ajmac Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) After digging through my Dads old video8 tapes and then borrowing a old camcorder to play them I have uploaded the parade through Bayeux from way back in 1994 (50th Anniversary of D-Day) when my Dad and I travelled over for a few days on the recommendation of a local farmer who owned a Sherman, he is heading up the column. Sorry about the quality, but I thought it interesting to post none the less. It is two parts due to the length. Something went wrong... In this section, the Stuart Tank is the same one that attended A&E 2010. Something went wrong... Looks like an 'e' slipped into the 'a' place! Edited June 23, 2011 by ajmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Great videos and thanks for sharing them. Certainly no worries about Health & Safety back then with the amount of people out on the roadways between the vehicles! :-D Talking of the machines in the videos it was good to see some different ones and it does make you wonder what happens to ones that you don't see around anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanter Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Really great videos there, wonder how many of those vehicles are still in that condition, and bloody hell could you imagine 'elf and safety letting a convoy take place that close to the spectators now a days. Shame as it looked like no-one got hurt really close in a few places though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edd Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 That brings back a lot of memories. I missed my A level mock exams to go over for the 1994 Normandy tour. One of my lasting memories is riding on board the Morris C8P predictor through the Bayeux parade with my parents driving our friends Bedford MW behind. People were handing us drinks and food and the atmosphere was tremendous. Also gathering in one of the supermarche carparks before the parade and a couple of the tanks using the car jetwash to clean off the sand from the beach! If I remember correctly the Stuart was owned by an American and he brought it over by itself with no transporter. A lot of the tanks came over on one of the biggest cross channel ferries when they had removed some of the ballast first! The tanks on transporters (except the Stuart!) came through the french streets at about 2am in the morning. Apparently the sound of the Stuart woke a few people up! At some point I will dig out the photos I took at the time and put them up. I should have some of the vehicles from the MVT club coming to the camp site. They filled the largest cross channel ferry and I think there were somewhere in the region of 3-400 hundred World War II vehicles in convoy with motorbike outriders! Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Thanks for posting those. I was in that parade, riding with a friend in his Brockway and lowloader trailer. We were behind Dennis Robert's Diamond T, but looks like we were missed, as the White 666 following us was filmed. Not all of us on the MVT camp got passes for the parade, hence why I hitched a lift. There was a hold up when a Sherman that was "uninvited", was abandoned in the street and we had to drive around it. A lot of well known faces to be seen.........and vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 At some point I will dig out the photos I took at the time and put them up. I should have some of the vehicles from the MVT club coming to the camp site. They filled the largest cross channel ferry and I think there were somewhere in the region of 3-400 hundred World War II vehicles in convoy with motorbike outriders! Ed Hi Ed, look forward to seeing your photos ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoranWC51 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Interesting to see that all four tanks heading the parade were from the batch that came out of Portugal in the early 1980's, three Canadian M4A1 "Grizzly" and a Canadian Sexton. I bought my 1945 Dodge WC51 at a Nato auction just a couple of weeks before the celebrations in 1994. I changed oil and fluids, got a tarpaulin from John & Mary Worthing (Still used and in great shape-still), and drove off from Stockholm. Drove 3500 kms+ in 2 1/2 weeks. The picture was take in Portsmouth just before leaving for the ferry over to France. Goran N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I remember that day well, the sun had come out and the atmosphere was terrific. I seem to recall that vehicles were converging from three different directions and it was total mayhem. I was on the bike rounding up as many British & Commonwealth vehicles that I could find to slot in with the Fox, the F60 and the Universal Carrier we'd brought along... Great times. By way of contrast, at Bayeux in 2009 there was hardly a single British MV to be seen, pathetic Thanks for posting the vids., they bring back some good memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 By way of contrast, at Bayeux in 2009 there was hardly a single British MV to be seen, pathetic Not by choice, we would have been there, but no British vehicles invited :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Not by choice, we would have been there, but no British vehicles invited :-( Richard, don't I know it. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to leave the bike and d.r. kit at base and get onto a U.S. vehicle, absolutely amazing when you think about it. Serves them right that it rained, although no consolation to me at the time seeing as I was perched on what seemed to be the most unreliable Stuart in the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Richard, don't I know it. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to leave the bike and d.r. kit at base and get onto a U.S. vehicle, absolutely amazing when you think about it. Stefano, Those in charge in Bayeaux had no sense of history at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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