kpu121265

Importing from the US is not hard, we have brought many vehicles over. Working with the right people makes a big difference - and Kingston in my experience are good people. We might be able to help out in the next container depending on when you are buying and where from in the States. Regards Ken

Yes please....... Ken

Thankyou super track. She will be even more beautiful with an engine in, and driving down the road to the petrol station. Hopefully will have found and recorded the rest of the markings in the next couple of weeks, then we can get it blasted and 'get on with it'. Ken

You can go and live in our place whenever you want Dave, first gite completed, second one well under way - or take a tent and stay in the field......

65th does seem a while ago, but we're gearing up for the 70th.... If you can post a picture of the crate i might be able to help ID it Dave. I have many war time crates which have been reused with war time markings (where you can see the war time markings under the post war ones). I would have thought they would have destroyed the war time markings to avoid confusion, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Also picked up a 75mm crate (one of the triangular ones) clearly over stencilled "Omaha Beach - Ord depot".... Ken

Dave, how are you? I can't help you with the crate - can you post some photos. I picked a couple of good ammo crates up at the Colleville 'vide greniers' in August, but it was pouringn down. Are you still in France? I suppose i should have pm'd this but it's too late now. Regards Ken

Thanks Jim, sent you an e-mail about the straps and the cover. Ken

I have recently acquired a 1944 M10 Ammunition Trailer. From the manual i understand that there were a total of 22 straps supplied with it - to accomodate all the different loading configurations. There were 2 x Strap Assembly 74 " long with buckle, 10 x Strap Assembly 47" long with buckle and 10 x Strap Assembly 68" long with 2 buckles. Does anyone have any examples of the above straps? The trailer will be towed loaded with period ammunition crates behind one of the GMCs, or the half tracks or even the Sherman and it would be good to get the right straps for it. I can source a cover for it - but the straps are more elusive. Even some pictures of each of the strap types at this stage would help so i can see if i can find matching hardware for them. Thanks Ken

Steve, that Battle of the Bugle reference was mine and not the owner of the site. My mistake, but as this constitutes veracity - although some of them most certainly are from that period as the source is from right in the middle of that area - apologies for the offence caused i shall not do it again! I thought the images were interesting. If you have seen most of them before, lucky you, i had never seen any of them before - but then my interest in not German Armour. Ken

Terry has just updated the Troubleshooters site with some more images which i though might be of interest to anyone in to German armour, it also includes a picture of Patton. Ken http://www.thetroubleshooters.com/80th/80thartifacts0026.html

I'm sorry, but 2mph is not my problem in the DT (unless she is dragging the sherman about), much over 2mpg however is good..... Ken

Andy, nice to see you on 'here'. People of HMVF, Andy is a very good guy to deal with, has been very helpful to us with the Sherman and has unearthed some parts for us - so much so that another set of challenges is winging it's way towards him.... Ken

Be assured, when it is running it will be going where ever the rest of the fleet goes. A&E 2012 - why not if it's running...... The only 'problem' with that is getting it there, but given she is going to Normandy in 2014, A&E in 2012 can present too much of a problem. Ponderosa is fairly local to us, so even as an incomplete restoration (unless something magnificent happens in the next 10 months) it will be fairly easy to get it there, and will be an interesting thing for people to see, climb on, poke with a stick. If anyone fancied Ponderosa this year and didn't make it, all i can say (again) is that it was a very good do, and more can only make it better. We are very happy to have been invited back - although i'll be needing at least one more driver for the GMC353 and possibly the M14....... Ken

Thanks, that's the link i was looking for, thankyou for posting. The chap we bought this one from was responsible for clearing the park of the MVs. The Sherman, in whatever state it is in, will almost certainly be making an appearance at next year's (2011)Ponderosa event in Heckmwondike (August i think). I doubt we will have her running by then, but she should be an interesting exhibit anyway - even if she still has the turret off and not much inside... If we are really lucky, could have the engine in by then, firewall manufactured, hull seats, driving controls and be able to move it about..... You need to give your visor a good flip up sometimes to make sure your vision is far enough 'up' the horizon..... Ken

She is currently about 70 miles north east of you. Blasting can not start until we have finally checked all the possible locations for markings which is a long job - but well worth it so far. Given that the whole thing will be completely stripped down once she gets in to the workshop, the wheels and tracks might stay on for the initial blasting. Now we have the steering operational, it is relatively easy to manouver her with the tracks on. We will see..... I suspect we will be changing all the bearings anyway, and most of the road wheels are shot. Ken

I think so, we have an image somewhere of the tank in the playground, showing the handrail etc welded to it which explained some of the extra weld marks on the hull. There was apparently a steam locomotive and a jet fighter of some kind in the same park. The chap who rescued the sherman, also pulled out an artillery piece and a half track. If i understand correctly, the park had some trouble when a young girl was killed it in, falling or otherwisae hurting herself on one of the items in it. I can not find the link again now, will have a look when i get to my pc later. Anyway, the sherman is on the move in to the blasting 'zone'....

They can be sleeved, i have had three done over the years. Of course, without seeing yours, i can not guarantee that yours can. Ken

He may have done some Adrian, i just haven't heard anything. It's not a job i'm looking forward to much either, but it needs to be done. Ken

I don't think yours have even made it to the container yet Adrian - at least i've not heard anything from site. It looks like the end of October or early Nov for loading - so if they are there, and are loaded, they should be in the UK before Christmas. I have lots of them here (from the same source) if you need some sooner....? Ken

It has been a while since we posted anything about the sherman restoration. The search for parts continues, front seats now located and in storage in Italy (at my aunt's place until i can get out to collect them), engine should be being run up today prior to being packed for shipping. Small parts are trickling in to the workshop - we have nearly everything including the installation kit for the complete radio/intercom set up, found the track adjusting spanner in a scrap yard near our place in Normandy for a couple of euros, have more track wedge bolts than we will hopefully ever need, have most of the wiring NOS (at least most of the conduit anyway), have dashboard, clutch pedal assemby, the turret seats, little joe generater, one of the f/ext bottles, turret brake and numerious small parts. The big bits we are still hunting for (apart from the firewall which we will have to manufacture) are turret basket, breech block, prop shaft, prop shaft tunnel, first motion shaft for the gearbox and the gearbox final drive flange. Adam rigged up a temp arm for the steering lever which was missing one and it has been moved, steering under it''s own control (motive power provided by a 'big' tractor) in to the blast zone. She is slowly still giving up her secrets, there is no doubt that originally this was vehicle C-16 of what is looking like 2nd armoured. The unit designation is still under layers of paint. In another two years (hopefully much less) we should have that revealed as well. (When i say originally, of course i mean, that on the last layer of OD, under several layers of paint we are finding these markings, along with white stars - could have been stripped and repainted before we got her granted). The GMC353 and WC16 are keeping us 'honest' in the meantime.... Regards Ken

First vehicles for me (26 years ago) were a 1932 Austin 10, which 18 months later i managed to upgrade to a 1938 Hilman Minx which i could get 60 mph out of on a good day. Drove to Bristol and back in it (from Leeds) once. I then managed to get hold of an Alvis 12/70 which was a very nice vehicle - took three years to get that on the road. I then went through a series of minis, an escort estate eventually to Land Rovers - from which the OD vehicles were an almost natural progression. Ken

I posted some pics of the 969 earlier in this thread, but i thought some more recent ones might be of interest. Which has now reminded me, that i still need the tail gate for it. If anyone has a spare one under their bed (or a sherman propshaft, propshaft tunnel or turret basket) please let me know. Ken

I do a number of school visits every year with as much of the fleet as i can muster, generally when they are being moved around to other events. On the Friday of the Leeds Veteran's Day event, i brought the vehicles down on the Friday afternoon and took them to the local secondary school for example. A few of son Mk1's pals have shown some interest, and have even joined us on events over the years. Two of my drivers have young families who often come along to an event. My 3 are fairly blase about going for a pint of milk in a 1941 half track for example, but most kids will never get close to our vehicles, to hear them, smell them, feel them. That's what it's all about for me, otherwise they will all end up in glass cases in museums (the vehicles not the children).... It is very rewarding to see the interest which most kids have in this kit, if it is presented properly, and i have been pleasantly surprised by the genuine interest shown on the school visits by the gamestation generation. The only real precaution we have to take is to establish what the school wants us to have with us by way of accessories, most do not allow guns, ammunition etc etc. As i say to the teachers, if we send just one child home thinking about what the old man next door who is sick if fishing Johnys football out of greenhouse might have been doing 70 years ago, then we have achieved something. In response to the last post, i am 44, started with a K9 about 15 years ago, and have very evidently not yet lost the bug! Boy Mk1 now has his own jeep which has set some of my drivers sons on the pestering trail so we are doing a bit to keep the young blood flowing.

I agree, get them young enough and they don't even need to be 'converted'. Son mk1 teaches daughter mk1 to drive one of the jeeps. Then irritates her by driving the GMC which she can't reach the pedals in.... Girl Mk2 takes the wheel of a jeep at 11 months Son mk1 then has his own jeep.... [ATTACH=CONFIG]34041 [/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]34042 [/ATTACH]

Ours does not have the foot pedal either. The 'dead mans' switch is on the control handle on ours. Ken