Snapper

This a genuine recovery of a T34/76 from somewhere in eastern europe. The thing has been touted round quite a bit and I managed to stop The Sun publishing it as a Tiger tank discovery last year. I think the film is two to three years old and could be from Russia, the Czech Rep or Slovakia. A brain will know. I get the impression the film is either just repeated or re-edited. It is a great story. The Germans did use T34s when they had to, especially in the latter stages in places like Yugoslavia. The Germans would never ignore useful kit. MB

Brilliant thread. Alien, hurry up with that book. MB

Definitely go. MB

This isn't the Montgomery document which is owned by the IWM if memory serves - that document was for German army and naval forces in northern Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia and was signed by Colonel-General Kinzl and his staff at Luneberg Heath, . The document shown is the formal surrender document of all German forces in the west from Rheims on May 7th - It is signed by Jodl and Walter Bedell-Smith.

Sounds amazing. Hopefully we'll have met up before then to do your photoshoot, Paul. Just recovering from my torn knee ligament christmas present at the moment - but should be fit (it isn't stopping me from spending a day on the western front tomorrow). If you can organise the W&P thing then it should really compliment the Rolling Thunder boys and put PW in proper focus. I'm looking forward to it already and have a fifteen year old who would love to learn from you and your mates. He is heavily in to the period and the kit. Mark B

Are they ever? I don't suppose I'll be happy with the film of my book. All I have to do is write the blighter and get the cheque off Dreamworks. Easy.

Good points from all. I still see a lot of merit in what Clive originally suggested inasmuch as I think I can see the dynamic behind it. (I'm still stunned to actually see Clive on here posting, because it must have taken him ages to find a word processor that runs on Calor Gas. The last time I heard his voice was requesting a tune on the Chris Evans Radio 2 show. ) I think things should stay as they are and that the people who are offended/concerned/bemused/bothered by criticism on this forum should join and enjoy the right of reply. There are so many people out there whose experience and wisdom would be a boon on this forum if they took the opportunity. I think the problem might be that some people, and let's hypothercise and say they are on committees of established clubs, might construe criticism from an individual using the forum as having come from HMVF itself, thus meaning Mr Beckett. Let's not beat about the bush, he has had a few forthright debates with individuals acting on their own behalf or representing groups. What everyone needs to do is fully understand that there are no stalking horses on this forum. It's not like PMQs where a friendly MP gets up to ask the PM where he bought his tie. I don't allow that sort of behaviour and to be frank - don't see it here. Good. I am totally against any form of exclusive aggressive criticism by people against organisations they are members of. They should go to the AGM or use that group's forum - in whichever form it takes to make their comments. People making criticisms of groups who are NOT members, are wasting their breath. You have to be in it to win it -. I don't think it's really fair to criticise exclusively from the outside It's easy, occasionally cheap and in OUR CASE can only bring disapproval towards the forum, the gang and to Jack with all kinds of consequences. I've only met Jack once. We drank beer. He lied about his age, bored me to tears talking about his Man's Truck. Then he ran out of gas. But as Markheliops, Kewelde and others have said, we have all become mates here. It's a quality place to be. So, like Clive Elliott, or FV165859 or whatever he is, I have waffled. I like and respect Clive D Stevens, classy event organiser of this parish; and I see his point. As a compromise, perhaps if we are going to get down and dirty we should sign our names. When we are talking the usual bollo' we can stay anon. OK? Mark Barnes.

One year my late aunt Jean gave my wife a roll of J-cloths so she would "have something to open". One year the woman who is my mother gave me a box set of Bing Crosby cds. Not because I like Bing, but because.....I had a cd player. They turned out to be fakes with a soundalike doing the b-b-booms. The same woman gave my wife a microwave oven cook book. Guess what we didn't own at the time? She followed it up with a cheap shopping channel sewing machine which appeared to be made from old Frog model parts. Guess who has never done sewing (save the odd button or name tag?). I could go on. But this Christmas I got the new Bruce Springsteen album from the James - a film from Emily; The Somme Then and Now and The Dams Raid Through the Lense from my bro and sisses in law and the stunning "Remembered" a photo history of the CWGC from my wife plus some clobber. No socks. Today I got a twisted knee - pushing my son out of the way of a speeding Golf GTprat in Westcliff On Sea. It was less heroic than shambolic. I was then accosted by a tramp who wanted a fight. Then I had to drive here to London to do the nightshift. I'm walking backwards for Christmas. Rosemary and RCubed got drunk. Picture the moment.

Nice to have you here Bernd. Welcome to the mad house. Forum rules dictate that new members have to take their turn doing cleaning duty in the clubhouse. However, the upside there are always plenty of tea and biscuits to go round and your love of Zundapps and Krads will be happily accommodated.

10.4 good buddy

The woman was killed by a sniper firing an air gun. That bit of road is notorious for it and sadly HM Plod know who the culprits are but can do flip all about it due to reasons of ....no, I'll have to stop or I'll be breaking forum rules. Fill the blanks in.

If you knew my real name I'd have to bill you. I can see ample merit in both arguments. But I do wonder where the criticism is coming from because it doesn't take much to work out who's zooming who; and if it is a "management' dig then even moreso. . I only have a user name because I thought it made sense to. I will add a plea for 2008 - I would like to see less politics (though to be fair, I don't think there is that much on HMVF anyway - but the written electronic word always seems open to wider interpretation than the inky kind and this is where problems and misunderstandings arise - so perhaps I am asking for zero politics - which I know is impossible. Just keep up the commitment and the passion for what we all appear to love a great deal and things will be fine. Genuine concerns and fears need an outlet for discussion. What some people appear to forget is, that this forum is .... a forum, it's the same as your local MV club branch clubhouse, but where what you say lingers on the ether in a wholly more permanent way than your comments over a pint and a packet of pork scratchings. We all need to remember this. The point being what you say in all sincerity over your pint stays in a smaller location than the mega monster that is the tinterweb. So many people are just lining up to be offended/amused/bemused/shot down in flames and once you've typed it...badabingbadaboom. Here endeth the lesson. Happy New Year on the lot of you. Mark B

It was another pooey day trying to get in the Limehouse Link

It doesn't look far removed from the pattern Airfix models of SAAB Viggens and Drakens had. I remember snapping a Viggen at Farnborough in 1983.

I'd love to do some proper battlefield archaeology and have had a glimpse of the real deal recently, but I doubt I'll ever get to play. I've done a bit of fieldwalking on the Somme, but I only snap what I find, because it's usually only the lethal stuff I bump into. Loads of grenades, stokes mortarts and even a toffee apple mortar on my last trip. My son James even managed to stand on a French hand grenade. I admit I''d like to find something safe to bring home, we've brought back the odd shell case and entrenching tool head - but I would be shocked to find personal items and wouldn't be happy bringing them home. Tony B hits the correct note for me. I have nothing but contempt for grave robbers. But they don't care what the likes of me think - profit rules. MB

We've got some aviation wreck experts on the forum who can add something on the point about UK numbers, I suspect.

I'm more concerned that the cammo looks like it was applied with felt tip pens; but what a fantastic posts from Marty and Goran. This is what we want on the forum - something really different. I'd love to see one of these motors. They look totally mad. Quality.

Yep no more mega late nights building Playmobil forts and suchlike - we were up til two one year building a pirate ship for my nephew. He spends his time in the battle cruiser these days. We still do stockings in our house and put out a minced pie and sherry for FC. I get the pie and father-in-law slums it with the sherry. For years now I've been telling them FC drinks Guinness, but they don't believe me. Joris may have other ideas. Advocaat probably - he looks like a snowball drinker to me.

Xmas Eve day shift. Boxing Day night shift. 27th Day shift, 28th day shift. 29th - on the Lys battlefield touring. 30th in London with the ankle biters. 31/1st off my face. 2nd - reality. Have fun.

Smithers finally found a way to break up a family sized bar of Cadbury's.

Interesting. They did make the tactical change from hitting airfields to bombing cities, which is attributed to the victory because the change seriously improved Dowding's options. But you are entirely correct that in terms of attrition they could have gone on and on. However, we also know the whole point of the battle was to prepare for an invasion for which they were wholly unprepared in real terms, how they were supposed to land from barges in places like Rye bay is a bit of a mystery. And of course, der Fuhrer's eyes had fatally turned to the East.

They're on a winner. It's a great book. They've started getting interested in military subjects and now have an commissioning editor it - good.

The bomber offensive is something of a dirty word thanks to revisionists and political elements in this country with an axe to grind. When they put up a statue to Sir Arthur Harris - C in C of Bomber Command, but not the architect of 'area bombing' (not carpet bombing as described by some detractors) outside the RAF church in London some illigitimate types threw paint over it. Tossers. They choose to ignore that those men were lions. Fancy doing that trip to Germany three, four or sometimes five nights a week. It doesn't bear thinking about. There are lots of good books, and although the Dambusters thing is something of a sacred cow within the whole subject, I am really looking forward to the Jackson remake of the classic movie, dodgy dogs name or otherwise. I met an air gunner by chance in my local supermarket a couple of years ago. He'd done 20 odd trips when he was a teenager. He was a frail little fella - a real gentle looking bloke and his mrs was really pretty even in her old age, and there was a dignity about him you could cut with a knife. I thanked him and he was taken aback.

This is really interesting Mr CCKW sir. There must be a huge number of crash sites in the USA. I expect they were very efficient with the scrap.

The Renaults went to the USA. No idea what happened to the armoured cars. First time I've seen that snap. What a find. More AECs please children