Jolly Jeeper

Writing in Half Safe, Ben Carlin, who crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a GPA, summed up the amphibious Jeep thus, ‘The [amphibious] Jeep was useless in ship to shore lighterage, the forte of its big brother DUKW which could carry two and a half tons anywhere. Nor could it compete with collapsible boats at ferrying troops across rivers. Its military uses were pretty well confined to light amphibious reconnaissance, ferrying high-powered generals, and serving as bait for nurses and Red Cross girls. All in all amphibious jeeping was an extremely sporting pastime pursued with rather more elan than success by run of the mill service drivers from Wichita and Hogsnorton-on-the-hill’. And post-war drivers too?

I had a close look at a Snatch Land Rover at Withams the other week for a 'buying used' feature for LRO magazine. It's in the January issue of LRO (currently on sale). The batch Withams has ranges from scrappers to mint ones so that company will have spares as not all the Snatch Land Rovers it has will be restored/rebuilt. To answer two points from posts above; the desert camouflage is a jacket that fits over the green NI paint and freephone number. The front axle is a heavy duty unit that matches the rear Salisbury diff. JC

Came across this and thought others might be interested - http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8388555/aussie-armoured-vehicle-gets-go-ahead

Here's a quote from something Jack posted on Pathfinder; 'There were elements of our Dutch trip that my Dad doesn’t appreciate or even understand. He just laughed when a teenager openly asked him “how many Germans did you kill?” It’s as if war’s just become a computer game, in which the participants and the casualties no longer seem real. Meanwhile convoys of military vehicles paraded through the streets, some carrying medal-laden veterans but many of them filled with smiling young people in shabby brown uniforms. As we sat outside a café Dad politely asked a group of them which regiment they were serving with. “It’s just a hobby,” one replied. In fact, they were office workers who put on military fancy dress at the weekends. “So they’re playing at soldiers?” My father was completely baffled by all this. “We live in a completely crazy world, chap.” Read the rest at http://www.sabotagetimes.com/life/taking-dad-to-visit-his-wwll-ghosts-in-arnhem/ It’s as if war’s just become a computer game, in which the participants and the casualties no longer seem real. Hmmm...

Jonesy - the mods (no offence guys) will be on your back for swearing, mentioning L*****s tea... This website is good for sites in Europe - http://www.alanrogers.com/camping/france/normandy/

I love the 'no bonnet hot rod' style!

1. Take the roof off and fold the screen down at every opportunity 2. Take the advice about a Jerrycan from the man earlier in this thread. 3. Enjoy Went in 2004 - hopefully going again in 2014. JJ

The Taliban won't want Land Rovers and similar - they're dedicated Toyota drivers...

Here's another one! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/willys-jeep-almost-mahindra-hotchkiss-willys-ford-/270831170554?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f0ecbb3fa#ht_661wt_1239 Looks like a nicely built machine. JJ

These two latest B&W pics are just brill! I love 'em.

I haven't found the slides of the Morrises on the front at Blackpool yet but have found pictures of one of the Southport DUKWs that have also been mentioned in this thread. It's a B&W print that I've scanned but I recall the DUKWs were red with a yellow stripe. This picture was taken in 1990 or 1991.

That's it - my old Dinosaur! JC

When I was living in Lincolnshire - where many drivers drive flat out and there's not a motorway to be found - I bolted a trailer-type reflector on the tailgate of my 80in Land Rover. It made a difference as many drivers aren't used to looking for small reflectors and small Lucas lights... Here's a pic - not in Lincolnshire!

The real battle of Hamburger Hill was being fought while Easyrider was doing the rounds of cinemas in the US - alway truck me as an illustration of the divide in American society at the time...

Born to Ride (a 1991 movie) - it's only the Harley 45 action that made me watch until the end...

Is it dear at £1500 plus? Someone wanted it that much but it made more than I expected and I didn't bid; Bear this on mind though; there's a guy on eBay selling 'barn find' chassis and axles etc. I asked what he wanted for a pair of axles and a chassis - a total £900 for some identifiable GPW parts but still a long way from a whole Jeep. There was also a rolling chassis, swb Mahindra - tub, grille, bonnet, chassis, pair of axles, wheels, usable wings, V5C and lots of attached small bits for £150. So I bought it. It's a long way from a WWii Jeep. I have some MB bits on the shelf to use, some M201 wheels and with this 'roller' I think I'll build another version of the one on eBay with a MD Juan tub and a Hotchkiss engine; it might not be a WWii Jeep (but neither is a Hotchkiss) but it will be a Jeep. And I can imagine having just as much fun in it as I did in my Hotchkiss. That, to me, is the most important; roof down motoring on back roads on sunny days rather than worrying about the right wheel nuts... It is, of course, each to his/her own. Jeepin' and Jolly!

Mark - there's some stuff about those RAAF Jeeps and a test evaluation report on the CJ3B webpage - don't know if you've seen it - http://www.film.queensu.ca/cJ3B/ I agree about the Hotchkiss/Mahindra thing - I said that to a bloke in Normandy, he was apoplectic and, I think, would have punched me if he'd dared! What you say is true though; the licence-building agreements mean that flat fender Jeeps were built in France, India, Japan, Colombia, Spain and CKD assembled in lots of others... http://www.film.queensu.ca/cJ3B/World.html

I see that one of the Mahindra's detractors has removed his post which makes a lot of this thread a bit odd...

Rattlesnake Bob - Yes! Not long after I got the 'Mad Hilda' Mahindra I drove it down from Yorkshire to Bovvy for the weekend - did the RTV trial in it on Sat, used it to follow the Heavy Vehicle Trial around on Sunday (while sharing a drive of Chris Acock's Scammell Explorer in the trial) and drove it home to Yorkshire on Monday. It did really well except for wearing out a set of brake shoes in that gritty mud at Bovvy. Cheers, JC

Well said, Rattlesnake Bob. Dana 44s etc under a Mahindra... I didn't expect such name calling snobbery about Mahindras here. Are people as snotty about the Neval/Cossack/Ural outfits painted field grey? I've got a NATO green Mahindra CJ340 (swb) diesel, a sand Mahindra CJ540 (lwb) diesel, a CJ-2A project, a load of CJ-3B bits and sold a petrol Hotchkiss M201 early this year. I had the M201 for a long time and have had the CJ340 longer (since 1989) and have had just as much fun in the Mahindra as the Hotchkiss - four of us took both to Normandy in 2004. Been to Bastogne, Geneva, Sedan... in the Mahindra. I might have a punt at the eBay one I think although I would have preferred a petrol engine... Here's some Jolly Jeepin' pics; http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.108159439210894.14414.100000505149086&type=1 - Mahindra SWB http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.162008927159278.36551.100000505149086&type=1 - Hotchkiss M201 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.114648058562032.15945.100000505149086&type=1 - Jeeps incl LWB Mahindra

Seen this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200638426482&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_983 I think there's some mileage in it... excuse the pun

I'll do my best Ivor. Finding them is the first hurdle and then scanning them will be the second. I asked for some advice about scanners for 35mm slides on the LRSOC forum but haven't bought one yet - I need to though to scan some LR pics for Legend. JC

Very eloquent ChrisITA - esp the bit that starts, 'As for the argument...' For the other chap - the Romans weren't here 'in living memory'...

Nice one mate - took mine in a 432 three or four years ago; couldn't believe how nervous I was before the test... Smiled for weeks after passing.

I stopped going to Beltring a few years back because I got sick of the SS uniforms... Got into a row with two Nazi 're-enactors' (and on here) at Yanks in Saddleworth so haven't been to that since neither... Wrote letters to Windscreen... Just don't understand why any free-born Brit would wear any uniform with a Swastika on... I can't see where the re-enactment is in going to a beer tent at a show in an SS uniform... Had the odd row about it on here years ago too... The fact that Nazi uniforms are banned in France surely says something... the storm that followed a royal and an FIA guy wearing German uniforms for 'fancy dress' must say something too...