N.O.S.

I've just come back from a fascinating 2 day visit to Holland, to the Airborne Museum and Liberty Park (the George C Marshall collection).

Until my visit I had not appreciated just how harshly the Dutch folk were treated by the Nazis whilst their country was under occupation, nor how they had supported our airborne landing forces in whatever way they could.

Considering what they went through, this stone outside the Airborne Museum was the least we could do!! One of the most thoughtful inscriptions I've come across.....

I'm sure your unloader valve is the problem - this is the most likely way the original trouble of building up too much pressure would have occurred.

Had an identical situation with a Matador, but the unloader valve was very easy to strip out and clean.

Cannot help with detail as no experience on Militants. Good luck!!

Oh no no no no no...... :shake: :shake: :shake:

Next time you use the dishwasher, just look over your left shoulder and smile at the little covert camera (good aren't they?) that himself pedals in the forum shop - put in last week after some urchin bunged the filter up with bits of sump gasket....there's no fooling him :dunno:

Well this has been an intriguing thread, but I am still no nearer knowing how to post a picture on the 'Picture of the Week' forum than I was when it kicked off.

 

If I may, general (I'm not supposed to know this, but I found a pile of opened mail on the clubhouse lobby table early Friday a.m.) -

It seems Jack might be the subject of a 'Gagging Order' from Richard Maddley's solicitors concerning the posting of certain images......

It is therefore understandable that he may be somewhat reluctant to relinquish control over the posting of photographs in 'Picture of the Week' until this is resolved.

Apparently Richard too is a gmc fan, and there might be some sort of deal going on the table.......

:shake: :shake: :shake: :shake: :shake:

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

:whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

Thanks for your help guys, I'll get onto the lead. Got a chance to save one from the torch, but need to know if it is original or modified. Haven't got a clue why I feel compelled to do this, after all I don't have a D8.

Guess I got into M.V.s through growing up with a fleet of Matador dumpers and tales of GMC spreaders and Studebaker tippers - there's nowt wrong with vintage earthmoving :-)

Can anyone recommend either a D8 owner to pair up with, or some very strong medication? :shake: :shake: :shake: :shake:

A warm welcome guys, think I'd better go with the flow and swap the GMC for a Landy.... :shake:

Well that is great news Mark!

Have to say with some of these old timers it pays to have one for spares. I have always had to do this with the older vehicles and plant used commercially, so it has become a useful habit with oddball vintage m.v.s too, and a wise long-term investment.

Some might claim that this removes potential vehicles from the restoration pool, but for example my WLF donor truck would have ended up in a Chinese furnace, so I carry no guilt! :angel:

Keep posting the pics of mechanical gore though :evil:

p.s. have got price enquiry with a supplier for Torque rods - still waiting for reply, but can I take it you are now o.k. in this department?

Can anyone help with information (preferably a picture, however poor) of the following:

LeTorneau Towed Crane, used behind a Caterpillar D8 with twin drum cable winch unit, for unloading/recovery etc on D-Day beaches.

It was basically a single axle trailer (approx. 20ft long) with 14.00 x 20 tyres and a long swan neck jib (approx. 20 ft long).

One winch drum operated the jib raise/lower, the other raised/lowered a hook. Apparently capable of lifting 20 tons

I understand pictures of these units operating on beaches do exist, but I have had no luck so far. Any info will be very much appreciated.

Hi LW.

Banjo axle is like a modern heavy truck axle, where diff assembly is held in with series of bolts around the axle housing.

Split axle is where the axle case comprise 2 halves, held together with a series of radial bolts, thus you "split" the axle to access the diff.

Banjo are generally considered to be stronger (not really relevant unless you plan to stick 8 tons or more in the back!!).

As 'leader' has found, there seem to be a lot more spare parts and complete axles around for Banjo type, so that might be a case for choosing between the 2 types if nothing else.

Airportable truck has a chassis which unbolts into 2 pieces (large flanges in chassis rails a couple of feet behind back of cab - the original body also was in sections) - designed to be split into "airportable" pieces and bolted together to make a complete truck (assuming both bits landed in the same area...)

Hope this helps, sorry no time to post pics but perhaps someone else will?

So, if we expect him to do all that for us, why do we tie his hands behind his back first?

The front wing of this GMC is FUBAR, but I'm waiting on the lol as well (I was too embarrassed to be the first to ask.....)

Hi Graham, welcome, and yes it's very quiet at the Clubhouse today.

What with all these new vehicles turning up, the parking situation is becoming desperate. So much so that I have fired up the Osgood excavator and am presently digging away making the parking area a lot larger.

Hopefully this will put an end to the larger vehicles and tracked machines having to use the pub carpark up the road. Later, I'm going to use the hardcore which the committee got in for the new club workshop base, they will be 'not best pleased', but I just don't care..... :whistle:

And how come I am still on washroom cleaning duty? Don't suppose you'd care to take over? :dunno:

Sorry for the outburst - having a really bad day - trying to install a new canvas brought back from W+P on the jeep, the previous owner drilled and bolted on a set of canvas hoops to suit a stretched French top, so will have to bodge it somehow. And I've just broken off one of the fastening studs on top of screen. Not your problem I know.

Hope the team are escaping the worst of the weather and putting on a great show at Upottery. Anyway, do enjoy the forum!

Thanks TTM. Might have known this would be old news.

Trouble is, there is just so much stuff in this forum, as a newcomer it is difficult to get up to speed with it all!

And you'll have your own source of spares :-) :-) :-)

Yes, go for it and have a great time!

Until only a few days ago I was one of the many who had real reservations about wearing any uniform, and must confess to being critical of those who did.

During my contact with USAAF veterans, I felt it would be extremely disrespectful to wear any uniform associated with their period of conflict, so I restricted dress to a pair of authentic overalls. That developed into an entrenched view.

So I walked around W+P for 3 days thinking how unnecessary it was for people to be wearing uniforms, not realising how much I was missing the plot!

Only after I got home, did I realise how much I had NOT got out of the whole event, and how much those who had worn uniforms (whether re-enacting or simply cruising around in their vehicles), had contributed to the overall atmosphere. So RESPECT to everyone who did bother to dress up! Still I think medals are an absolute no-no.

The very fact that you express concern means that you will wear the uniform with a respectful attitude. And it wouldn't be much fun having a whole hall full of spivs at a 40's do would it!!!

Just read August Classic & Vintage Commercials, which carries breaking news about new legislation which will come into effect next year.

If you keep a post 1972 diesel heavy military classic inside the M25 you need to know this...... :shake:

From Feb 2008 any diesel truck registered after 1.1.73 and over 12 tonnes will have to comply with Euro 3 emissions or face a charge of £200 per day, to be policed via the network of number plate recognition cameras.

From July 2008 this will apply to all diesel vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, and over 1.2 tonnes from 2010.

For some bizzare reason petrol-powered vehicles are exempt.

This applies to all 33 London Boroughs, i.e. everywhere inside the M25. It applies to both commercial and privately registered vehicles. I assume the exemption for 'British - registered Military Vehicles' refers to our armed forces only?

Further information can be found at

Transport For London also have a dedicated enquiries number -

Are we so crazy in this country that we cannot adopt some pretty simple exemptions, to avoid spoiling what few opportunities we get to enjoy ourselves? > >

Welcome jonnyjono.

Please don't park in the spaces reserved for GMCs.

Any chance you could perform some of your special effects and animation craft on my collection of 'static' vehicles? :whistle:

Hmmm, just done that to a Chev M6 and had no idea it would turn out to be such a blooming difficult job, what with reshaping front crossmember and drilling/tapping bellhousing for pedal brackets etc :shake:

Jack - I'm sure it was a Chevrolet, quite different mechanical gubbins (even diff. ratios are different).

Very pleased for both of you.

So it was worth all the hassle of swinging the boom gear out then, Mark - :goodidea:

Must say it made an impressive sight, how about swinging a gmc from it next time? :whistle:

Notwithstanding the deadly seriousness of war there was, on occasion, room for some much-needed relief.

My father was a pilot with Air Sea Rescue, and towards the end of the war was stationed in northwest Norfolk covering the North Sea for downed American bombers.

He dreaded a search for a Liberator as they tended to break up on impact with the sea, and there were rarely any survivors. B17s fared better - the plane (Lockheed Hudson) would drop a large dinghy and guide rescue boats to the crew.

Eventually they were issued radio sets with dual frequency, allowing them to hear stricken bomber crew communications directly, and thus saving valuable time. This is one of the very first transmissions they overheard (from a rookie B17 crew returning over the sea towards Cromer) -

"Plane 738 to tower, we got a motor out, we got a motor out, what are we gonna do?"

"Tower to 738, what's your angels?" (thousands of feet altitude)

"55, 55" (pilot mis-read altimeter, should have said '5 point 5')

"Tower to 738, standby please" (a minute passes)

"Tower to 738, ah, we recommend you cut your other 3 motors and glide home"

No further transmission!!

Lets see if I have got this right, you fill the bucket up with thick paint, then dip the workshop floor broom in and........ :whistle:

Well that's quite a relief seeing as I'm no good at bricklaying or plastering - how does price of the local truck compare? :dunno:

Liberation Road by David L Robbins (Orion, ISBN 0-7528-7815-8)

A Novel, set in the period following D-Day, and based on 3 interwoven tales -

1) Drivers in a Negro trucking company on the Red Ball Express

2) An army chaplain with the front line troops

3) A mysterious American operating within the Paris black market

An easy read, but at the same time a fascinating and (I believe) well-researched account of both the operation of the Red Ball Express and the horrific conditions on the front line. Only 1/2 way through so far, but would recommend it.

WARNING - Not for the squeamish - SOME GMCs DO GET HURT..... :shake: