M5Clive

Signed copies are still available from either me or Neil - In the words of the QVC shopping channel, they are now becoming limited stock! Anyone who is interested in purchasing a signed copy, we will give them a HMVF members discount! Some great pictures though Jack. Do you know those buggers who retreaved those artifacts bought 2 copies of the book, but we donated a further 20 copies for them to take to the Stables dedication in Toccoa, USA and they never even offered to show either Neil or myself any of the stuff they recovered. In fact, other than a poor quality b&w picture in Windscreen, thats the first good pictures i've seen of any of it :-o I know that both Neil and (I have somewhere) a good photograph of Robert Impink stood outside the stable block. We used the picture of him on furlough in Edinburgh in the book. Will try and find it and post it up here. Cds

Below are some excellent pictures of Don Brooks B-17 G Liberty Belle, as captured through the excellent lense of HMVF member Simon Morris, at the Thunder Over Michigan event in August 2005. The web-site to tell you more about Don's ambitious plans and the aircraft history can be found at - http://www.libertyfoundation.org The thought of that magnificent aircraft thundering over Framlingham (Parham) airfield in Suffolk in the not too distant future is just awesome! Don is now working on a second B-17 restoration project which he is returning to flying status, which I understand is going to be restored as a B-17 F in olive drab. Enjoy the pictures. Liberty Belle roars overhead http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/IMG_7740_11-1.jpg[/img] The Belle on the Ramp at Willow Run, Michigan. B-17 G Nine-O-Nine in the back ground. http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/IMG_7528_21.jpg[/img] Joing up with other Eighth Air Force friends http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/IMG_7778_11.jpg[/img] What a sight - 3 Third Air Division and 2 First Air Division B-17's in formation. http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/Group20of20Five1.jpg[/img]

I remember seeing the B-17 fly at the Debach open weekend a few years ago from memory along with the B-24. He damaged a prop on landing the B-24 - I have it on video, but no serious damage. A quick replacement and it was away up again. Guess its pretty unlikely that we are now ever going to see a real B-24 over the Control Tower at Debach, but then you can never say never. It is looking quite hopeful that Don Brooks is going to bring B-17 Liberty Bell over to the UK next year and wants to buzz Parham - Framlingham, where his father flew from. Now wouldn't that be worth seeing! cds

Clive isn't blaming his wife for it - He is blaming his brother! Reason being, I spend ages designing an entry form and then e-mail it to Neil for inclusion on the web-site. Neil says, I can't open in on my Mac, why did you use Microsift Publisher to design it? Clive replies, because you gave it to me for Christmas!!! WC's are welcome as are a few Jeeps, but I'm keen not to turn this into a Jeepfest, so Jeep numbers are limited. Cds

10 years ago then and its disheartening to realise how much more of the old base has been eroded away by commercial development since that time :cry: I keep meaning to nip down the old peri-track remains between the A-140 and the main runway and do a comparision photograph with the colour picture in the Mighty Eighth in Colour showing the B-17's on the hardstandings with the open cab GMC LWB. If I don't pull my finger out and get and do it - it will be too late. I took some excellent pictures of the airfield in 2003 from a flight with Adrian Barrell in his Citabria - Only trouble is they are on 35mm Kodakrome slides, otherwise I would post them on here to show the comparison between 1997 and 2003. Even more concrete has been removed since then though. Its such a shame that just one of the arfields couldn't have been saved in 'as-was' condition. As Paul Marriott mentioned to me this evening over the course of dinner, "If Bernard Matthews doesn't recover from this Bird Flu outbreak, their might be a WWII USAAF airfields going cheap in North Suffolk :-o :-o" Cds

Interesting pics Steve - I can actually see our house on the aerial photo's of Eye, but when were they taken? Several years ago I would imagine as the airfield has been developed considerably since then. Adrian, I have attended a 4 hour meeting today up at Parham and we are all systems go with Peter. Therefore, no problemsat all bringing in the aircraft. They have 500 yards concrete and an additional 200 yards grass (700 in total) Peter will need to know your intentions nearer the time however, as you wont be the only aircraft movements over the weekend - Particulaly on Sunday July 1st. Did you give any more thought to the Suffolk MVT Dover Castle trip on Feb 25th? We have about 10 seats remaining at present. Cds

I think I'll try to 91st at Bassingbourn next time :? At least I know something about that Group :roll: Cds

Its not just Eleanor that uses my clothes either :-o :-o http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/HMVFPictures001.jpg[/img]

Thought this might spark a conversation or two! This was my Dukw (Not at the time fortunately) after it had been rear ended on the M6 by a 40 foot artic who "Didn't see it!" Bob James who owned it at the time got out pretty much unscathed ! Sorry about the poor quality of the pic. Cds http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/HMVFPictures018.jpg[/img]

Thanks Jessie - Brilliant Thread ?? :? It was me who posed the Thread - not some 4x4 Jeep :-o :-o Really Joris ;-)

Have been in the MVT since early 1990's but never joined IMPS, not for any particular reason, but spent most of my life in Wiltshire and down there, Imps was always classed as a club aimed more at vehicle owners in the South East. Now i'm in East Anglia though, it would be more applicable I guess. Trouble is where do you stop with all these clubs and associations? Cds

If Wrecks Cadman will consider dropping his £25 entry fee per vehicle for entering 'War & Fleece' i'll bring them all...... :goodidea: :goodidea: Normally my minature army are under camoflage, lurking below the conifer hedge at the bottom of the garden, but it was so nice last weekend that I decided to trim the hedge and get ahead of myself - One less thing to do during the show season. Therefore the army got disturbed from the foilage and low and behold came out to play in the snow yesterday. Do you know the thought of using the hot-tub as a parts washer at 36 degrees is actually rather inviting, particularly at this time of the year. Just think how the heat would assist in the removal of all that stubborn oil and grime - Not entirely sure that I would get away with it with 'Er in doors' though :-o :-o Cds

That would be brilliant Steve! Recent pictures of the wind damage at Thorpe Abbotts as advised earlier. Cds http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/HMVFPictures010.jpg[/img] http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/HMVFPictures009.jpg[/img] A lovely shot of Captain Charles Cruickshank - who was the pilot of B-17 F Bas*ards Bungalow - He hardly looks old enough to ride a bike let alone command a B-17 and crew. http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/HMVFPictures016.jpg[/img]

Though the weather today was far too bad to contemplate taking my WWII Vehicles out to play in the snow, Eleanor talked me into doing a Falklands War re-creation in the garden as her school was shut and I was fed-up being hit by her snow-balls :-D Cds http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/HotTubArmy.jpg[/img] http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w205/suzannewitton/EllyFriends.jpg[/img]

That last photo shows the location of the other remaining spectacle hard standing very well. You can't get this sort of Birds eye view when your on foot! I think you should pass-up the offer of the local bash in the summer Steve and instead make Operation Bolero - Tour of the Dromes a priority - you could certainly save my vocal chords when we do the Thorpe Abbotts bit! I have a friend in Diss who as a child, came home from school to find 'Hang The Expense' in the grounds of the farmyard you mentioned. It was a big thrill for him and his friends of course. Your photo's of the site inbetween the the A-143 and Upper Billingford where the many huts still remain make interesting viewing. After those strong winds a fortnight ago, they are now in even worser state than they were before. Photo's to follow hopefully :roll: Just like the Titanic, every year that goes by erodes a little more of our history away :cry: Check-out http://www.redballexpress.co.uk for the new recommended reading section for anyone interested in this type of thread. Cds

Thorpe Abbotts airfield in Norfolk was home to the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) US Eighth Air Force from mid 1943 until the summer of 1945. As you can see from the photographs, it has now reverted back to whence it came - Agriculture. The photos show all that remains of the intersecting shorter NW - SE runway, one of the drains that once bordered the edges of all airfield runways every few yards and a family of hardy souls accompanied by our Black Lab ike. The last picture shows the only remaining Hardstanding left on the entire airfield, and even that is not totally intact. You can almost hear the B-17 running its engine up against the chocks. Very little now remains to tell the passer-by of the heroics that took place on this airfield, but as you walk around the remains of the airfield on a blowy Sunday afternoon, you can only imagine as to what the grounds crews must have felt on the Sunday afternoon of October 10th 1943, when only one B-17 returned to Thorpe Abbotts after the Group were annihilated over Munster earlier in the day. Just as we were concluding our walk, an aircraft could be heard above in the clouds, when a Lockeed C-5 Galaxy loomed out of the sky on a direct flight path to RAF Mildenhall, some 16 miles away as the crow flies. Lumbering low over the Norfolk landscape, the moment was very poignant to me in particular, demonstrating the on-going connection between East Anglia and the USAAF/USAF, 65 years on from when the airfield was built. The Operation Bolero - Tour of the Dromes convoy will stop for lunch at Thorpe Abbotts on Saturday June 30th en-route from Eye airfield Suffolk to Hardwick Field in Norfolk. Lets hope its a little warmer than when we took these pictures last week :roll:

This thread has been so damn interesting during its course and I have learnt so much more about the whole range-wreck subject. You really should put a book together Adrian, what with your photo archive of ranges you have visited over the past 25 years and the amazing story of the restoration of your M4A4 from being dragged off Salisbury Plain to the prestine condition that it now represents. In the Steam Railway fraternity, many books have been written about Barry Scrapyard in South Wales, where a huge proportion of Great Britains steam engines finished-up, after steam had been phased out. They are very popular selling titles indeed. The vast majority of steam engines that are restored on preserved steam railways up and down the country came from this one scrapyard in Barry. Just like the range wreck scenario, very unique and irreplaceable loco's were cut up hand over fist without a seconds thought to there place in the history books. Fortunately as well as a businessman, the yard owner Dai, did have an affection for some of those old loco's and fortunately the ones he took a shine too, got put further back down the yard. One day the preserved steam loco boff's suddenly realised what history was being melted down for saucepans and many many engines were subsequently saved on near shoe-string budgets. Even I can remember visiting this scrapyard in the late 1970's as an under five year old and recall seeing row upon row of rusty old engines lined-up - It helped Dad swing the visits to this yard with Mum because it was adjacent to the Butlins Holiday Camp at Barry :angel: An earlier comment regarding the range wrecks was 'too little too late.' This is so often the case - As a child my father can remember climbing through a hole in the fence at RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire and playing on an enormous pile of Spitfires, junked, one on top of the other :cry: Oh to have had a crystal ball - You know how much they fetch today don't you :oops: Cds

Had word from a chap down near Brighton today that a group of them are looking to bring a GMC, a Dukw, Jeep and a Harley All it takes is a few days of sunshine and all of a sudden people start to plan what shows they intend to do this year The future's Bright! - As long as your not a Bernard Matthews Turkey! Cds

My Hats-off to you guys undertaking this project - It is a major, major project indeed are certainly not for the faint hearted! I think my Dukw was chassie number 6331 from memory and the highlight of my Dukw restoration and ownership was meeting up with Bart Vanderveen (editor of Wheels & Tracks and many other MV books) in about the Spring of 1998 and taking him for a ride through Savernake Forest in the vehicle one a lovely sunny afternoon. Bart absolutley loved it and said that it was one of those experiences which highlighted the benefits and enjoyment of being involved in the preserved MV movement. Sadly within the next year Bart had unexpectedly passed away. Rex Ward in Reading is undoubtedly your best source of nearly every spare part you will need. Rex worked on Dukw's when he was in the British Army in the 1960's and his knowledge on type is simply second to none. He has sourced many hard to find items world-wide and if he can't get them, then they can't be had. He's also a nice guy to deal with as well and is honest and true to his word. (I have had countless dealings with him over the years) If it were me doing the project, I think I would buy a donor GMC 353 for all interchangeable power train and drive train parts, inc, axles, props, motor, gearbox etc. It would a much cheaper route in the long-run, especially if you could get hold of a late production ex-norwegian truck with low miles, with all parts like new! Look forward to seeing your restoration photographs as they proceed. Cds

Have owned 5 Jimmy's and a Dukw since about 1991, short, long, hard, soft and the last one, pictured to the left with a maxson turret and 4 x .50 cals in the back! I always worked on a average of 7-8 mpg, but more like 5-6 with the Dukw - that was a heavy old girl to haul around on a standard GMC 270 engine, particularly when it came to the hills of Wiltshire! I could never really tell much difference with the trucks with or without a Ben Hur Trailer on the back. But seriously, it does make a difference where you live. Since I have been in the Suffolk flatlands, my Dodge WC-56 does loads more mpg than when it was in Wiltshire, but then again, within 1/2 mile of leaving the house I'm in top gear and don't change down again until I get home! Where you live Jack at the bottom of that valley, I think you better enquire about some sponsorship from Shell.... :-o Cds

Just legged-it out to the shed for a gander. Everything boring that you would expect in a shed, including a 6 foot x 3 1/2 foot enlargement of an original colour photograph showing a P-51 of the 355th Fighter Group at Steeple Morden, Herts, given to me by the author of Steeple Morden Strafers, Ken Wells, when he moved from the village. It is mounted onto ply-wood for rigidity - I love saying that word! Also some of the European road signs fabricated for the fliming of Band of Brothers in 2000 at Hatfield. I think they are directional signs saying Houfullaise and Foy and the distance in kilometers. I haven't put them up though because I think they are inaccurate - Surely it must be more than 12 km's to Foy from Eye in Suffolk? :-D Must have been sold a dud by the props department :-o Cds

Coincidentally enough, he used to farm much of the land which was once occupied by the Heavy Bomber airfield at Mendlesham, 34th Bombardment Group, adjacent to the main A140 Norwich to Ipswich road, but I believe he sold this land in the late 1970's. He now has a house in mid-Suffolk and a large mansion near the coast at Southwold. A quick humourous story about the house by the coast that I must just tell ........ A few years back we were doing some major re-plumbing work on the central heating system spanning several days. It was in a spell of cold weather when the wind was coming in straight off the coast for an extended period of time - bloody chilly. On the first days work, one of our men was offered a cup fo tea by the old lady of the house, in her late 90's, (sadly no longer with us) which he gladly accepted. The next day, the house-keeper seeing the same chap working outside in the cold, opened the window and offered to make him a cup of tea, which again he accepted. At the same time the old lady hobbled into the kitchen and enquired to the house keeper what she was up to. "I'm making the plumbing chap outisde a cup of tea," she explained. The old lady's reply still makes me laugh to this day, because she was genuinely so deadly serious. She replied in near disbelief................... "But I made him one yesterday :-o" Now thats how the rich hang on to there money! Cds

Following on from the thought provoking thread about saving Upottery airfield in Devon in the Event Photo & Logbook section, I thought it was worth mentioning about the old airfield at Halesworth which has seen such a recent media frenzy. Bernard Matthews turkey farm where the Bird Flu has recently been discovered near Lowestoft is in-fact one of the most intact WWII USAAF airfields remaining in Suffolk. Being only 8 miles from the coast, Halesworth airfield's construction was started in 1942 and finished by the summer of 1943. From July 1943 it was home to the 56th Fighter Group, led by Col Hub Zemke, who later went-on to become one of the top Fighter Aces in the United States Fighter Command flying P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustangs. Francis Gabreski, the top scoring Fighter Ace of the USAAF also flew with the 56th Fighter Group. In April 1944 the 56th FG relocated to Boxted, near Colchester and the 489th Bomb Group moved in fresh from the USA flying B-24 Liberators. By November 1944 however, this unit had been taken off operations and it was replaced in January 1945 by the 5th Emergency Rescue Squardon, flying P-47's, PBY Catalina Flying Boats and specially equipped life-boat carrying B-17 Flying Fortresses. By August 1945 the airfield was under the control of the Admiralty with two Fleet Air Arm squadrons of Mosquito T.3's and Airspeed Oxfords, finally closing for flying by February 1946. All of the large turkey sheds are buillt upon the three original intersecting runways, the longest being 2000 yeards, that made-up this Class A Standard airfield, originally intended as a Bomber Station. These sheds were put-up in 1963 by the Le-Gry Brothers and the site was sold to Bernard Matthews in 1976. It is only really as a result of the turkey farm that such a large amount of WWII concrete still exists on this airfield, probably more than at any other inactive wartime airfield in Suffolk - although I wouldn't fancy trying to land an aircraft there, weaving between all those turkey sheds on the runway ;-) I flew over the old airfield at Halesworth (Holton) in 2003 in the back seat of Maurice Hammond's P-51 Mustang and you can easily identify the three runways and perimeter tracks from above. Fortunately, although they have a good museum at the site of the airfield, I had never intended to take the Operation Bolero convoy to this airfield, quite simply because we can't do them all in the space of three days. If the situation continues to get the publicity that it currently is, keep an eye out on the TV when they show the aerial shots of the farm - You will easily be able to see its USAAF lineage and imagine the formations of Liberator's climbing out on raids to Germany. By way of a coincidence, the man who first set Bernard Matthews up in business all those years ago, is still alive although well into his mid 80's and is a customer of mine, whom I have occasion to see every six months. He must be one of the wealthiest individuals in Suffolk, whom our company has dealt with for almost 25 years, yet no matter how much the bill, their is always concern over its high amount :-o For some people, old habits just die hard and clearly no-one ever got rich by giving it away! I wonder if I could interest him in buying Uppotery :-o :-o Cds

That account of your Salt Lake City early morning wake-up call really made me laugh out loud Jack... Brilliant! Cds

One thing you didn't miss jack - but wish you had - And that was the 4am phone call from me on Monday morning this week just ringing to chew the fat.............. :-D You could have told me you were away for a few days - think of my phone bill :-o Cds