LarryH57

I think this message you got is from the Nigerian branch of the HMVF!

Niels, I am very jealous of the vehicles in your club and some that you have like the Staghound Mk III I thought did not exist anywhere! I am also surprised that your club is alloed to fire live 105mm ammo. In the UK the authorities are so scared of any one hurting them selves that the public would never ever get to touch a live shell never mind fire one! Keep up the good work and keep the photos coming - AND -please at some time in the future, arrange to bring some of the completed fully restored vehicles to the War & Peace show held every July at Beltring in Kent

Perhaps I'm showing my age but at one time the MOD used to store old rifles for future issue like .303 Lee Enfields and 7.62mm SLRs and since victorian times the Royal Navy used to remove the guns from all their old ships and store them somewhere (in underground caves?) which came in handy during the Falklands when 20mm Oerlikon LAA guns were fitted to modern ships - that the designers thought could do without such things - but you can old guess what has happened to them all now!

Just a though - is there an official date when you should stop wearing your poppy in the UK? Is it when the Rememberance Day has come and gone as it has today, 8th November, or is it the 11th November whether or not it is a working day after Rememberance Day? What do you all do? BTW - I know it's a little way to go but 11th November 2018 is a Sunday which is a blessing as we can all attend Rememberance parades on the actual day. However in a way it is also a disappointment as I would have liked just for once for it to be a public bank holiday with all banks, shops - in fact every non essential establishment closed and traffic band from city centres- just for once on this 100th anniversary, so that we may remember in a special way all those who have died for their county in that time.

I agree - Its not common for a Military Land Rover to have a rear mounted Spare wheel - I think they mean a Land Rover Discovery or Range Rover As you can image vehicle types would not have been high on the victims thoughts and anyway the public call Land Rovers 'Jeeps' and Cherokee Jeeps are mistaken for Land Rovers. Rest assured its not an MV enthusiast!

Mark you lucky b***er - I was there at exactly the same time as you as I took the family during half term and spent ages looking up and down the beach for any signs of what went on. I last went there in 1979 and then you could put your hand in the sand and pull out loads of relics. I remember lads finding 20mm shells, spades, face camo tins, toothpaste, etc but after 30 years of metal detectors its all gone (well nearly). BTW - I went down to the beach via the steps behind the memorial with the family and it looks like my wife in her pink coat in the distance! Shame I did not have an HMVF t-shirt on as I would have said Hi!

In the days when things were a little less complicated many NATO armies held stocks of WW2 era GMCs, Dodges & Jeep type vehicles in case of mobilization but with the end of the cold war and their Armies being run like a business with everything put out to tender, it was no longer cost effective- so these vehicles had to go just like the Green Goddesses. The only stocks we have now are vehicles that have either just been built or those returned to service after a major rebuild - like the Defenders being turned in to Wolfs or FV432's being rebuilt for Middle East / Afgan Ops. Apart from the above the cupboard is bare - but rest assured that the Government knows best and knows for certain that there will never be a national emergency or climatic disaster that might require mobilization of TA & Reserves and Civil Defences (whatever is left of them).

My father served in the RAF for 42 years and as a pilot was issued with a watch that had radio active paint around the dials - he is still with us aged 83 and still has the watch! I know where he would tell the inspector to go!

One story that a British WW2 veteran told of an incident in North Africa certainly made me think. To set the scene: During the fighting in North Africa (before Monty and El Alamein that is) the British Army often had to pull back and withdraw to new defensive positions behind their own minefields. Often there were stragglers left in no mans land who would attempt to reach the Allied lines either on foot or in a vehicle if they were lucky. So there was our veteran manning a position overlooking a minefield when in the far distance he and his comrades see an ambulance (no doubt an Austin K2) heading straight for them and the minefield! But rather than seeing the vehicle blow up, the veteran and his mates saw the ambulance zig sag this way and that, through the sand until it reached them - which the men thought was amazing so the veteran went over to the driver and said "how did you navigate through all those mines?" And the driver said "an officer beckoned me to follow him to safety through the mines by walking in front of the ambulance". "But we didn't see anyone in front of your vehicle they retorted" where upon the ambulance driver was really insistant "It was an ANZAC officer tall with blond hair and he walked in front of us all the way". "Hold on that's him, that's the officer over there" said the driver pointing to a man lying down in the shade beside a vehicle. "But he died about two hours ago when we were shelled" said the men "and we have not had time to bury him". Strange or what!

I think a shop called Past Times may sell what you want. Trouble is that you only see these shops in tourist areas of the UK or in some large shopping centres.

We all agree that WW2 German vehicles are nice to see but I don't think anyone has answered the question - where have they all gone?

I used my Lightweight Land Rover to drive to a job interview wearing a suit - but didn't park it in their office car park as I didn't want them thinking I have strange interests!

A few observations: As a photographer of MV's, the spacing of vehicles close together like Sainsbury's car park or the placing of civi vehicles and portaloos often stops me from taking a good shot. I'm an owner and turn up for free (mostly) but I know many modellers who come in as 'paying public' and if they can't examine or photograph vehicles either they may not come again! So organisers need to think about this aspect. Secondly owners have said to me very recently that they do enjoy their 30 seconds of fame with a turn round the arena where the comentator introduces the vehicle and says a little about its history. This was the norm at the MV shows held in Duxford in 1980s and these owners have said they will not go to certain shows ' just to be ignored'. Incidentally they were not talking about W & P where they appreciate that there is no time for everyone to get a turn round the arena. Another thing I have noticed is that MV owners bring along the MV's set them up in a realistic setting under yards of camo netting and then they themselves retreat to the centre of their display so that they are un-approachable to the public - much the same as someone is who is unapproachable in their tent lying on their camp bed. No wonder many of these owners look bored as none of the public have said hello! Compare this with those who put out a display of kit near their MV for the public to touch and ask questions. Incidentally those in to re-enactment / living history could learn from this by letting the public actually walk THROUGH their trenches and interact with them. I've not seem many people chatting to people dressed as German soldiers when they are hidden in a trench behind mounds of earth and sand bags. Once again its no surprise they look bored and even less approachable. So whether its an MV display or living history its a shame that exhibitors get ignored especially as they have put so much effort in to their uniforms and kit.

It's the survivors that I'm talking about. They all seem to have gone in to hiding! Here's to next year then in the hope that they 'come out to play'!

Not withstanding the Complete running WW2 Panzer list on this forum which lists many UK based vehicles, why have there been so few of these German WW2 vehicles at shows this year - especially German armour and half tracks? If it was the recession then that would have affected people with US & UK vehicles and yet there seem to be more of these at W & P. I remember for example going to shows a few years ago, such as Military Oddessy and seeing Hetzers and Sd Kfz 250 and 251s and PAK guns and Jagdpather but suddenly it seems that there are only mock ups on FV432 running gear and armoured cars on Defender chassis plus a few modified OT-810s. Even the lighter wheeled vehicles seem to have disappeared too and many 'Kubelwagens' I have seen this year are mock ups based on the VW Beetle.

I went on Saturday and enjoyed it very much. Good airshow and great to see so many 25 pdrs in action. Even 'her in doors' found plenty of stalls selling fashion etc, which I said should have been taken up by a more useful 'military' stalls! The only thing that slightly annoyed me was the parking arrangements. They took the entry fee from drivers as soon as they pulled in to the field - so of course the traffic behind was backed up all the way from Cosby! It took me 30 minutes to get less than half a mile because of that. They should have got cars parked asap then let the people get their entry ticket from a separate hut. Going home and getting out of the field with only one exit caused a few log jams of cars. If only they could have had another exit for cars wanting to turn left out of the car park it would have emptied much quicker! Something to remember if any of you arrange a new event.

For some reason they do seem to be selling everything - strange?

Be careful though, as I seem to remember reading about 20 years ago that an MVT member, someone quite well known in the club like Peter Gray, was fined for causing an obstruction with his vehicle following a complaint by a neighbour. As things are today people are more likely to complain to the authorities first rather than speak to their neighbour. 'Little old lady though she would be 'decked' with a pickaxe handle by MV owner if she asked for vehicles to be moved' - would make good headlines in the local press even if totally untrue.

Just got back from Holiday - so did not see this post. I will speak to Mark and reply by email. Many thanks

Having read through the ML sections 1 - 22 etc I have been able to identify a few items in my 'less than 50 years old collection' that would need an export licence: NBC suit, S6 Gas Mask, Gloves & Overboots etc - ML 7 NBC Decontamination kit & test papers - ML 7 Clansman radio & associated parts - ML 11 Pick, Shovel & Spade - ML 17 b. & d. Jerry Can - ML 17 l. Black plastic water container - ML 17 l. Modern Helmet - ML 13 Original IRR NATO green paint - ML 17 c Military Manuals (paper format and as software) - ML 17 f. and ML 21 d. However regarding my Lightweight Land Rover (supposidly covered under ML 6 and 9) I propose to challenge BIS on this - as apart from its shape a 12v GS Lwt differs very little from a 88" Series LR used by a farmer.

Considering that we were reading most of the Germans Enima codes by 1941 / 42 and Russia was our ally, our intelligence services must have known of the Russian T-34 tank and the effect it was having on German troops and consequently their tank designs such as the Panther. Even as late as 1944 our cruiser tanks had vertical front plates, thin armour and very often a 6pdr (57mm) gun! And yet the M3 Lee and M4 Sherman of c.1942 vintage had sloping armour and larger guns. Yes I know the USA and the USSR had the capacity to build more tanks but that still doesn't explain why we still went on building outdated designs.

Has here been any clarification over items that may have been used by the Armed Forces that were or still are available to civilian buyers? For example if you bought some night vision equipment from Withams that just so happened to have been used by the Army would it need an export licence if the very same kit had been available directly to the civi market through retail outlets? Is it the fact that the equipment has been used by the Armed Forces that is important to the Government or the equipment itself and its potential for use in conflict? Perhaps they have not thought this through? If its the later, do people with no interest in MVs etc need to get export licences for kit that could be used in war such as night vision kit used by conservationists who just want to use it to spot animals at night? Also regarding section 6 of this scheme I am still not clear whether my 1970-80's collection of 9x9 tent, Clansman, jerry cans, pots and pans, tool boxes, webbing, combat clothing and boots etc are in need of an export licence or indeed whether each bit of kit needs a licence or just the vehicle they are carried in? Confused or what!!!!

When I found it I was tempted for half a second to find out if it was live by pulling the pin and throwing it in to a farmers field - but then the thought of being 6 feet under or at best serving a long stretch in a French jail came to mind so I put it back where I found it. The property owner has subsequently advised that it had been 'deactivated' so thats OK then. But take my advice never be tempted - after all French bomb disposal experts are still being killed by UXO's 64 years after WW2 ended and almost 100 years after WW1 started. Finally regarding this question concerning the Resistance can anyone help: Logic would tell me that if they stored weapons they would have buried them, as a property would be a likely target for the Germans to search, which in turn would have put the owners at great risk!

This was found in a remote hill top farm in the Loire Valley where I stayed recently. It seems the farm was used by the resistance at sometime. However as I do not know of their methods I do not know how it came to be there. Logic would tell me that if they stored weapons they would have buried them, as a property would be a likely target for the Germans to search, which in turn would have put the owners at great risk! As for the grenade it has 'No.36 M' on the bottom and what looks like 'BBC' as a possible makers mark - but it is very hard to see so could be 'BPC'. Incidentally is this a British grenade or US?