Richard Farrant

It is now snowing down here in Kent, quite a steady fall, with a very hard frost too.

Hi Glyn, As you are one of the nearest, you might be like me and feel guilty at being so close, so I might head off to Paddock Wood first and make a nice round trip before returning to the racecourse!

Mike, it is still on the entry form

:n00b: read it again, if you are coming from the Tunnel it is 24 miles further on than if you went to Beltring, same meaning re. Clacketts

Hi Trevor, 04AK22 was a GMC 6x6 snowplough and 04AK90 was a Magirus T54 - Linhoff snow clearer. RAF vehicles using letters AD were refuellers, fuel trailers and specialist vehicles. AJ was cargo trucks and refuellers AV was snow clearers, re-registered WW2 vehicles and radio trucks. AK was sweepers, snow clearers and refuse trucks Hope this is of help.

They have been there a long time, cleared from local training area. If they had been any good, us locals would have had them long ago

The event originated as the first Invicta Military Vehicle Preservation Society club show held at the steam railway in Tenterden, Kent in 1982. Over 150 vehicles attended the show. We were originally just local members from Kent, Sussex and Surrey localities. By 1986, the show had outgrown the venue and it moved to the Whitbread Hop Farm in 1987. For this first Beltring show, the area taken up by the display, stalls and arena, only partly filled the present stall area, so this will give you an idea of how it has grown. From the start we had overseas entries from Channel Islands, Norway and Holland, etc.

Do you know the location of this photo? Looks like it could be RAF Newchurch on Romney Marsh in Kent.

One photo shows two Humber MkIV Armoured Cars with a Humber Light Recce between them.

Come off the M20 at Junc 8 and follow the A20 to Ashford, a quick run through the town is easy, then over the M20 at Junc 10 and follow A20 through to Newingreen, racecourse is off to the left down Stone Street. Nice little run, no stress like the motorway

Hi Mark, Well said, could not agree more.

The talk of "too far South" reminds me of the Great Dorset Steam Fair, popular with commercial vehicle and tractor enthusiasts as well as steam. That still draw visitors and participants from far and wide, inc entries from Europe. There are shows of the same type around the country, but for sheer size and variety it can't be beaten. War & Peace is like that, people will still come there, enjoy themselves and have fun. The new venue is good news, well done to Rex for pulling it off.

hi Andy, Sorry, you are a bit late, mate. When I heard about this a few weeks ago, I had some overseas visitors lined up on standby for B&B, can now confirm their bookings . Bit like when the Olympics were on, seize an opportunity . This has not come as a surprise, little bits on information have been picked up in the last six weeks or so to know something was happening and this has confirmed exactly what I had worked out. OK, it is close by, but then Beltring was only 30 miles for me. Over the years we have had rumblings about the Southsea show and others being too far South and so on, saying there is nothing up North, well when I look in the show diaries, there are a lot of interesting events in the Northern part of the country, out of our reach down here (if you have older vehicles, ie slower). So that arguement wears thin. Don't forget W&P was spawned from the IMPS club event, a club which has its roots in Kent and surrounding counties. The Motorway access is excellent and there is a railway station outside of the gate at Westenhanger, so good for visitors. I have been attending Beltring with vehicles since the first one and have to say that in the last few years, as much as I look forward to it for months, on arrival a walk around gives you that feeling of "same old thing, everything in the same place" and so on. A new approach on a new site could be like a breath of fresh air. I am eagerly looking forward to it.

Heard this on the grapevine several weeks ago, good for me only a few miles from home !

Did the container hold Kango hammers as an experiment for detonating acoustic mines before the ship got within range of them.

Hi Pete, These are large boxes about 10" square and are used on armour and also I recollect the Bedford QLR has one for its aux. generator.

Hi Robert, Strange as that was not my recollection, although I did have the engine out so it is possible I did see it there, but i thought it was on a vertical surface. The number must have been original as it did start and end with a star. This was a 1943/44 build.

Hi Brooky, I do now remember it was not stamped very deeply.

Hi, I did some work on a WOT6 a few years ago and had the body off and repainted, in the course of this, I recollect finding the number, seem to think it was on the nearside outer face of chassis, possibly just behind the cab. If it has side mounted fuel tanks, then in front of them, but if the tank is behind the cab, then somewhere below it.

A method of moving position of sinkers which are used to secure buoys? The cylinder being filled with compressed air to lift the sinker.

Smart thinking Ray, see you have done this before :-D. So the Willys is in addition to the Ford jeep then.

Hi Jack, Not had anything to do with that particular one . A bit like Trigger's broom I reckon, all original except the engine, chassis and axles have all been changed at one time

Hi David, I use a semi-gloss (or semi-matt depending on how you look at it!) that matches other CAV components like the round switchbox that has been posted.

Probably was not a good idea, too much friction and wear as it would have to be lubricated which then attacted dirt. The swinging shackle overcomes this. I would imagine this method was short lived.

Hi David, The base part is cast iron I think, I know it is heavy, and covers are alloy. I have a similar one, unused and it is black. One being overhauled at present to go back in an armoured car, it will be black. Think if you find them silver it is because a squaddie has repainted the engine bay and nothing was missed