garys39

Here's mine, unissued, can just see the 8465 number that Clive mentioned, in ink on the end, Regards Gary   

Hello James,

in 2014 I took my BSA bike to Normandy for 3x days, I parked my car in Portsmouth and then boarded the ferry, loaded down with tent, sleeping bag (both strapped to my bike) and a large ruck sack. I made the short journey to the campsite LES CAPUCINES at Ranville, riding along the canal to Pegasus bridge, this was at 6am, 6 June, 70 years on !  (that was an incredible experience).

The only thing I decided to change on the bike were the pedals, as riding any distance with the push through type pedals, can become very hard work. I also added a vintage rack, purely to add the carrying ability of the bike and not wishing to have an Everest carry on the front, which I did consider.

During my 3x days I covered approx. 60x miles, the furthest ride being out to Saint Aubin sur Mer, to visit the NOBS campsite, where friends were staying, and getting a very welcome cup of tea there. This area is mostly flat, so riding is not to difficult, the only thing is the saddle and this proved hard on my arse ! I think this is the one factor to consider and maybe finding someway when cycling to provide yourself with some sponge/padding, to ease the soreness, is a MUST !

The experience was fabulous, where ever you stop people chat and want to know about the bike, and of course being there for the anniversary of this piece WW2 history is everything.

Riding the 100 miles to the port, will be tough on a bike which has no gears and there are a few hills to get over from your start point to port, and to carry any kit with you would be very difficult, so you might need to arrange other transport for your needs when staying in Normandy,  maybe a friendly HMVF'er on here might be able to take a tent etc over for you ? 

The photo was taken over looking the 5th Parachute Brigade landing zone, when on my way to the Merville Battery.

 Best Regards

Gary

I picked up this compressor at the weekend, has the appearance of US Army issue, it has a fixing for quick mounting/detaching, also has a driven shaft drive. Made by Saylor Beall, Detroit, model 501-E, has anybody seen anything like this before, I can find no info on the web.

Thanks Gary

Attached photos, taken today at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. 

PS If anyone is thinking of going this weekend prepay and print your tickets off before you go, this morning I had to queue for an hour and half to get in !

Just seen this footage on facebook of a convoy of WW1 vehicles, making their way to the Great Dorset Steam Fair yesterday. Regards Gary

Picked this up recently at a carboot sale, Trial 82 Experimental Sleeping Bag, didn't realise it is what it is until I got it out of it's carrier just now. 

Today I displayed at the Bicester Heritage "Flywheel Show", I took along some of my collection and my G3l and displayed as a field workshop WW2, in Europe, I had the pleasure of a Morris C8 parked along side my display, from  vehicle collector Tobin Jones and this added greatly to the overall setup.  The show has a varied mix of classic cars, motorcycles, aircraft and a military vehicle/reenactors section, all this and with perfect weather to boot.  

Thanks for taking the time to record this restoration Ron, it's a great example of just how to go about it.

Regards Gary.

Get yourself a copy of this book, full of photos of the Jeep in British service through WW2.

Regards Gary

Here's a couple of photos of a Typhoon engine I was offered in 2012, found in the Pierrepont area in Normandy (near to Falaise), it was make an offer in excess of 1000 euros, which was more than I would want to spend.

Spent yesterday at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, here are just a few photos of some of the WW1 vehicles, and especially the bells, which are ready to be transported to Ypres next week, for the St Georges Memorial Church (see link below).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-40751031

I agree with Tuggers shower comments, all good, but would like to point out one of our happy campers has a shower secret. While I was waiting for my daughter to come out of the showers, a chap walked up to a locked shower pod, looked left then right and then unlocked it and let himself in, from where I was stood (by the security van), I could see that it was empty to start with and that this was a way of never having to queue/wait !

I think the Wire Cutters No2 that you show, were made from 1944 onwards, not sure but maybe some one out there will know ?

I think it's from a Waco Glider.

http://www.questmasters.us/CG-15A.html

Regards

Gary

Anyone with one on a trailer, might want to make sure it's well bolted on also !

Hi PT,

just go to any gun shop which has a range and they will have guns you can hire and shot, did it a couple of years ago while in Florida.

Regards Gary

See the link below for some Beetle pictures I posted back in 2010, I must dig out these photos and post some more.

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?17352-British-Vehicle-photos-1946-47-in-RASC-use-Germany&highlight=vw+beetle

Regards Gary

This is all fine, but what if Southern Rail are on strike when the "balloon goes up" ?

Shooting up an old caravan with a machine gun ! Is that what the military vehicle restoring fraternity is about ! The more intelligent members of the public see that kind of behaviour as reckless and puerile to say the least. Some viewers of that show are naive enough to get the impression that we MV restorers are shooting up caravans at MV shows and that we are gun crazy .

Shooting up caravans is one thing, but here in the UK there a bit of caravan joke thing going on (drivers don't being stuck behind them), but the public to do like to see a good battle with loud gunfire and explosions, and then there is the good old fashioned car crushing in the arena, which I think is very popular amongst the paying public at MV shows.

Hello Stef,

regarding the brass plate on the tool box, as Ron says you do see a large rebuild plate (late war or normally postwar), originally there would have been a small contract plate, similar to the type shown below (this one though is mounted on the mudguard or a M20 I think), reproductions do come up on ebay and through your frame number you can work out the contract number to stamp on it.

Regards Gary

If you go to the Tank Museum web site you can see that it is already on the M27 !

Go to the bottom of the page in this link for footage,

http://www.tankmuseum.org/visit-us

Regards

The Vickers-Colt in the cage had actually had a torch cut through the underside of receiver/feed area and a torch hole through the underside of the water jacket and barrel, the PPSH looked complete, as did the rifle and pistols. Here's a few more photos.

Tony Wins, see photos, just a shame these weapons are going to be cut up/scrapped.

Yes it is a wheeled cage for 'Newly Acquired' exhibits, there were 2x more in another room, with items in to be evaluated.

It wasn't a Vickers, see attached photo, can anyone guess, it's rarer that an a Vickers, answers on a postcard.

Thankyou John, for the chance to visit this collection, for those who have not seen it, here are a few photos taken today. Regards Gary