M5Clive

Sorry Howard, I know your enthusiastic, but the pace of the convoy will just be too quick for the Coventry Climax Fork Lift to participate. Perhaps you could park it up with NOS's Clark Tug in the corner of the field................

I honestly wouldn't expect anyone (other than retiree's) to attend for 10 days flat out and then its Beltring week, otherwise your business would be facing certain bankruptcy when you got back from Kent! The idea of the themed events on the weekdays in-between is primarily aimed at more local folk and will take place in the evenings after typical working hours, especially with the lighter nights. Those who want to camp for the whole 9/10 day bash are more than welcome, but I would expect that only to apply to retired folk, local MV folks and die-hard USAAF anoraks like me! The weekday (days) will be pretty much your own to do and explore as you wish with no set itinerary, other than suggestions and guidance, with the organised events taking place in the evenings and at a different USAAF location of significance each night. I am thinking something along the lines of............ Sunday July 8th - Tibenham Airfield, Norfolk, Heritage Airshow. Wartime home of the 445th BG and Jimmy Stewarts old stamping ground. Military vehicles invited to attend and support this local airshow - camping facilities on the Saturday evening. Monday - talk and presentation at the 100th BG Museum at Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk & opportunity to enjoy the museum. Tuesday - tour of Maurice Hammond's Merlin engine rebuild facility and 3 x GMC's open-top tour of Eye Airfield remains, including the runway, hangars, site of living quarters, hospital, stopping at 4 x USAAF airfield crash sites for then & now photographs.(490th BG) Wednesday - A visit to the 493rd BG Control Tower museum and airfield at Debach, Nr. Woodbridge, Suffolk to see Richard Taylor's vehicle collection and USAAF airfield remains. Thursday - Tour of local sites where USAAF bombers and fighters crashed in Mid-Suffolk, accompanied by historians Stan & Cliff Bishop (who cycled to many of these crashes as school boys in 1943/44) followed by Fish & Chip Supper. Friday - A well respected Eighth Air Force historian(s) (who cannot be named for legal reasons, and also because I haven't asked him/them yet!) will entertain us for the evening with a presentation on the subject of..........(classified information).......................this will take place at............(classified information on a need to know basis only)..........! Saturday (Day) - Heavy Convoy to 3rd Air Division bases at Honington (364th FG) and Knettishall (388th BG) (recreating an exact route as filmed by a USAAF photographer in 1944) and ending up at Great Ashfield (385th BG) Saturday (Evening) - Our Little Friends WWII Hangar Dance and convoy grand arrival (as per last year) Sunday July 15th - 93rd BG museum open day and fly in at Hardwick, Norfolk at Maurice Hammond's warbird facility. Monday - Depart the event and head to Kent for another week of fun and frolics at 'War & Peace.' At this stage, this itinerary is speculation, but something along these lines is exactly what is planned. I have simply shown this in an effort to give possible attendees an idea of what its all about.

Joris..........where do your priorities lie these days? ..........and to think that I was the guy who taught you how to push a P-51 into a hangar! Joking apart, the last place you should be at such a time is in another country and you have supported the last two events admirably. By the way, if its a boy and he is born late and over the weekend in question, I shall expect you to name him Mitchell in honor of the USAAF medium bomber:)

The USAAF Festival & ‘Our Little Friends’ ~ 2012 As the 2012 show season is not many months away, it is a good time to announce that we intend to stage a repeat of the ‘Our Little Friends Wartime Weekend' bash again this year in East Anglia. 2012 marks the 70th Anniversary of the USAAF’s arrival in the UK and a number of events are being staged to mark the occasion. On Sunday 8th July, an airshow is being organised at Tibenham Airfield, Norfolk and Military Vehicles are being invited to attend. This former USAAF Liberator base has much of the original runways still intact and former Hollywood movie star James (Jimmy) Stewart was stationed here as an officer and B-24 pilot. It is hoped to land the only operational B-17 Flying Fortress outside of the USA, at Tibenham over the course of the weekend; namely B-17 G Sally-B along with other wartime piston-engined aircraft. For those MV operators who are considering attending the Tibenham airshow and then wanting to stay in the locality for the ‘Our Little Friends’ wartime weekend, US Convoy and Hangar Dance the following weekend (July 14th/15th), I am in the throws of organising a week of evening themed events to mark the 70th Anniversary of the USAAF’s arrival in England. This will take a number of different forms but broadly speaking, will involve many of the local airfield museums and will include individual airfield tours - something which we never really get the opportunity to do on our large scale WWII vehicle convoy’s across the region. It is also hoped to include visiting the crash sites of wartime heavy bomber and fighter’s in the locality, listening to local people reminisce about their memories concerning the arrival of the US Forces in East Anglia and the impact it had upon them. Interactive and illustrated talks with well known USAAF authors and historians of the Eighth Air Force...........but by far the most important reason for organising this week long commemoration is to pay tribute to the memory of the men of the USAAF (both living and deceased) on this 70th Anniversary year and to honor them in the very best way we can..............by ‘keeping their memory alive.’ If what I am proposing is ‘striking a chord’ in folks reading this and/or you have supported our WWII Convoy events in the past, then check your diary dates and plan a trip to East Anglia this summer. Suffolk is a reasonably good stopping off point for those attending the War & Peace show in Kent the following week who are heading down South from up North. I will also ensure that adequate and centrally located camping facilities are available for those wanting to set-up a base camp for the weeks festivities. The concept of the ‘Festival’ is still far from finely tuned, but I can assure you that come the time, things will be all sorted out with a very interesting itinerary. As event organisers and co-organisers, we do have a few hits under our belt worthy of mention including ‘The Red Ball Express 1990 - 1995, Gathering of Eagles 2002, 2004, 2006, Operation Bolero 2007, Route to Victory 2008, and Our Little Friends 2011 - so you are working with people who have a passion for their pastime and who enjoy the challenge of new events and novel ideas. Their will be some associated costs involved (primarily for camping and any small entrance fee’s for museums etc) but as in previous years, the whole ethos of the event will be based upon charitable donations from the proceeds. In order to minimise my work load and based upon the success of our previous formulas, I find it much easier to co-ordinate all communications for the event via e-mail and telephone, so in the first instance, please make contact at USAAFfestival@yahoo.co.uk to express your degree of interest or to book tickets for the Little Friends hangar Dance on Saturday 14th July. Once I have a list of all interested parties on e-mail, I will send out regular update bulletins with more details. I will also update HMVF periodically. For film of last years ‘Our Little Friends’ wartime weekend and convoy, visit my YouTube account at http://www.youtube.com/b17fflyingfortress 1992 was the 50th Anniversary of the USAAF’s arrival in the UK and the East Anglian Tourist Board did an amazing job of publicising a huge number of events that spanned literally the whole region all summer and it was an incredible year. As a 17 year old student at the time, attending those events gave me the desire to move to Suffolk and ten years later, I did exactly that. In direct comparison to 1992, their are now so very few USAAF veterans left capable of crossing the Atlantic, that it is down to the later generations to keep their memory alive on this important anniversary year. 2012 will not slip by unnoticed. NB - All the dance tickets (500+) for last year’s 1940’s Dance at Hardwick sold out well ahead of time, so if you plan to attend the ‘Little Friends Hangar Dance’ this year, don’t delay in buying your tickets. Clive D Stevens Brome, Suffolk PS - NOS, myself and a couple of other local folk are also in throws of trying to put together a unique USAAF commemoration in the area to coincide with our WWII Convoy - More about this as things become firmed-up.

Great pics Howard and good progress. Are you sure you haven't 'cut and pasted' Tony into that picture? He looks shorter than the Jimmy radiator...........!

I can hardly contain my excitement.............Oh the thought of that stainless steel splash guard! Has the 'chemical blue' arrived yet for the fitted toilet? We'll need a picture.......

If only we could have captured the dialogue between those two for posterity as the deal was being put together! Alan's classic line that he used on numerous occasions whenever he was endeavoring to separate a man from his money went along the lines of............ ........................."A week's hard work and it'll be fine!" Several MV projects currently under sustained restoration for the past decade were sold on the strength of such reassurance!! i remember a trip up to Alan's in 1990 to 'collect' a take-out GMC 270 engine for £200. When we arrived that Sunday morning in the rain and drizzle the truck which the engine belonged to was still being driven around the yard! "Didn't I mention to you on the phone you had to take it out yourself," was all Alan could glibly come up with, with a wry smile on his face...........! It turned out to be the best GMC motor I ever had.

I know that Blue had the 'pick of the bunch' due to his friendship with Alan going back over 30 years to the early days of the MVCG and the Duxford Aviation Society connection. He bought his before Alan's death I'm sure. Also Mike Davies in Essex had a nice one from the collection which I saw last year amongst his Arsenal of goodies.............No idea who bought/had the rest.

What a great relief all-round that the lens on NOS's camera is somewhat sharper that Malcolm's...................I've been banging the side of my iMac for the past three minutes trying to get the screen to sharpen-up until I moved on to Page 2..........! Great progress old boy.............especially considering the temperatures your working in inside that blister hangar down the road!

Another nice shot of Roy's Open Cab Stude with Blue (Barry Seabrook) also from Suffolk Area MVT both together at a Rougham Airfield event, Bury St Edmunds in May 2008. Sadly, Blue's Stude has since been sold and (I believe) exported to Russia or somewhere similar. It was one of Alan Chapman's brace of wagon's that was sold off around the same time as the photo was taken. You can clearly see the difference between a 6x4 and 6x6 front axle in this shot.

Indeed............I remember looking at that chassis in July 1992 and thinking to myself in a welsh voice........... ....................."There's adventurous!" I see that their are in fact two Case's in that last photo..................!

Just to advise Howard, I stopped in at the Wilton carpet shop when I was in Salisbury during the week and picked up that roll-end of hand woven tweed in cornflower, that you wanted to compliment the magnolia walls and Egyptian cotton hand made curtains. I think the chap in the shop said it worked out at £75 per square meter excluding VAT, but he's put it on your account. It will look lovely when its down, just have to make sure that we take our great big boots off whenever we pop in for a cup of tea!

I'll be there Jack. I'm taking 'NOS' as ballast to keep us on the straight and narrow going along the A14! Brother will also be making his annual pilgrimage and donation to swell the 'Roy Elvis retirement fund' coffers............If we can drag him away from the Steam Gala on the Great Central Railway at Loughborough this weekend...........................There are suppose to be nine big ones in steam so should be a good event. Now are you going to get your hair cut prior to the show this year? - You remember all the ribbing you got in 2009......! Right, i'm off to watch my DVD boxed set of Lovejoy Antiques with Ian Mc'Beckett.......................

The important thing is that Howard has most definitely got his priorities right - I'm installing the domestic water softener tomorrow morning, so that regardless of what hot water and heating system he chooses, it will be protected from the high concentration of calcium and magnesium found in the hard water of East Anglia and the shower head will not scale-up. You've got to hand it to these Suffolk boys...........they just don't like to rough-it when staying away from home!

They look excellent Dave - Thanks for posting. Think i'll get mine ordered now!

Hi guys I've long since felt that their is a huge void West of us and East of East Midlands area, so best of luck and any help Suffolk Area can give, then don't hesitate to ask! All the best Clive - Former Suffolk Area Secretary and now holding the Area purse strings!

I have been called many things in my time (most of which being totally unrepeatable on such a family orientated forum), but a 'local detective' really takes the biscuit ! "Evening all.........!" PS - Watch this space regarding the details of a future WWII convoy related event following the exact Suffolk roads taken in the aforementioned East Anglian Film Archive black and white footage of Honington Airfield. Now if NOS really got his act together and finished his Autocar in time, he could have a starring role in recreating the exact vehicle coming the other direction in the exact location, now positively identified from the WWII footage..............Food for thought ay Tony?

Christ - It will be like a repeat of my Wedding Day (more 750x20 Bar Treads in attendance than wedding guests!) Looking forward to seeing you there old boy - If I can't find you, i'll just follow the smell of moth balls................!

They are ALL there - Just not always at the same time..................

Great pictures Tom - Not sure what lens that camera on your phone has but it makes the bonnet on my Chrysler look longer that the Queen Mary's bow !

Hi guys I also need a complete set of data plates for my open cab jimmy 353 with winch. The ones I have in my hard cab 353 I think came from Emile Becker (as the truck was used on the front cover of his GMC book) and they are very good. Be very interested to see yours from Poland Dave and then make a judgement. Maybe we can tie up an order together Robert for both sets.

I'll be there for the weekend with the family. Maurice Hammond is bringing both his P-51 Mustang's to the show (Saturday only) and landing in, so they will need a little window dressing in the form of some good USAAF kit and crew(s) in authentic gear - I'll bring me push bike !

Don't let him fool you folks - All his vehicles restorations are very tatty around the edges - I mean, did you see that Dragon Wagon at Beltring last week and that Stuart M5A1 on the front of the recent CMV magazine.................Tut......! Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the 353 Hard Cab emerge from the workshops in due course. Welcome to the online platform for good banter, good humour and occasionally a bit about MV's !

Great pics Rosie - I must try and get a decent shirt in that apron pattern as it makes me look 2 stone trimmer in that shot with the BBQ!

Unfortunately the wet weather for the Saturday convoy curtailed much of my intended photography, although I did get some pics of the convoy heading up the main runway at Rattlesden and some on the way back to Hardwick - but I don't think they're that great. Only got back from Beltring at midnight on Sunday after a week away and have yet to locate the camera specific lead that links my Panasonic Lumix to the iMac, so I have yet to see any of my photographs, other than on the LCD of the camera. I thought NOS's pictures were very atmospheric and summed-up the driving conditions pretty well !