ford 369

Protective collar for naval turret gunners

1 motorcycle outrider reporting for duty just need a convoy to escort now who else is up for it? Nigel

Great pictures,it is hard to imagine the size of these things until you see them in the flesh

glad to see the 88 has been restored last time I saw it there was quite a bit of corrosion due to prolonged exposure to the elements both in Guernsey and in its previous location at the strawberry farm in Jersey. Nigel

Excellent link and definitely on the list for my next Normandy tripNigel

No problem it just means you have a valid excuse to return now,did you visit any other bunkers or museums whilst there? Nigel

congrats and keep up the good work

Do you think if he landed today he would still stay? absolutely right about the Bayeux tapestry I relly did not look forward to this part of a recent trip to Normandy but in fact found it very interesting and will definately return at some time,didnt find those restaurants though Nigel

good luck with your project and I trust once this is finished you will have the confidence to tackle a more challenging project

Probably one of the easiest ways to guage this is to ask the spares dealers what sales are like because unfortunately as parts and labour costs keep going up the end value of many vehicles does not keep pace and while this is not a problem for most of us whoare not in it for the money nobody wants to spend 5 years and 10 grand on restoring a GMC when they can go and buy a nice one that is ready to use for four thousand.This is aproblem that has been affecting the classic car scene for quite some time now and it is made worse because many wothy projects have been restored now meaning much of what is left is in need of too much work for the average amateur/home restorer.

does this mean les palot owns 2 WLFs or is the one in the museum also the one that was on a farm

If I remember rightly there is 1 of the force 135 WLFs in the steam museum in Jersey and it used to be in the Jersey motor museum in St Peters Nigel

A box specically designed to make any enemy looking at it wonder what it is for

I simply left him a mobile number ,do you think he will call me? Nigel

to be honest I do not believe there was a lack of British softskins this year simply that they were outnumbered by the ever increasing amount of American vehicles on the scene.Lets face it if you are looking for a ww2 period vehicle and you do not want to be constantly asked if that is "so and so's"old truck you pretty much have to make the choice between a rusty worn out incomplete British vehicle from a scrapyard or back of a barn or a recently released ex American GMC or Dodge or possibly still a jeep which needs paint canvas and re commissioning .This second option certainly seems more attractive to many than several years grinding welding and searching for ellusive parts rather than being able to call on the more numerous US vehicle parts dealers both here and abroad. Obviously this is only my opinion and I could be wrong but either way it is always good to see whatever turns up and if you think Brit trucks are rare compare the amount of Harleys at Beltring to the amount of ww2 British bikes Nigel

As Tony said look at the cios website and if necessary contact them ,they were very helpful when I did.Richard Heaumes museum in Forest is very good as is the La Vallete military museum in St Peterport,fort Hommet is also well worth a look and also battery Dolmen with its fire control tower. there are also many bunkers etc spread around the island many of which are easily accesible although they have been stripped of most fittings they are quite clean inside and have suffered little or no vandalism so are worth seeing if such things interest you. When in St Peterport visit thr Guernsey press shop as they have a good selection of books on the occupation which will make finding things easier. As for scrap yards I cant remember any and to be honest on such a small island with so many collectors I would not get your hopes up for finding any hidden gems Nigel

you sank my battleship

took loads of pics but my camera packed up the day before I returned so need to get it sorted before I can download them Nigel

Just got back from a week in Normandy and visited loads of museums several cemetries and many historic sites but the one that sticks in my mind is Point Du Hoc just for the sheer destruction it seems amazing any body could have survived that Nigel

try the les charrieres country hotel in St Peters they are on the net and often have some good deals including free hire cars etc we have been there several times and always considered it to be good value Nigel

thats not mud its just damp Beltring dust

I aint flying in that foooooool

should have said the oak leaf on the ribbon means mentioned in despatches Nigel