Papav66

One dedicated field for ww2 only, no post war, a lot of deep trenches with usually a few tanks part-buried & many dioramas. Then a field for traders & post war. Then a 3rd field just for the battle with over 300 re-enactors involved in that & a lot of armored vehicles, with a few thousand spectators sitting up on the grass bank that runs parallel. (Would post some pics but lost them) Dinner for 650 in the marquee with waitress service. Number of visitors over weekend must be in tens of 000's So its going to be a cracking event but forcast still looking wet. Are you going Jack?

Definitely going, the best ww2 themed event, you've only got to see the amount of posts on the re-enacting forum. + the Vulcan will be flying past.

Trouble is if you take a hit in a wooden cab the splinters don't show up on the x-rays!

more C8s listed on http://www.cobbatoncombat.co.uk/ see 'Fleet' but don't know numbers or if already included in your list.

Was considered a fast truck for its day, six cylinder, 3995cc petrol, could do 50+. The MoD eventually replaced them but soon brought them back as they were more reliable. Mine has not let me down once in the last 4 years. a few more details on this thread: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=9190

it wouldn't, it would be dam hot! Perhaps you could restore one from all those parts.

The 2nd pic is definitely an early one as no vents in nose of bonnet. Shame to see them like that as lots of salvageable parts.

They certainly are influential characters, I'm pleased to of met them. April 11, 12 & 13 Evesham Vintage Easter Gathering or August 7, 8, & 9 Evesham Vintage Rally Both are family shows to include a mix of steam engines both full size & miniature, vintage & classic cars, motorbikes, commercials, agricultural bygones, trade stalls, fairground and of course a large military section, along with a decent sized arena. There is also a beer tent, refreshments and entertainment. Chill Out Weekend, dates to be confirmed. I'll post more details nearer the time. Hope you can make it, cheers Paul

Jack - you would be very welcome & I'd gladly show you round, next show will be over Easter, Paul

For Snowtracdave re-DAF Used to belong to local member Jim until a few months ago, so I've sent an email asking for contact details of new owner & will hopefully forward to you. Have to say its a great truck, but didn't fit it with Jim's russian stuff so he sold it.

Interestingly I received an email yesterday from a chap & here is that msg: Came across your web site and I was pleasantly surprised that someone has taken the time and effort to promote what to me seems a very understated and under estimated truck, especially playing second fiddle to the Champ. I am 38 and grew up in the NE of England during the miners strike, rule of Scargill and the Thatcher years. What has this got to do with the K9 you may ask as I don’t even own one. From most press cuttings inc. some in your links it described the K9 as being pensioned off from the Mod going into recovery roles with garages or exported for exploration purposes or even for charitable causes in Africa. One big use for the K9 in the NE of England during the 70’s and 80’s was beach work. My first encounter with a K9 was on Blackhall Rocks beech fishing with the old man (I was 7). A bitterly cold winter morning and raining cats and dogs, I was stood on the edge of the surf and behind me motored this large camouflaged truck with fuel splashing from the top of its fuel tank (no fuel filler cap). My father flagged the driver down and advised you are losing your diesel. No its petrol was the response. Strange for a truck being petrol was my fathers response but my father was not into trucks. The K9 was out that dismal morning along with approx 15 other K9, RL and landrover variants (just on this section of beech) collecting the black gold Seacoal. In the 70’s and 80’s seacoal was big business in the NE. Around 12 local collieries tipped waste straight into the sea via Ariel flights (ref. get carter closing scene). It was also rumoured that an open coal seam was also just off the coast which all told could provide very black beaches. The seacoal “duff” was scooped from the beaches or the surf and loaded onto vehicles ranging from bicycles with sacks to the mighty RL sitting down on its axles with wet coal duff running from under its side boards. The beach on most days was like a large truck park. The wagons would contain 3 or 4 men with sieve like shovels. The men would jump from the truck and the driver would reverse back into the sea on sand ramps to stop the truck sinking. Then it was a lot of effort and toil loading the truck in breaking ice cold waves. Once loaded the poor old K9 would be started up (provided it would) surrounded by breaking waves and have to drag itself out of the surf and up the beech. This was no easy task as when it got out of the surf it would be in soft sand. Sand ramps were alternately placed in front of the wheels to progress up the beech. This was if the K9 was lucky. The unlucky ones sometimes would not start in the water or got stuck in the sand and then given the rising tide that was it, they were washed out, the fate of many a K9. However, the K9 seemed a lot more nimble than the RL especially through the rock pool areas where you could often see some spectacular axle and chassis articulation, which pushed the chassis to the absolute limit. Bare in mind these trucks were abused to the point of high greedy boards on the body sides to carry in the realms of 5 tonnes of wet sea coal. Once off the sand the K9 fully laden had to climb a muddy rutted 1:1 virtual cliff face to get off the beach area and up to the road. You almost felt sorry for the truck as it laboured impressively in low first 4wd scratting for traction up the cliff with water pouring from under all the side boards of its body. To add insult to injury the driver may well allow other coal pickers with bikes a free lift to the road with their coal (in sacks) bikes and all. This was really a machine breaker. The coal was destined for coal merchants in Hartlepool (10 miles away) and then the drivers would face another type of problem, the ministry of transport and the police. The police were well aware of the routes taken by the drivers and would have frequent purges of pulling the drivers over for over weight loads, no tax, dodgy exhausts etc. Later in life I became friendly with some of the old seacoalers and they explained that among them selves they had one immaculate K9 and Bedford RL which never saw punishment. This was known as the Darlington express (local HGV testing station). A truck requiring test would have a change of plate on the Darlington Express and presented for MoT, no probs. Pretty simple id on military vehicles. I was also told that scores of K9’s RL’s and Landrovers have been killed off on this punishing work, either washed out, broken in two or plain and simple salt water poisoning. Every few weeks the lads would be at the military sales looking for another workhorse. I think this early exposure raised my interest in the K9 as I bought 3 back in 1993. Each I broke for spares and never ended up with one as I always wished. I still have a radio box sat in a farm yard somewhere, which I know came off a truck destined for beach work. Never to be seen again.

Hello Jan and welcome, I like those Volvos, they make quite a good camper

I just like to waste their time and give them the address & phone number of the local Police station. Last one was really thick & emailed asking why I had given him the number for the Police! So I apologised & gave him the number for Police in the next town.

thanks, interesting to know that, cheers P

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend and pleased to have finally met some fellow HMVF people, Catweazle & Pat, Clive Elliot, Nick Johns & mikemids, so thanks for all making the effort to be a part of it. The road run was the best one we've had yet, more suited to smaller vehicles about 15 came along, with a few stop offs on the way to see some other Stanton shelters near the one we salvaged, through various villages & a great track through a wood then down to Toddington Steam railway. Then we returned just in time to watch the Tigermoth land. So here are a few pics for starters

Fort Nelson is close by, see Cats posts & watch out for the Portuguese Man of War, apparently there's lots of them round the corner in Bracklesham Bay & they've been asking people to stay out of water.

If interested, I do have a made up mp3 file of some Russian military radio traffic, I could burn onto to CD & you could leave on repeat in your vehicle, or you could put it on to a little mp3 player & play through one of your radios speakers.

Had a quick look on the MVT site and a Keith Brooker has a pic of his on there http://www.mvt.org.uk/members_files/brooker_k.htm

Hello, sorry but we don't do drugs 'substance' but then again having an MV could be considered an addiction!

Hi Mike, as mentioned its a fairly relaxed event but plans are: Saturday Might be a little road run on the Saturday but that will depend on whose interested. 15.00hrs flypast BBMF Dakota subject to weather and availability. 19.00hrs barbecue in the large nissen FREE for MVT members, but if possible please book in with Gill by 12.00HRS (with your MVT number if you have one) to give us a fair chance of buying in the right amount of food. Non-members need to make a small contribution. Though I know you have just joined Mike. 21.30hrs Searchlight display Sunday 11.00hrs – 14.00hrs appx Drive into the Cotswolds along quiet country lanes, bridle paths, through a shallow ford & stopping off at the Flag & Whistle café, Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway, Toddington. Petrol contribution for MVT members. Timing and final route subject to weather. 18.30hrs – 19.30hrs WW2 Veteran Slide presentation by Major Darek Celinski on ‘Life under Hitler’ Monday No planned activity And sometime over the weekend Jim will do another Mortar/pyro display. I'll be there from Friday morning. See you there. cheers Paul

Sorry to hear of engine probs. So far I only know of about 4 other HMVF people who are hoping to attend, but maybe more will turn up. Then there should be about 50+ other vehicles there, taking into account Bob the landowner has about 15-20 in his collection & Jim with 5+, so its guaranteed some interesting vehicles will be there. See you Saturday then, cheers Paul

Yes price has rocketed, I heard its up to £300 round here

The run on Saturday was a little longer than it should have been & a bit of a giggle as umm someone took a wrong turn!

Hi there & welcome, I also have a K9 & fortunate to have the penthouse to go with it, no radios just a distribution board. Over the last few years I have collected articles on the K9 & have a few pics so will dig them out & post later. There used to a K9 register before the days of computers with about 100 registered but that fell by the wayside years ago. So at the moment there isn't a dedicated site however I did start to design a site but not got round to finishing but when i've got a bit more time I might get back onto it. see http://www.austink9.co.uk/dev/ In the meantime this is about the best place to ask questions or post info about. cheers Paul

Thanks for the hospitality Tim, B & I enjoyed the run in your Jeep, thanks very much, Paul