We can't all be in Kent surely?

[Bob Britnell]

Larkfield? Thanet? where else in Kent is represented in the forum? I'm at Canterbury, so that's at least 3 of us!

 

Well greetings from the sunny south-east of England to all you guys and gals, or is this boys toys only?

 

I have just taken "flexible retirement" after 40+ years at the local goverment coalface and now find myself working only 4 days a week and refinding all the things that I loved as a young man before I had family and mortgage. I used to do military modelling, plastic kits that is, not wearing the uniforms whilst people take photographs ...... I am still into board wargaming, also reading history books, genealogy and of course, military vehicles!

 

Last year I went, with wife, daughter and boyfriend, (hers not mine) to The Kent War and Peace Show and discovered that all those facts that I knew as a young man were still in there, merely lying dormant. After an afternoon of "that's the 76mm upgunned Sherman, you can see the new mantlet" and "that's the T34/85, you never see the T34/76, it influenced the design of the Panther you know", finally my wife cracked and said, "yes you can have one, but no tracks, no more than four wheels and no turret with a gun in it" ...... then almost as an afterthought, "if you get one you're not just to leave it sitting on the driveway"; or could it be that it was a clever wife looking at what her husband is to do in retirement?

 

Looking around I decided that the best option was a Dingo, all round vision and no claustrophobia ..... something I had forgotten about until I got in a Pz IV driver's seat on a tank driving day at Bovington. But Dingo's are few and far between. I wanted something British though and so much of what is available is American, it also had to be small enough to fit on the drive and something I could use and not just garage and take out to shows two or three times a year. Jeeps I decided were ten a penny but the Jeep's big brother the WC51 or 52 seemed to fit the bill except for the British service angle.

 

It was searching for British service WC51 that led me to this website. I can see that a small number of WC 51 or 52 were used in Normandy but that more were used in the far east and let's be honest how often do you come across military vehicles in XIV Army guise; so there's an ambition to realise. All I've got to do now is find out about WC 51/52 in XIV Army service, sort out uniforms and then buy one and probably get it repainted from Western Europe to Far Eastern colours.

 

Anyway, by way of an introduction to the group that's my ambitions set out.

 

Bob

[private mw]

hi and welcome :coffee:

[Richard Farrant]

Larkfield? Thanet? where else in Kent is represented in the forum? I'm at Canterbury, so that's at least 3 of us!

 

 

 

Hello Bob,

 

Here is another one from Kent.........at Ashford, so that covers all points of the compass.

[Topdog]

I'm based in Maidstone

[private mw]

what about me steel city ....

[LeeEnfield]

Hi Bob,

Lets see,.........Dodge WC, british service far east, hows about a pic, of such, namely 10th Glosters, 36th Inf Div, Burma, jan '45........yes,in a Dodge WC.

the pic is credited to the imperial war museum and is to be found in osprey men at arms series 187, british battle dress insignia 2 1939 - 45 page 35,by mike chappell. isbn 0-85045-739-4

 

Sorry, have no means of scanning pic, so I hope info above helps you track it down.

 

All the best, and welcome to the Friendly Forum.

 

Andy

Edited August 3, 2009 by LeeEnfield
spelling

[Tony B]

Welcome Bob, I'm in Kent, Orpington. If you leave out the London Bourough of Bromley, KENT ***. And I have a WC51 in British Markings, and it was at Normandy this year. The wartime official photos of Dodges were taken at Chisililhurst Common LOB KENT!

[lightweight]

Greetings Bob - I'm in Hythe so that's the South of the county sorted as well!

[Dave C]

Hi Bob

Up the top end South Darenth here.

 

Dave

[Mark]

Hi Bob based in Wateringbury, nice to hear from you.

[Bob Britnell]

Thanks for the info guys, well it looks like most of us are in Kent after all....is it something about Kent .... proximity to the Continent perhaps?

 

Bob

[Tony B]

Thanks for the info guys, well it looks like most of us are in Kent after all....is it something about Kent .... proximity to the Continent perhaps?

 

Bob

Quicker to get the middle of Ipers than London. :-D

[john wheatley (R.I.P.)]

Welcome Bob,

I'm a Flatlander from Romney Marsh,

Regards,

John.

[Tony B]

welcome bob,

i'm a flatlander from romney marsh,

regards,

john.

pub meet!! :-d

[john wheatley (R.I.P.)]

The Bell,

Hythe,

Kent.

Regards,

John.:beer:

[les freathy]

John, three miles up the road from me then is that you with the Morris 4x4 im also a flatlander an old Lydder and still on the flat bit at Palmarsh

cheers

Les

[Markheliops]

I'm from Shirley, Croydon - but my vehicles are in Paddock Wood - do I count.

 

Plus lived in Kent for 6 years.

[john wheatley (R.I.P.)]

John, three miles up the road from me then is that you with the Morris 4x4 im also a flatlander an old Lydder and still on the flat bit at Palmarsh

cheers

Les

 

Hi Les,

Sounds a bit like me, what do you drive?:wave:

Regards,

John.

[lightweight]

pub meet!! :-d

 

The Bell,

Hythe,

Kent.

Regards,

John.:beer:

 

I'm up for it - living in Saltwood!

[Chrisg]

Went to school in Kent :shake:

[chevpol]

once went on holiday in kent (apart from w and p!!!!)

 

does that count?

 

Mark

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Your not leaving me out,didnt there used to be a remand school in Ashford years ago.:whistle::police:

[Tony B]

Your not leaving me out,didnt there used to be a remand school in Ashford years ago.:whistle::police:

 

Actually that's the Ashford, MIDDLESEX! Still there.

[Richard Farrant]

Went to school in Kent :shake:

 

Borstal ?

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Actually that's the Ashford, MIDDLESEX! Still there.

So you went there as well :rofl: