Jump to content

MHillyard

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    828

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by MHillyard

    The Eagle has landed

    in MV Chatter

    Posted · Edited by MHillyard

    I find it a great film and the production very interesting

     

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074452/trivia

    The MTB used in this film is actually MTB 102 an extremely important and illustrious boat used throughout WWII including during the Dunkirk evacuation of British and French forces in 1940 where it actually became the flagship of the fleet when the Admiral in charge of the operation transferred his flag to the boat after his destroyer was sunk. The production company paid for the completion of its restoration after being used by a local Sea Scout troop on the Norfolk Broads. The boat is still afloat and has a vast number of related articles about it on the internet including those about its design heritage and timely build just prior to the beginning of the war. A true historic boat.

     

    Devlin's (Donald Sutherland) motorcycle is a 125cc Royal Enfield Flying Flea. Two Flying Fleas were on set but neither being very reliable, a 125cc Yamaha engine was fitted into the Royal Enfield frame and was used in some shots with the Flying Flea engine noise superimposed. For the viewer to tell them apart, when Sutherland uses the hand gear change, it's the Flying Flea engine; when he uses his foot to change gear, it's the Yamaha engine.

     

    a lot of interesting stuff on there

     

    filming locations:

    Berkshire, England, UK(East Anglia)

     

    Charlestown Harbour, Charlestown, Cornwall, England, UK(Alderney Harbour)

     

    Charlestown, Cornwall, England, UK(Alderney)

     

    Church of St Margaret, Mapledurham, Berkshire, England, UK(East Anglia church where the villagers are held hostage)

     

    Cornwall, England, UK(Channel Islands)

     

    Goods Yard, Rovaniemi, Finland(railway yard)

     

    Mapledurham House, Mapledurham, Berkshire, England, UK(Prime Minister Winston Churchill taken to house)

     

    Mapledurham, Berkshire, England, UK(Village of Studley Constable, Norfolk)

     

    Newquay, Cornwall, England, UK(near) (Lansvoort Airfield)

     

    Pier House Hotel, Charlestown, Cornwall, England, UK(George and Dragon Hotel where Liam Devlin is thrown out)

     

    RAF St Mawgan, Newquay, Cornwall, England, UK(Lansvoort Airfield)

     

    Reading, Berkshire, England, UK(East Anglia)

     

    Rock, Cornwall, England, UK(beach & dunes)

     

    Rovaniemi, Finland(railway yard)

     

    Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK(studio)

     

    Warfield Hall, Forest Road, Newell Green, Berkshire, England, UK(US Rangers headquarters)

    My Welbike Restoration

    in Blogs of MV restorations

    Posted

    My memory is they were made for D-Day invasion. Did they have any service after that i.e. post war did the units retain them in service or were a one off item?

     

    They were first designed for the SOE so when spies dropped in France etc they could ride away, this was rejected by the SOE for obvious reasons, the sound of a 98cc Villiers engine is quite loud and distinctive and would give away anyone's position. Although the SOE were not interested the parachute regiment took a liking to them and they had several made for the idea that they would drop in containers with the paras, the paras would then retrieve them and ride them to their destination then chuck them away. This is what they were made for.

     

    Several Welbikes were issued to other units and some can be seen landing with the British on D-day (will try to find the photo), there is even one photo of an American on one, and not to forget one with a German on a captured one!

     

    A number of Welbikes during and after the war were used as airfield run-arounds for officers or anyone who could get hold of one. They were easy transport for going short distances eg. from Hanger 1 to hanger 3, or from barracks to mess hall etc. Several were on airfields in the middle east, not quite sure how they got there. One story which i will have to check up on is that a fighter pilot used to attach one under his plane in a container and use it when he got to his destination.

     

    After the war, i think, several were given to India and Australia and a few to Russia. i will have to check up this next bit but: Those that were not kept on bases were either scraped or sold to America, this was because they did not fit the specifications for an MOT so America bought them and sold them in shops. I believe that it was not allowed to let the bikes sell in the UK because of laws etc but this was often ignored and many did find their way out and were used by teenagers for on fields or on farms. In America quite a few were also used as parade bikes for some organisation who few flags from the back of them.

     

    It is often thought that the bikes were completely pointless for their task and highly un-necessary but they were great for propaganda saying that we had things very well made for such small tasks and that we were prepared for anything.

     

    Well i think that covers most things :-D will check up on details

    My Welbike Restoration

    in Blogs of MV restorations

    Posted · Edited by MHillyard
    another idea

    Forgot to ask as I noticed on the other thread the headstock was also modified. Is this a common problem and why?

     

    I am assuming that these bikes were only made to last a short time something wears out?

     

    I dont know exactly why but my main guess is that these bikes were used by teenagers etc after the war and probably used off road and at high speeds. There is no suspension which meant that every impact with the ground affected the bike, also because of the impacts people would fall of, crash etc doing damage to the bike when it crashed/fell. The front forks, i believe, are just metal tubes which with a certain amount of force would just crush or bend. My one the forks have been replaced completely and on the other on they have been bent back.

     

    Also the bearings i am sure were not designed to be used for years after the war, so these would wear out making the bike more unreliable.

     

    Just my theory:D

    My Welbike Restoration

    in Blogs of MV restorations

    Posted

    had a good go at it today, attacking the modification on the headstock. Luckily (see photos) it was only brazed in and brazed in badly.

     

    Only disappointment is that the headstock has been cut through where some of the frame numbers are :banghead:

     

    Uncovered one more number though "6" so only missing one number. Might be able to work out what it is using some mathematics.

     

    The two tubes came out well and the bearing mount is still in place so little more is needed to be done there apart from a good clean-up

     

    DSC04494.jpg

     

    DSC04503.jpg

     

    DSC04509.jpg

     

    DSC04510.jpg

     

    DSC04513.jpg

     

    DSC04515.jpg

    WW2 US Tankers Helmet?

    in Clothing/uniforms

    Posted

    I presume Post war US had the same tanker helmets as WW2. This one is European, maybe German.

    This one has different placements of the holes, earpads have different earphone straps.

     

    For people who don't know tankerhelmets you may get away with it.

     

    Question is what you want to portray.

     

    Was just thinking of an easy lightweight uniform to wear to shows etc, Tankers Helmet, Tankers Jacket, trousers

    Surviving Ferro-Concrete Barges?

    in Naval section

    Posted · Edited by MHillyard

    There are some left in Walton on the Naze, 3 i think. I have some pictures somewhere which i shall try to dig up. Unfortunately they are full of concrete now for "safety"

     

    I believe they were used to carry fuel for the d-day landings and/or as part of the mulberry harbour. They were made of concrete because of the lack of steel in wartime.

     

    The known places where they are include

    Medway Tunnel

    Tring - Grand union canal

    South pier road, Ellesmere Port boat museum

    Bramble Island

    Walton-on-the-naze

    Purton

    Sharpness

    River Blackwater/Mersey/Mersea Island

    The Thames

    Rochester, kent

    Filton gloucester River Severn

    Gloucester docks

    Queensborough harbour Kent

    Queensborough yacht club

    Winnington, River Weaver.

    Dibden Bay

    West Quay, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. x3 - houseboats

    Barling

    Rainham marsh

    Houghton-le-springs

     

    and also:

    New york (State)

    France

    Amsterdam

     

    Locations:http://www.forsakenplaces.co.uk/Urbexreports/mini reports/Barges/concretebarges.htm

×
×
  • Create New...