Snapper

Welcome to the Friendly Forum, Rich. Sounds like a Q4. Lots of kit to go with them. Good hunting! MB

I have been too sidetracked to enter this debate until now. So I'll jump in here with some points. First the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kabir (Oran). A tragedy. I recommend The Deadly Stroke by Warren Tute published in 1973. A very good read. The author tells us in his final chapter... "For me it is certainly true that all civilised men have two countries and one of them is France". I don't really want to take him out of context, but this is true for me. I love France and like the French. I admire so much about the country and understand some of the national pain suffered down the years from the two world wars and their bloody retreat from empire. I think the French have dealt a little better with the end of empire than us. They know who they are. They do things to suit themselves. BUT... I also love France because so much of my country and our Commonwealth remains in it. Whatever the personal circumstances of the men, our army that remains are there because of a huge act of faith they gave in two world wars. France can never be allowed to forget this and I don't believe she ever will because it is blindingly obvious that whatever feelings our two countries bandy about at odd times, the bond created by this sacrifice is unbreakable. The failure to invite the head of state, regardless of any personal feelings you have towards the monarchy; was a slur. But we have to learn how much of this was a cock up between Whitehall and the Quai D'Orsay. I suspect it was incompetence rather than a deliberate slight. But it was totally unsatisfactory. A sign of the times... Any commemoration, first and foremost, should be for the dead and the veterans; not the politicians or the princes. I think that the rainy bash at Arromanches showed our peculiar British way of doing things. Unfussy - it could have been Priory Park in Southend...but it was Arromanches. The location was totally apt, a heritage site for all of us. But the veterans... they were essential. They always will be. MB

I have enjoyed this. The comments I usally got with the Iltis began with "Oh dear..." but I loved her. The MUTT is another matter. So far the comments I've had have led to good mates lifting up the bonnet and finding the fault which could sink me (on going). I can't wait for what the counters say should I ever get her in some sort of formal markings situation. Don't hold your breaths. Driving her is my passion..cleaning the Somme mud off, less so. I did think of giving my MUTT a name painted on the windscreen and my current choice remains ASKARI because I admire the african colonial troops of both world wars...of all sides. How many people will object to that? Answsers on a postcard... I couldn't consider myself an expert in anything - there is also something new to learn - whatever the field. Eg, I've just learned that one of my work colleagues is the grandson of a wartime snapper for the NY Times. So thanks to him I've now learned how the London Bureau arranged their snapper ID codes and the names of other staff. Priceless. I will spend the rest of my career learning this stuff. It is a pleasure. CW - if your snot's gone black you've got Swineflu - either that or a smokey chimney. If it's brown, you need to take your sunglasses off before looking at it. Nick - seeing you MM was a joy...but so was your video of driving in the snow. No contest! MB

Welcome to the Friendly Forum. Good to have you here. Mark

Welcome to the Friendly Forum. This is the place to find the assistance you need. It never ceases to amaze me what some of these blokes know about military stuff and mechanics. All the best, Mark

I have been to neither. So will not comment on quality. I think it is always a shame when events "clash" but the organisers have only the one calendar to work with. I have to say I'd always pick an event with Rolling Thunder on the menu; but I am a tad biassed. I think it is vitally important we have variety and choice in where we go and should support all the people organising these things. They deserve credit. But the fact is the calendar rules. My employer has a habit of filling mine up and there are other things to do, so I don't get to many shows. Keep those opinions coming please. MB

Welcome to the Friendly Forum, Tom. Enjoy your stay. By all means post some snaps of your work. We all appreciate a dip into military models. Mark

I am an active supporter of H4H. Good call, Dave. I'll speak to you about it later on. Right now we have just finished the preview ed, so we have to see what the future brings. MB

Good question Mayhem, What is that truck? I'm reaching for my Bart's Bible. MB

Welcome aboard, Oily. This is the Friendly Forum. We have a lot going on at the moment and it's great to have another Saracen owner here to join the other chaps. Let's see some snaps of your pride and joy. MB

I apologise if I started a panic/ripple/guffaw here. I was preparing for my trip to the Somme - NOT Normandy - when I got a chance email from a photographer friend which had come to him via several IMPS and other highly experienced MV people who clearly had been taken aback by the regulation which they were attempting to deal with. So, when I contacted the Export Control Organisation - A British Government Agency no less - the chap I spoke to yesterday confirmed that to take any MV of any age out of the UK for even a visit to an EU country, requried a Temporary Export Licence which takes twenty days to issue. He laughed when I said I needed one in time for me to travel today. But I can tell you that I am now here in Longueval and the Customs/Whatever at Chunnel Folkestone did not bat an eyelid. In fact the biggest problem we had was a leaky transmission on the GMC van towing the MUTT. So I have to take the impression that this regulation does exist but how and whether it is enforced is a moot point. We were sure it could only apply to current use equipment, not anything classic. But matey boy at the ECO, who claimed to be a military Landy owner, insisted there was no age limit and laughed like Alan bloody Partridge when I explained my case. I hope this is is the last of this. Obviously the issue is wholly separate from what the French are doing nationally and locally in Normandy to manage the influx of MVs. We saw a big convoy of half-tracks and stuff in the services on the A1 just after you turn off the A26 at Arras. Good luck to everyone going to Normandy. Maybe you can sneak our dear Queen Elizabeth in to one of your motors to defy Sarkozy - the ignorant tw4t. Mark Longueval on the Somme battlefield.

Too late for me. The MUTT is on the trailer. I just find it all incredible. I'll let you know how we get on. M

Agreed. We've applied. But the help guy I spoke to, who claimed to be a exMil Landy owner said it was the rules. He said I would not be able to take my vehicle and actually laughed. But this seems to fly in the face of experience of others. This is all out of the blue. It can't be that a whole throng of MV people would not have heard of this regulation if it were publicised and enforced properly. One friend I spoke to suspected it would only apply to armour. Who knows? This could all be a storm in a silly tea-cup. But I don't think the well respected group of people who sent the warning would be so shallow for one minute, nor that with their considerable experience that they would not have heard of this if it were in place. It's just too odd for words. Done up like a kipper. MB

Good man, I've been in touch with TootallMike about this and he would appear to be unaware of this UK legislation and had run MVs to Bethune in March. I spoke to ECO this morning. Applications for a licence take.....twenty days. I hope the sender does not mind me repeating part of their email. It is for a good cause: To start you will need to register as a user of the system and apply for a Licence. Go to https://www.spire.berr.gov.uk/ . Click on New Account Registration and create your account. SPIRE will send you a password (which you can subsequently change) by email. Once into your newly created account on the far left hand side in the blue margin click ‘New Application’ (third one down). This will take you to the ‘Type of Application’ page. What you want is a ‘Standard Individual Export Licence’ (SIEL) (second one down) and you want the Temporary Export option, then click on Start Application to the right of the SIEL option. There follows about ten pages of options and details to complete. Under ‘Other Details’ on the proposed licensee and contact pages we put ‘Commemoration tour to Normandy leaving ... returning to the UK on ... On the ‘Export Goods List’ page – this is where you’ll need to list one or more of the vehicles you are proposing to take to Normandy. We believe you can add as many as you wish but we were only registering two. Under description we gave a basic description of the vehicle, i.e. Dodge Command Car, followed by “No weapons or armourments included”. Part Number – you can put either the vehicle registration number or the chassis number. Under Relevant Control Entry you need to enter “ML6” – (this is the relevant category that refers to military vehicles in the 226 page list). Under Goods Quantity Measure give the ‘each’ option followed by Goods Quantity 1. Keep values low. Don’t include £ signs or commas (we did and it kept throwing this up as an error). Under Nature of Goods against 1) we checked ‘All’ and against 2) to 7) we checked ‘None’. The rest of the form is pretty self-explanatory but be careful when you get to the page that refers to ‘End User’ and ‘Consignee’ (which is you) – make sure you check BOTH options and re-enter your own details if you need to. Ok, the horse has pretty much bolted from the stable....as said I called them this morning and the man from ECO insisted my MUTT is built for military purpose and requires a temporary export licence..It looks like this is stop the kind of armageddon being arranged by Kim Jong-il as we speak. Oh the irony. So now you have this, it is all up to you. This is nothing to do with local Normandy laws. This is entirely home grown in the sunny UK. M

Much of their activity has essentially been with taking appropriate vehicles to Normandy. I am only going for a few days in France around the Somme with a different period vehicle altogether. But, according to the relevant government website, mvs of any period are covered. It looks like new(ish) legislation. Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree altogether. I need to speak fast with anyone who has taken an MV to the continent since Feb to see if they have needed a licence. I don't want to arrive in Folkestone only to be turned back. MB

Hello all, Have any of you seen anything about the requirement to apply for an export licence to take your MV on the continent? This is even for just a holiday with you bringing it back? I had an email today concerning Normandy trips - but I am off to France in my MUTT on Wednesday for a few days on the Somme as a birthday present. I've made the application which concerns ground vehicles of any age if they were designed or modified for military purposes. I'm calling the government dept for guidance tomorrow. Anyone got anything else to add?? MB

Back in and running sweetly. Batteries behaving. The regulator is cooked, but everything else is sorted. New bearings and the thing re-bored. Cost me £140.00 which I think is fair. I've got a full breakdown diagram of how it goes together and a parts replacement list for the unit, should anyone need help. The thing goes on most AMG, Ford, Kaiser Jeep types by the look of it. Plus Caterpillar vehicles and ....some military aircraft. Fascinating. Happy days. I am knackered....must be an age thing. Be Brave...Go by Mutt!

:shake::rofl::whistle: just about covers it!

Happy Birthday Dave!

Just been to look at the alternator in bits in a workshop. It was chock full of compacted sand. The dry bearing is in average state, so the barings are being changed. The brushes are fine. It also needs re-boring to get it to align properly. The insulation is caked in desert coloured mud. The only problem is the regulator -which is cooked - so I need a new one.But the chap reparing it says I won't have trouble finding one. It explains the intermitent charging problem which obviously evaded Mike and which has hardly shown itself this week. The MUTT has started sweetly every day I've tested it. What an education. Getting it out was an absolute bast4rd. Getting it back in again will be humorous... Off to France Wednesday to cruise the Somme battlefields with family and friends for a few days. The cat-sitter better keep out of my drinks cabinet. Can't wait for Beltring. Thanks for saving us a spot. We will bring biscuits and beer. Got more snaps for you and Mike to laugh at. M

I trust you were listening to the Beatles classic EVERYONE'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY MONKEY

I've been spoiled rotten. Thanks for all the good wishes.. M

Cheers my friends. I don't actually need the Viagra...and as I already rattle from brain balancing drugs; I can never take them. Roll on eBay! The alternator came out after one hell of a struggle. Bloody bolts in impossible places. But she has to get fixed this weekend cos I'm supposed to be driving her round the Somme next week. Magical....we hope! Party on my brothers.. M

welcome to the Friendly Forum, Parksy. That's an interesting motor you have there. Have fun in Normandy. MB

It's hard to believe I am yer actual fifty. I often feel more like twelve. I've been a tad quiet on the forum of late working like an illegitimate one at Murdoch Central and on some serious stuff with the hairy git who launched this thread. So I say you to you all - live long and prosper. I just might! I'm delving in to the dark and clattery world of MUTT alternators today. Last night I got absolutely dung-faced in sunny Westcliff with my mates. Falling asleep in the disabled toilet of a restaurant is par for the course. I somehow got home with a pocket full of Viagra tablets and a volume of After The Battle's Market Garden books....with friends like these...they always go from the sublime to the ridiculous (on our last battlefield tour some of them turned up dressed as nuns). My Mrs thought the Viagra tablets were a hilarious joke. What intrigues me is which one of my mates actually got the things in the first place. Keeping your big end up is the order of the day for some people! No names, no pack drill. M