Deuceman

NOS, many thanks for the update on Agnes's history, very interesting. I look forward to seeing her restoration progress. Best of luck!

A quick heads up to say that the Christmas edition of Commercial Motor magazine will feature a four page Xmas road test where the vehicle being tested is a GMC Tipper from the membership stud of the TVMVT. Paul Bratton of SDC trailers in Mansfield set this up, using Ric Evans's tipper from Nottingham, SDC funding its return to roadworthy status after a period of inactivity due to brake problems, rectified with spares from Rex Ward. Yours truly went along for the day to oversee the conscription of Editor in Chief Brian 'Sarge' Weatherley and provide looks of anguish as he crunched through the gears! It was a great day and having seen the copy from the article, should be a good read too! Pictures were taken by top CM photographer Tom Cunningham, so the illustrations should be worth seeing as well. Attached is a taster pic of Tom's, showing Brian W portraying a lost GI driver "somewhere in Europe" and yours truly providing an injection of youthful good looks! Ok so I'm no spring chicken, but compared to the driver and the truck I'm just a kid! All said, should be a good bit of free publicity for the hobby as well as bigging up SDC and TVMVT! I might even get a name check as well!

Heads up on the latest plans to mark National Service 60th next year I have managed to talk the Great Central Railway into formally marking the 60th Anniversary of National Service over the weekend of 8th/9th August 2009. As previously outlined, the GCR in Leicestershire is a restored 8 mile double track main line steam railway that recreates the 1950/60's BR scene. This doesn't detract from my plans to encourage anyone interested in joining in with a post Xmas opportunity to don period post war attire and travel behind steam, to join me on Sunday 4th Jan to mark the Anniversary proper (1st Jan 1948) - all arms all ranks welcome - in 1948-62 period attire. Back to August 09 - Uniformed re-enactors will be welcome and encouraged and vehicles will be welcome to head to Quorn Station for display. Expect discount travel arrangements for NS veterans and possibly uniformed persons, but don't have any more details than that at the moment. Expect to be liaising with RBL etc ref them publicising it, but open to suggestions as to how it might be enhanced. This could turn out to be a fantastic opportunity for all you post war vehicle boys and girls to get your vehicles in front of the folks that used them. Finally, NO WORLD WAR TWO VEHICLES please, unless they are in appropriate post war markings! Neil ---------------------------- I'd rather drive a champ than push a jeep! Did I just write that? I'm sure the irony of moi organising a post war vehicle event will raise a smile or two somewhere!! Henry Kissinger eat your heart out! Could I just reiterate, NO WORLD WAR TWO VEHICLES please, unless they are in appropriate post war markings!

NOS I might have missed it although I don't think so, but can you provide any background to your find (and boy what a find it is!) and any history known about it? I've always suspected that there would be one of these beauties around somewhere, but had never seen anything to confirm that there was. Was it local to you or did you have to bring it from afar? Have posted an image here of a 2000 gallon tanker at RAF Ramsbury in 1944 - the guys atop are from the 83rd Squadron, 437th Troop Carrier Group. Also an image of an example of your new toy in use with the 384th BG presumably taken at Grafton Underwood with one of their B17's - I don't think it has appeared on here yet?

Thanks for this. Not aware that they had Archers or Charioteers at that time. Daimler Armoured Cars and Dingo's yes. Presume they had already started their armoured recce role with this kit? Presume Brass RWY (small pattern) titles would have been worn at the base of the epaulettes? Would the Divisional flash have been the Wessex Dragon, gold on blue? Had they worn collar insignia, what would these have been? Appreciate your help. Cheers, Neil

Come on Mr Barrell you must know who has the turret or what happened to it? Great post Maverick - very interesting

Hi Ed, Congrats on the nuptuals. Shoes looked a bit cheap though. Should have splashed out mate. See you on the Saturday!! Neil

Great shots of C47 action last weekend http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24248&sid=0945b141e129aa71f0df6ff1f7d3ab83

There is no 'evidence' as such that I have which can prove 100% that it was used by the 101st. They were definitely encamped in the area where this relic now sits, and spent almost 12 months in the vicinity. I was first told about it by a third party fellow enthusiast who would not reveal it's location. I then met a local man who was a teenager during the war in the area and he referred to it with regard to the 101st totally unsolicited and pointed out exactly where it was on a map. I then went and found it. The evidence of some kind of charge having been placed atop, only served to corroborate his story in my eyes. He has since died and my picture is about ten years old, but I doubt whether it has moved, as you'd need to fell a forest to get any moving equipment in to where it sits. Obviously it could have been used by troops other than the 101st or indeed more than one unit, but overall I think who used it is largely academic. It is what it is, it is where it is, it didn't get there by accident and first person accounts referred to it.

Bought two of these a few years back at a boot sale. Can someone please advise exactly what they are? Thanks, Neil

Thanks Hanno, How far is it from Eindhoven to Overloon?

Having read the Museum Report on the home page regarding the Dutch National War & Liberty museum and the Marshall museum in Overloon, and having read the reports on the summer DC3 flight over Normandy, it occurred to me that as a body of like minded individuals we probably have enough people who would be prepared to pay the necessary to charter a flight and make a day trip of visiting this facility? If we could fill a 737 for example I am sure the costs could be quite reasonable, even if we could only manage a Fokker (I've always wanted to say that!) I'm sure it wouldn't be that exorbitant. An HMVF Day Tripper Obviously the next question would be where would we fly from. Obviously living in Newark the answer has to be East Midlands! Seriously though I think we could do this. I'd be interested to hear who might be interested. We could explore the heritage aircraft options such as they now are (if at all), but I personally would rather get there quicker and enjoy the museum to the full. Joris/Enigma - what are the nearest airports to Overloon and can we come to yours for tea? Neil

Rick, I don't intend revealing where it is as I don't want it to be moved. It's sat there this long as a silent marker to what went on there and in my eyes it would be a great shame for it to become someone's possession. I wonder how many have stumbled across it whilst walking their dogs! Admittedly it will rust away one day, but that said it will still be there long after you and I! Cheers, Neil

Hi Jack, Bit late catching up on this one, but count me in as well, including contributing to any admin effort required. I'll raise it at the TVMVT meeting on Wednesday and see if the Trent Valley Area of the Military Vehicle Trust wants to formally support HMVF's appeal Thanks to Neil for posting and well done to all who have posted. Can we have this thread as a headline news item so that it hits people as soon as they surf on. Ditto a permanent display ad on the home page. "HMVF's Ten Good Men (or more) appeal" Cheers, Neil

Anyone got any idea what this is? Dug up on a Devon sand dune last week - not by me I hasten to add. To me it says 'Mine' but I don't know why!!

This little piece of scrap metal sits in a wood near Newbury and has done so since WW2 when it was allegedly used for the practice placement of demolition charges by US paratroopers form the 101st - the damage up top would suggest this is probably correct?

Richard, I was last there in 1976! I think it's a tad bigger since then!!!

Would that be the Stourpaine Bushes Andy???!

Whilst Chris MacMillan and family are familiar with this picture, I thought you might appreciate seeing what I managed to do in my Fox on Exercise Keystone in Germany in 1986 whilst in the TA with A Sqdn Royal Yeomanry (Swindon). It was my first Germany exercise and my commander was Shaun "Wol" Collins 1st Troop's Troop Sergeant. Wol was the best commander a rookie driver could want and had given me a friendly but firm baptism of fire as his driver earlier that year (supplying him with McVities chocolate biscuits from down below had been a good ice breaker though!). He had however been tipped in a Fox previously and had had a narrow escape, so was always drumming in to me about their high centre of gravity and the appropriate driving techniques to adopt. On this occasion we were about 24hrs from ENDEX and patrolling in single file moving tactically from covered location to covered location one vehicle at a time. We were last vehicle in our troop and the others had raced across the field at this location. In line with Wol's advice I took it more gingerly than the others and all of a sudden forward movement became lateral movement in a rather disconcerting and unstoppable fashion! Wol shouted 'were going over Kirk' and we ended up as you can see, moving over in an almost slow motion fashion. There were just the two of us aboard as we did not carry a radio operator on this Exercise and Wol is pictured in the helmet reporting in to 'Zero' that we required LAD assistance!! Neither of us were injured, but the BV did lose all of it's hot water! That meant no hot drinks whilst we awaited the fifth cavalry (LAD). This picture always makes me smile because the incident happened about half a mile outside of the town of Gehrden and that morning we had spent about two hours there during a stand down, stocking up on provisions from a grocers and washing and shaving whilst parked in the town centre. We hadn't been there long before a few kids on bikes turned up and soon there were about six or seven of them with us, speaking pigeon English and looking at the vehicles. It was one of those occasions that stays with you, because one little girl who seemingly could speak no English, watched me getting my wash kit ready and tried to communicate something to me. I didn't have a clue what she was saying, but she ran off jabbering only to return a few minutes later with a brand new razor and some shaving soap!! Priceless and all the more amazing to me, because they couldn't have been strangers to British army exercises in that area. One of her friends is the guy in the photo with his hands in the air, having just come over the hill with his mate to see 10 FD 73 lying on its side! Needless to say we waited hours for the LAD in their Spartan! When they did turn up, they did a neutral turn on the ploughed field and shed both tracks before they'd even left the vehicle!!! The REME permanent staff officer from our LAD detachment turned up and I have another great shot of him stood on the Fox and looking up to the heavens as of to say 'god help me'!! He was off to Hong Kong shortly after this exercise and you could see that in his eyes it couldn't come quick enough!! Eventually a Scammell turned up and positioned itself up on the bank to the left of the track and pulled us back on to our wheels. In doing so it pulled the recovery chains down on both front and back wings such that we had to crow bar them off of the wheels to get moving. Having written off both of the right hand wings in the accident, we had quite a big job when we got the vehicle back to Swindon later that month. Once righted, we checked the fluids and got back into the war, but 73 looked like a giant had used her for a roller skate. We didn't let it bother us though as we were "roughy tuffy TA warriors". Later that month the Sqd CO Major Arkle came up to me at the drill hall and said "bad luck Trooper Stevens, it wasn't your fault", so I felt somewhat better after that!! So, who has a Fox I can have a drive in?

Did anyone happen to count the No of Scammell Explorers at the GDSF? I lost count at 9 so there were probably more! Does anyone own the vehicle that used to be with A Sqdn Royal Yeomanry's LAD in Swindon until the late 1980's/early 1990's?

Further to my last post ref 49 pattern BD, can anyone help me ref the correct insignia/markings for a late 1950's Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry enlisted man's BD uniform please?

Did anyone else set eyes on this tidy looking civi GMC at the GDSF? Nice to see it as I know that many of the GMC's that stayed in the UK post war ended up on lime spreading duties and I think that probably did for many of them. If anyone knows of the vehicle I'd be interested to know if it is a retro fit restoration or an original post war lime spreader that has been restored? As it was painted up in the colours of a Blandford Company I presume it was probably local?

Can anyone help me in obtaining a Hercules JXD Petrol Fuel Pump for a White Scout Car. Having borrowed one from Rob Epton to get our Scout Car fit, we now need to replace it and we're finding it a tad difficult to locate one! Any condition considered, as with what we've got left of our broken one and an O/haul kit we'll probably be able to make up a good one. Any leads appreciated. TTFN

This is a superb bit of historical kit and even more amazing when you considering that the team who restored it are now mid 70's and mid 80's respectively, the older guy being the one who actually bought it at the army auction in 1947. He told me that he had been driving this truck for over 60 years, less the years it stood semi derelict. They intend to turn the SU-COE round in less than the ten years the FWD took, so that they can both see the project through!! That was what they told me anyway!!! I am sure they said that they built or rebuilt the body and that the vehicle was used for searchlight towing.

Is now the right time for a poem? :nono: