Snapper

Hi there, news has come in that David Wood, the last surviving officer from the party of Oxs and Bucks who captured Pegasus Bridge has died, aged 85. God Bless Him.

Good stuff :yay: MB

Don't even go there.... M :-D

Welcome to the Friendly Forum. This is the best place to be .... MB

I think we're all going mad. :coffee: Interesting stuff, Bjorn. I'm not jealous of the snow, though. M

Fantastic info. Cheers, Ted and everyone else. I like this stuff. More please.

This archive exposed by Peter Barton is fascinating. He has long been in demand at WFA talks and I've managed to miss him twice at Southend. I'm sure I was told by another Great War nut that our own CWGC hold map references and details for all graves found on the Western Front and that they kept this quiet because of the fuss it would inevitably cause. The best case in point being Jack Kipling. He was 'identified' in what some think was spurious circumstances. I don't know, I am no expert. What these records might do is show up errors. There are groups of highly motivated researchers looking at many of them to get names added to The Register and highlight errors. Our very own Grimmer may care to comment soon. A case in point is the fabled John Condon "age 14" buried in Poelcapelle, who history records as the youngest combattant to die. According to the Census taken in Wexford during 1911 he was eighteen and it is possible the man in his grave is another poor soul altogether. But these things become solidly fact. If Barton's research leads to people being identified that is wonderful, but I am not surprised the British kept this sort of info "quiet" because there would surely have been thousands or tens of thousands of anxious and often ultimately disappointed relatives all wanting to get their man identified. It was an additional cruelty someone decided to let slip. The poignancy of the unknown soldiers is so powerful; for them to become something of a circus would greatly trouble me.

It's a moot point, but if the system of a rolling date change for tax exempt vehicles had continued, 1978 would be well inside the requirement by now. This is not a way of starting anything political against the current HMG - so please don't bite :-D - just me making an observation. M

Hey, you'll find a compatriot of yours on here with very similar snaps of his Dodge. Great stuff. Looks like fun.....I think! MB

Blimey not another one in Kendal. Welcome to the Friendly Forum. I would normally make some positive comment about your ex-mil vehicle. But I think I'll leave that to others if at all possible. My neighbour had one for a while....poor lamb. MB

He's in Oz at the moment....but I will definitely chase him up. I want to go on one of his Gallipoli tours. M

Here is an artists impression of the Stairway to Heaven monument at Bethnal Green.

A former colleague of mine is involved in the campaign to build a proper memorial to the people at Bethnal Green. He grandmother and mother were involved in the tragedy though her mother survived. A child they were caring for did not. I keep promising Sandra I will post up more about the campaign here and haven't done it due to so much else on my plate. The fund has just been awarded £100,000 by the local authority, who it must be presumed are mindful of a debt owed as demographics change the area forever. There was a terrible disaster of a similar nature at Stoke Newington in North London where close on 200 people died when a shelter was hit and the gas and water mains fractured. My mother had been turned away from the shelter, which was full, just before it happened. I am working on an interview with a historian who gives Blitz walks around the City of London and fringes of. Perhaps we can get a team up to go on one? MB

Cheers Dave. Not far from Westcliff to Colchester. Maybe when I retire! (some time yet...:coffee:)

Cheers Dave. Not far from Westcliff to Colchester. Maybe when I retire! (some time yet...:coffee:)

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

I feel I was either misinformed or misunderstood when I bought the old lass. Because I was under the impression that it was a set amount of mileage I could do per annum - sorry to be vague - the old thing was rarely outside the city walls of Westcliff. I certainly never had any red diesel and never got any problems because I assumed I was acting within the law. No one ever so much as looked at her road fund licensing situation. M

Ta! Good call. I like education. MB

Stay calm mes braves. Yep that is a superior looking restoration. Have fun in Poland and please keep us up to date with the project. More snaps most welcome. MB :-D

correct. a two or three man thing with a Vickers. They took them to France in 39.

Like the man says...post some snaps. Thanks for the intro. MB

Welcome to the Friendly Forum,Bjorn (I'll work on the accented 'o' when I can find how to change it without cutting and pasting). Please post up some snaps of your two vehicles. We like to see this stuff. A good bunch of HMVFers are off to Normandy, so hopefully someone will be along with plans for a convoy. Have fun MB

Great stuff Jim. You seem to have done loads since I was with you. No time for all those biscuits, then? MB

This snap has been delayed by a month due to a variety of reasons. These were on the M25 between the M40 and the M1. I like Pinzgauers and haven't seen many of the more modern three axle models.

I'm catching up with snaps I'd like to have posted a few weeks ago. This is the fine Great War Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill taken on the day after the infamous snow that brought the hub of the Empire to a standstill.