Snapper

Good pix Jack. I've been on a couple of Normandy self-run tours and have taken hundreds of pics. I can recommend the Azeville artillery complex and if you can go to Grainges where some 82AB men relived the Alamo with similar results - God Bless em. The German cemetery pictured has the grave of Michael Whittmann. If you get down near Mont St Michel (look at it from a distance - don't visit the rock in sumer unless you are hardy/bonkers) you will find the German ossuary at Mont des Huisnes - a stunning structure opened in 1963 bringing in German dead from all around the region and the Channel Isles. Normandy is one of those places where you will always find something new and where the battlefield touring bug will bite you hard (if you have a soul). Even in tiny villages like Les Mesnilbus where there is a P47 Thunderbolt monument with a brilliant story. But there is a lot of stuff to find closer to home. Try and get to Esquelbecq and Le Paradis for 1940 British grit. Then look at WW1 - a million stories waiting to be told.

A Flock of Seagulls? I think I've still got one of their albums. Not sure why. I suppose I have to blame it on working for the Melody Maker for eight years (77-86) and acquiring so many bits of vinyl. No, Jack, I haven't got my head round uploading pix yet. I will get round to it when the boss gives me time. She thought I was cool when I was compiling pop charts and getting members of the Police to talk to her on the phone - but she has gone distinctly cool since the MV thing reared it's supposedly ugly head. She would rather I owned a VW T2 camper van. No chance.

Charles Whiting also wrote a good book about Arnhem which I think appeared around the same time as the better known and much more pro-American histriography A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan. One of his best books was about the German Paras which is well worth finding - I still have my late Dad's in my library somewhere. His older books aren't in print at the moment. Whiting is a Yorkshireman based in Germany and one website with a biog of him records he has written 327 books. Which puts my dozen or so articles for CMV well in the shade!!

Thanks a lot Mark...I think!! Blame Jack - anyone who moves house in the dark in a Jimmy must be a bit bonkers.

I saw one at Beltring a few years ago and failed to snap it. I think they look brilliant. I think the Danes scrapped them and/or sold them off to the third world. cheers Snapper (Mark B)

Hello Matt, Ashley and Joris. yes I have got snaps of the compressor truck and the other locations and am more than happy to post stuff on the site or email to you directly. I've been taking pictures "professionally" (the wife will have a laugh at that one - as will Zoomer) for a zillion years - but the art of posting snaps on the site may take me time to learn. all tips gratefully received. Thanks for all your encouragement Snapper (Mark B)

Hello all, Inspired by the snaps of tanks and relics in the Ardennes I thought I'd draw your attention to the little museum in Novion-Porcien called the War & Peace museum. It houses a stunning collection of stuff dating from the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 up to the end ofWW2. Needless to say, the WW2 MVs are of major interest and the collection includes a Brockway bridging unit and a LeRoi compressor truck (on a jimmy) plus one of the big rubber boat pontoons. There is the usual mix of German MT enhanced by a genuine Hanomag 250/D and a superb Hotchkiss six wheeler which may have been rebodied by the Germans as an artillery tractor. There was also a huge sound locator on a similar chassis as an 88mm gun - which was in the same display. But the French stuff was the best - all 1940 vintage MT including a Citroen Kregess half track, a little Renault UE tankette, several motor cycle combinations which I assume were Rhone-Gnome (or whichever way round it goes) and best of all a Laffly field car. Entrance fee was about 11 quid for my family of four. On roads nearby I found some abandoned French bunkers - big casemates with lots of machine gun points and a few WW1 memorials of great interest - including one for a relocated cemetery from battles of 1914 and 1918. We also got down to Verdun for a day. It is stunning there. So much to see and so much to amaze about the sheer scale of sacrifice by the French and Germans. The great ossuary at Douaumont houses the bones of 130,000 men - and you can see them through the windows!! very spooky. The cemetery out front is for 15,000 more Frenchmen. You can climb to the top of the ossuary tower and see for miles. Saddest of all are the destroyed villages marked by rubble and small monuments. We walked round Fleury - and you can feel the ghosts. The landscape is pockmarked with craters. But the French covered the whole battlefield with pines to absorb the poisons in the ground - it is the most melancholy place I have ever been, and I know the Somme and Flanders well enough to compare. I am not a massive Francophile, but I think Verdun has to be seen to truly appreciate the glory of France as much as our own battlefields mean to us. We moved on to Normandy and I finally got to see the Vimoutiers Tiger. Ok, it's not complete, but it is a gem. We also went to the Polish memorial on Mont Ormel. The sound and light show is baffling, but the talk by a local historian was superb - especially when you consider it was in her second language. We happened to be in Alencon on the day they were commemorating the arrival of General Leclerc and the 2nd French armoured div. The French have their funny ways and they can be lousy drivers (but not as bad as some Belgians), but they know how to remember their own and our sacrifice. Go and have a look for yourself.

It is a BTR-40.

The only thing I've let slip is my sanity. I am still trying to work out whether I am the thin one or not. I definitely don't have the short fat hairy legs. Sexy shorts? Have you been on the tomazopan again Zoomer? or is it me? It must be me... Not sure how you'd get in touch with Andy. Could try through the Imps. But all the Landie crews were Andy that evening. Very confusing. Blame it on the kilts.

Get the kettle on. Me and Phil will be there!! cheers, Mark

Zoomer Phil is right about the tea - but he missed the spagbog. We all missed out on donuts, though. My son James is a connoissuer and was disappointed. There will be a next time. My snaps of the Express are missing too. I think we got hundreds between us. Hope you enjoyed being in that landie with Phil, Cara. He is a wonder to watch in action. A few days with him and I've learned how to work my camera properly, but God, does he snore after a few beers (says James - I was worse). The tent is so out of shape we couldn't fit the poles in the bag. The website is something of a dogs breakfast at the moment. My first page is a series of black cats in coal cellars and some pix are credited to me and I never took them. But it is a big improvement on previous years! The GMCs were fantastic... shame about that funny little Bedford MW sneaking in with Jim Fleet at the wheel. Sly old dog.

Sorry Jack, I assumed you'd be there with your GMC. You would have loved the Red Ball Express. 31 lorries on the road with bike and jeep escorts. One other lorry didn't get off site as far as i know. Agree about the signposts and the security thing makes sense - but it all costs money. A minority of people descend on Beltring to thieve stuff and nothing is too big a target. Other crime, like the occasional fights are always going to happen when the fun is diluted with beer - even at £3 a pint. i keep hearing about people getting great bargains in the market, but I always seem to miss them. I suppose it is a good job because I would spend a fortune. I managed an hour of browsing this time round and bought a t-shirt for my daughter. I didn't get any models, ignored the guns (my wife hates them), and didn't buy anything for my Iltis or add to my pile of tin hats. I am disappointed. My wife is relieved. Bikes make sense as a way of getting around. I had to walk back and forth from the arena to an office in the Oast Houses about six times a day and I was knackered by the heat. But they are a pain on footpaths - maybe the place needs cycle lanes. I think it is the scooters and quads that are more hazardous. We saw two girls on a Honda take a nasty tumble one evening. Someone i know described Beltring as being like Glastonbury and she is entirely right. Substitute musicians for MVs and there is not much difference. There will always be something to act as the fly in the ointment, but the overall experience is brilliant. I've been fortunate and have had free entry since I became a professional photojournalist (God, that sounds poncey - but it's the right job description), but I know of a lot of people who do not like the admission charges, but they always come back. I also know people who see the event as their annual holiday. I'm jealous of them - but my family need something a little more more conventional. For me the event is like a kind of benign monster with the occasional sting in the tail. See you all again next year - if they'll have me back!

Hope you all got home safe. I hoped to get round and see a lot more people - but my on site work with "zoomer" was a killer. We were the two press team idiots snapping everyone in Ginger's til half two on Friday (aside from all our other duties). I was bladdered - but most of the snaps are in focus even if I'm not. I worked my backside off this year and was totally absorbed - but I think there were some aspects of the event which were a bit flat. However, seeing four T34s together on Friday and taking part in the Red Ball Express and the Convoy of Steel was fantastic. My son James was thrilled with it all. May I say a massive thank you to the chaps on the Red Ball display in general and to the Club Wagon people for their incredible hospitality and superior catering. It made the event very special. There were a lot more cops on site this year, but the thefts and stuff do not surprise me. I never left my cameras or laptop unattended even though I was camped in the staff area - which is sometimes called Millionaires Row. Idiots driving round the site too quickly and the endless problems with quads, scooters etc seem to be the deal. I would imagine that some youngsters on the bikes will spoil it for the majority one of these days. The BB guns were a bit more controlled. I didn't get shot this year! - shame some may say. The show is definitely safe for several more years and next year - the 25th - will see lots of big events. Whatever you think of aspects of the marshalling etc - the volunteers work bloody hard, having learned a lot more about what they do, I don't think they get enough credit. Thanks for the tip about the showers - I knew I was overdressed as soon as i joined the queue - but being a 47 year old blob precludes me from wanting to display my body in public too often. I don't like scaring children or animals....by the way, if you're the lady who had me travelling the site for a lost Yorkshire Terrier at 02.45am on Saturday - I hear you got it/he/her back...good. Now back to sleep zzzz

Belated note from myself and Zoomer - we are "professional "snappers working at the show for the event organisers this year. They have given us some nice red shirts with "Press Team" written on them. Our job is to do the snaps for the website which are uploaded daily. we are CMV regulars and all our stuff goes to them to be used over the year. Whatever you think of the show it is THE event to get stock pix. There will be two other Press Team guys working hard and a video crew who are real pros out to make a decent product. They are not MV veterans and will appreciate help IDing the motors and important features. Zoomer and I will be happy to snap HMVF vehicles and owners if they would like us to. We don't shove price lists under your nose. We do reasonably well out of the event already and will always email snaps to people who ask. So this is NOT a sales pitch. We just want to take the best snaps we can and meet likeminded people. Look out for us and say hello. We were at the hop farm on Thursday and some interesting AFVs had arrived already. Wishing you all a safe journey.

I'm not so sure some correspondents of this site are overly keen on French antiquities - but the Calvados Dodge was special. Won't see anything like it on our usual show circuit and it was worth it just to get a skinful of cider. As for my equipment - it is shiny, and i know how most of it works. Which is an improvement on the usual state of affairs. Things can only get better. I'll see you in a dust cloud next week. Now get off.

When you've found someone to write it - I'll be first in the queue to read it. Zoomer had a go once - but he was all F Stop and blarney. He's got a lovely camera kit, though.

Hope someone can help me with a lightning quick answer to a basic question: What tyre pressure numbers are painted on the wings of British army series 1 land rovers? I'm at the end of a soon to be revealed build project and need to know so I can get some decals made up. If anyone can help me I'd be very grateful and your contribution will be seen at Beltring all being well. I know bugger all about LRs. ta in advance

You must remember i look like I'm covered in s**t half the time when I'm working. Having been shot in the head with a bb gun by a kid in the crowd at Beltring last year and chased by a huge swarm of wasps the year before, I bare my scars. Shame you and the others found it funny. Worse still, James thought it was bloody hilarious. SWMBO peed herself laughing. As I recall I've got some good snaps of you staggering out of a dust cloud or twelve in recent years. Blame it on the Shermans....but not in a bad way - we want more!!! (please). Good to have you on board. Now get off.

Greetings one and all, I've already made a few comments on other topics, but will introduce myself. I've been floating around the MV scene for a good few years, first as a punter, then as what the trade used to call a photojournalist for CMV - but these days I wouldn't be so snooty and I always assume that one day someone is going to tell me the game is up. I had a go as a Duxford volunteer but proved entirely unreliable and have left the MV wing in peace. I've owned an Iltis since 2003 and occasionally get to drive it. At the moment it/she is showering diesel fuel over the streets of Essex. so it/she sits awaiting some explorations as to why this is happening. Not happy. I get along to a few events each year - but Beltring is my main work period. I cannot afford to miss it. My other passion is battlefield touring. I travel a lot around Flanders and northern France and never fail to be moved by the sacrifice of our forefathers. After this year's W&P I'm off to Verdun - if SWMBO says 'yes'. Don't nick too many pages off me, Jack! Happy days

The biggest pain in the rear is getting the lid and doors off. It looks good in the manual with the two refugees from the Village People doing it - but in real life it takes a small team. I find that the vehicle is most comfortable with the top on and doors off. All the benefit of warm weather without the frying. I would love to make a replica of one of the late Canadian Iltis I've seen pix of that was in Afghanistan - complete with missile launcher and lots of hardware. But as I haven't even got mine in proper Nato green in three years then.... With a 1700 turbo diesel I get a comfy 60mph out of it in a fair wind - the plus side is putting in a tenner of diesel every six months. I like the kit car reference. I'm always asked if it's amphibious - and nobody believes its a VW. Apparently the company wouldn't allow an Audi badge on it. I've always liked Mungas - maybe next time. But I also fancy an M38 or a Mutt or even a Minerva LR or one of the smaller Volvos.Need a lotto win first though!! Meanwhile the Iltis stays and I can window shop at Beltring...again.

I am biased about CMV, I am a regular contributor. There are things I don't like about it - but both CMV and MMI have to be All Things To All Men and do a brilliant job overall, They actually get mixed up by some people, but they do have VERY different styles and scope and cover a lot of ground. MMI does not claim to be for classics only. CMV leans towards them, but there are no fixed borders. I don't think anyone should get bogged down in what period defines a classic. Just enjoy it all. WW2 lasted six years and ended 60 years ago. A lot happened before it and since. But it is THE major period in MV concsiousness. I like post war continental vehicles more than anything at the moment...but moods change. As a mechanical numpty I prefer to look and not meddle with vehicles. There is no MV I would not cross the street to look at. Windscreen is brilliant and I always look forward to it. As a media professional I can assure you this mag takes a lot of work to produce and it is done without the benefit of publishers money and muscle. All power to it.W&T was great - but it became too embroiled in ultra rare vehicles that none of us can see. I never knew Bart V - but he set the standard for all to follow by a long way. But things have to adapt and no magazines can stay the same. When you don't like something tell the editor. Be objective and be positive - you pay for these mags, get what you want from them.

I own an Iltis - I agree with Morris C8 FAT - who knows me and has had a good laugh at mine that "for my sins" is a far assessment. I love my Iltis - it's pig ugly and is a cow to drive when it wants to be. But it is a pure military vehicle and nobody anywhere near where I live has one. Taking it to a VW rally is great fun, they don't know whether to love you or look upon you as horse poo on their shoes. Who cares? Would I buy one again? No. But selling it would be a real heartbreaker. My biggest disappointment is never getting round to restoring it or buying proper kit for it to make it look pretty. Too many other things to do. Sames as it ever was!