copper who had failed to hand back in his gun. The irony of it all. There are many other stories to tell. Of course, the argument cherished by the law abiding majority will always be beaten by the actions of a minority aided and abetted by the media. What we can all be sure of is the newshounds will be out to demonise and the unsuspecting inbetween news from the Big Brother house and the Celebrity Jungle. So, whatever you do, stay sharp. Meanwhile I still want to own a classic WW1 SMLE. Can you all please start petitioning my Mrs.......

This quote interested me enough to seek out more info and according to the website http://www.britains-smallwars.com it comes from the playwright Ben Hecht (never heard of him - in my ignorance). Maybe it was then paraphrased by a movie mogul in the press or whatever. Whatever the rights and wrongs, this conflict was a prime example of how Britain always loses the propaganda war to American funded organisations. We've all seen how that works in our modern era.

Welcome aboard. I hope you get a lot out of HMVF. Jack will post your introductory gift in due course...it's his famous guide book to moth photography.

Where did you snap these Jack?????? I won't be back in Normandy for a while - but I like to see pix like these. MB

Same here, John. You'll be swimming in beer with such a kind offer. Shame you can't make your MVs run on it. cheers MB

I was being obtuse. I will be spending NYE in a house in Rochford, Essex. They will be serving Guinness and my wife Claire has made the desserts. The only problem is the John in question may make us listen to Nazareth of something scary before he gets down and boogies - and he doesn't like Kylie. And leave your Steve Hillage albums at home, guys. By 1am I expect to be lost somewhere in 2007. I can get messy. Happy birthday Sue. Behave yourself. We all know what happened last time.....