NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 18 MAY 2009
Well Hi and welcome to this week’s new items to Miliblog
Big news to Miliblog this week is that we now have a search facility !!! Pick out the tab at the top and then type in the vehicle type, ie Ford GPW Jeep. Maybe you’d like to see if your old mv is there, then type in your registration number and hit the search button and up it pops. Next new addition is another tab at the top that gives you the latest additions to the site. Now with over 2300 photos available, this makes the serach even easier. Don’t forget you can still use the searches on the right for groups of photos by coutry,age or types.
Like many others who have an interest in military history know, we are very soon coming up to the anniversary of one of history’s major events, namely the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy, or J-Jour as it is known in France. This year sees the 65th anniversary of the landings back on June 6th, 1944. Whether your interest lies in uniforms, vehicles, equipment, aircraft or warships this one day’s anniversary alone covers all of our interests. It was the greatest invasion made in history and probably such a force will never be seen ever again in the future. When we think of this, remember those that took part in this piece of history. Spend a moment to reflect on those that survived and those that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Next time we curse the elderly driver for going to slow and getting in our way or the old codger in the supermarket for dithering about, just remember, they may have taken place in that great adventure, as it was called.
Ok, well I was watching BBC TV Breakfast News this week and a report came from the Imperial War Museum (North), which is in Manchester. It featured some movie film that had been taken in 1945/46 by an amateur movie photographer of a POW (Prisoner of War) camp near Nottingham showing German POWs in the camp. The guy, who had been a soldier at the camp, passed away at Easter this year and had donated his collection to the IWM, who have now put it on display along with other POW items. It got me thinking. I remember back in the late 1970′s, when I first started work, that one of the ladies in the factory used to tell me that she and her school friends used to cycle out from Wombourne, south of Wolverhampton, some 12 miles north to the village of Coven, to see the POWs behind the wire and taunt them. She could never remember where it was, but the memory of this stuck in my mind. So following the report, I googled ‘Coven POW’ and came accross a most interesting website created by Brett Exton along with Shawn Bohannon. It describes a POW site close to Brett’s home town of Brigend in South Wales with photos and lots of interesting details that you can enjoy reading through. However, he’s also researched all the other POW camps thoughout the UK in WW2 and listed them out in detail. Whatever part of the country you live in, have a look and then find the camp that was local to you. The website is www.islandfarm.fsnet.co.uk
A few more photos have been added this week, including three of an AEC Jones crane taken in Cyprus in the late 1980′s. It was working for a circus loading containers. Still lots more to add to the site, so please pop back and have a look. So you can see the new additions, we’ve worked with our website designers on a page dedicated to new photos this week type of page. Also with the search facility now in place, you can spend many more hours looking through our database of military hardware.
Anyway, hope you all have a great week and to those lucky enough to be going to Normandy, you luck bastards !!!
Cheerio !!!
Simon
AEC AWD Jones KL10-6 Crane (JK-432)(Cyprus)
NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 11 MAY 2009
Hi there and welcome to the weekly news on Miliblog !
We’ve been rather busy this week working extra time at work and having to bring home reports to finish for the boss. Sorry to say but Miliblog is a one-man band. Well we have managed to make some additions this week, around 30 new photos. These are some more Home Office Bedford RL’s, some more US WW2 vehicles and at last some postwar German vehicles. We’ve at last been able to make a start on our links to other sites and now you will see some military vehcile clubs and also some one-make military vehicle clubs.
Our hightlight of our week was the weekly shopping expedition to Sainsbury’s supermarket !!! Why, because three ex-Royal Marine Commandoes were collecting on behalf of the Royal Marine Association. Needless to say, Miliblog contributed to their collection and had a chat with the one RM. He’d joined up in 1941 and had served in 40 Commando, which was the first Commando formed in 1942. He’d served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Yugoslavia and Corfu. Nice chap, wish we had more time to chat but we were holding up the shoppers with their trollies. Still we shook his hand and thanked him, which nicely surprised him !
To finish off, we have 3 photos below form this week’s additions
Cheerio !
Simon
GMC 353 CCKW 6x6 Maintenance (LH-70130)(Norge)
Bedford RL 3 Ton Home Office (SXF 281)
DKW Munga 4x4 Field Car (FPH 143 B)
LINKS TO MILITARY VEHICLE CLUBS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
UK
North East Military Vehicle Club
The NEMVC was officially formed in August 1972 by a small group of Jeep owning individuals and has grown over the years into a high profile well informed and organised club with the aim of preserving, restoring, using and exhibiting military vehicles of all periods. The majority of vehicles are WW2 but members also own vehicles built before and after this period.
Military Vehicle Trust (MVT), Membership Secretary, Gary Anstee, 15 St Leonards Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 4DE, United Kingdom (0845-475-1941) LINK TO WEBSITE
The MVT has 50 separate area sub-groups throughout the UK, and 31 of them have their own dedicated websites informing us what events are going on in their area and other local information. These are:-
Cheshire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Cornwall Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Devon Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Dorset Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Durham Tees Valley Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Essex Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Guernsey Area LINK TO WEBSITE Formed in 1978, this area currently has 35 members and over 40 vehicles on the island. Nice website with photos of nearly all the vehicles and a full description of them. Look out for the 65th Anniversary of the Island’s liberation in 2010 with a show there in May, for which the entry list has already closed due to it’s popularity. If you’re going there on holiday this year try and book the same dates as one of the area meetings as I’m sure you would be most welcome with this friendly area.
Heathrow Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Isle of Wight Area LINK TO WEBSITE Problem loading
Jersey Area LINK TO WEBSITE Problem loading
Manchester Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Mid Lincolnshire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Norfolk Area LINK TO WEBSITE
North East Area LINK TO WEBSITE
North Oxfordshire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
North Staffordshire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
North Wales Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Scotland Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Severnside Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Shropshire & Border Counties Area LINK TO WEBSITE
South Cumbria & North Lancashire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
South Hampshire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
South Midlands Area LINK TO WEBSITE A fantastic website featuring the Area’s HQ at Ashdown Camp. Set in 40 Acres in the Vale of Evesham, the camp has amongst other items 7 wartime Nissen Huts, including one set up as a barracks with beds etc that is very popular with the re-enactors. A guardhut and a number of air-raid shelters are also on the site. Look out for the Show there on June 26/27, 2010, where last year 250 vehicles attended.
South Wales Area LINK TO WEBSITE A nice website featuring some brilliant photos, including shows that the guys in the South Wales Area attended in 2009. A nice selection of vehicles including a Soviet VT-55 Recovery Tank. Also some good show and season reports going back to 2002.
Suffolk Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Trent Valley Area LINK TO WEBSITE
West Somerset Area LINK TO WEBSITE
West Lancashire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
West Sussex Area LINK TO WEBSITE The Area was started in 2003 by Andy Kyte. The website features some nice photos of vehicles owned by the local members, including some good ones of their trip to Normandy in June 2009, along with other shows and events attended from 2008, 2009 and into the current year.
Wye Valley Area LINK TO WEBSITE
Yorkshire Area LINK TO WEBSITE
ITALY
Normandie’44 Associazione Storico Culturale LINK TO WEBSITE An Italian website run by a group of enthusiasts concentrating on the vehicles, uniforms and equipment of the WW2 US Army GI. The group has taken it’s vehicles to a number of events including Cannes 2009, Bastogne 2009 and Anzio and Nettuno 2010 commemoration events. Some nice photos on the website of vehicles and equipment.
LUXEMBOURG
Quadriga, Luxembourg Historic Military Vehicle Collectors LINK TO WEBSITE
NETHERLANDS
829-832 Zware Transport Compaigne (829-832 Heavy Transport Company), Netherlands LINK TO WEBSITE A club for ex-military of the Netherlands Army who served in this Army Unit. Some nice photos of various DAF military vehicles in service. Lots of information
USA
Arizona Military Vehicle Collectors Club, Arizona LINK TO WEBSITE
Central Jersey Military Vehicle Pool, New Jersey LINK TO WEBSITE
Green Mountain Military Vehicle Club, New England LINK TO WEBSITE
Military Transport Association of North Jersey, New Jersey LINK TO WEBSITE
Military Vehicle Collectors of California, California LINK TO WEBSITE
Military Vehicle Collectors of Colorado, Colorado LINK TO WEBSITE
North Carolina Military Vehicle Preservation Club, North Carolina LINK TO WEBSITE
LINKS TO MILITARY VEHICLE MAKE/TYPE CLUBS AND WEBSITES
AEC Matador and Militant Owners Club, LINK TO WEBSITE
Austin Champ Newsletter, Ken Nicholson, The Old Stables, 1 Hartley Mews, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, RG27 8NX, United Kingdom (01252-842056) LINK TO WEBSITE
Austin Champ Owners Club, Unit 4, Gateshead Business Park, Delph New Road, Delph, Saddleworth, Lancashire, OL3 5DE, United Kingdom (01782-550258)(07970-750191) LINK TO WEBSITE
Austin Gipsy Register, Mike Gilbert, 24 Green Close, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1BJ, United Kingdom (01258-472680)
Austin K5 Register, Gary Siddall, 8 Bedford Avenue, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 3AD, United Kingdom
Austin K9 Register, LINK TO WEBSITE Run by Paul Valiadis, a member of the South Midlands Area of the MVT (Military Vehicle Trust) here in the UK. A very informative website and the place to go for anything relating to these wonderful classic British Army 1 Tonners of the 1950′s National Service days.
Bedford Owners Club, Dave Rawlings, Higher South Barn, off Roman Road, Eccleshill, nr Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 3PJ, United Kingdom (01254-761488)
British Ambulance Society, R Leonard, 21 Victoria Road, Horley, Surrey, RH6 9BN, United Kingdom (01293-776636) LINK TO WEBSITE
Canadian Vehicle Register A register of surviving Canadian ex-military vehicles LINK TO WEBSITE
Commer & Karrier Enthusiasts Group, Allan Barnes, 66a Llandudno Road, Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn Bay, Conway LS28 4EJ (email-allanbarnes19@hotmail.com)
DAF YA-126 Owners Club, Philip Beekman, Ledenadministrative DYC 126, Tielse Straat 189, 6674 AB Herveld, Netherlands (0031-6-50999486) LINK TO WEBSITE
Daimler Ferret Scout Car Owners, Brilliant UK website dedicated to Ferrets all over the world LINK TO WEBSITE
DKW Owners Club, Club covering the DKW Munga along with non-military cars & bikes. Membership Secretary - David Simon (01224-743429) LINK TO WEBSITE
Ex-Military Land Rover Association, EMLRA, Mount Pleasant, Trampers Lane, North Boarhunt, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 6DG, United Kingdom LINK TO WEBSITE
Ferret AFV, A USA website dedicated to the Daimler Ferret LINK TO WEBSITE
Ferret Owners Club, Andrew Noyce, 1 Fordington Villas, Station Lane, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, SO53 4DE, United Kingdom
GMC CCKW & DUKW Site LINK TO WEBSITE Run by Bill Wolf in Tilton, New Hampshire, USA. This has to be the site for all enthusiasts of the GMC CCKW 352 and 353 models, DUKW ‘Duck’ amphibious trucks and also the Chevrolet YP-G-4112 1.5Ton models and all their variants. Great amount of information relating to these wonderful trucks from photos, data and a even a register for owners to join. Similar models such as Studebaker and International 6 wheelers are also featured.
NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 4 MAY 2009
Hi there, bienvenue, wilkommen !
I hope you all had a great bank-holiday Monday at least in the UK. Again for all you MV enthusiasts out there all over the world, Miliblog has been able to add a further 100 photos onto the website. This week we’ve added many WW2 Canadian Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet trucks varying from 15cwt, 30cwt and 3 tonners. Also we’ve added 6 x Volkswagen Type 82 Kubelwagens to the German section, since we seem a little short of vehicles from the Fatherland.
We went off today to visit the Nesscliffe Show near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. There’s some beautiful countryside round there and the show is held in the Army’s Nesscliffe training camp. After the past couple of years of the show attracting heavy rain, this morning was really warm and sunny so a good afternoon’s photo session of Green Machines was on the menu. However, we searched all over the area, went into the camp, called out the guard at the guardhouse as we looked a security threat (!) and after an hour of searching came home !!! Please chaps, if the event is on, can we have some signposts to tell us where you are ? The guard did phone the organisers who told him they were there, somewhere, but we never found them !!! So sorry guys, no photos for you of the event.
It looks like this year, events in Normandy in June are really going to be quite exciting. There are many events planned and magazines like Classic MV or indeed our own MVT Windscreen magazine will have more details. From the UK, I know the MVT tour is well subscribed for a long time. There must be other tours arranged from other European countries so we’d love to hear about them. Email us at info@miliblog.co.uk to inform us, so we can share this with other enthusiasts.
There are many of you that, like me, have visited Normandy and the landing beaches many times and know our favourite towns or villages to see. For others, a trip to Normandy this year may be your first, and maybe you’re wondeing what to expect ! From my personal experiences, the Normans are quite independent people who consider themselves Normans first and then French second. Quite friendly, they appreciate it if you as least make an effort to speak French to them, even if you’re not perfect. To wave your arms around and point always results in being ignored !!! How would we deal with foreign visitors here in the UK ?!!!
I adore the French foods and wines and love visiting the supermarche and seeing what’s available. I remember a massive one in Bayeux just opposite the War Museum which had a huge selection. Just remeber though, if you want a steak in a restaurant look out for bifsteak. Often just steak means that you’re getting meat that once neighed !
To finish this week as usual, I’ve shown below some of the photos we have added this week. One of them is quite unusual. It’s a Chevrolet F30 that once was a an LAA body but was changed to an Ambulance body. Which came first, anyone out there know ?
Have a great week !
Simon
Ford F30 30cwt LAA Tractor (963 LGU)
Ford F30 30cwt Ambulance (963 LGU)
Chevrolet C60S 3Ton Breakdown (BN 54322)(Norge)
Chevrolet CGT Field Artillery Tractor (Q 461 EGV)
Abbot 105mm SP Gun (00 FE 21)
FV 432 APC (03 EA 36)
Leyland Hippo Mk3 10Ton Tanker (44 AD 23)
Commer Q4 3 Ton GS (YSV 178)
Land Rover Gloster Saro TACR 2A (31 AG 34)
Bedford QLT 3Ton Trooper (519 DPW)
Austin K5 3Ton GS (857 YYC)
Bedford TK 4Ton 4x2 Cargo (34 KF 55)
Dodge D8A 8cwt Truck (VDX 708)
Ford GPA Amphibious Jeep (LGW 486 T)(South Africa)
Karrier K6 3Ton GS (NTL 743)
Land Rover S3 Lightweight (51 HG 05)
Leyland Hippo Mk3 10Ton GS (N-7402)(Malta)
Mack NM6 6Ton 6x6 Cargo (EAJ 111)
Pacific M26 40Ton Tractors x4
Zundapp KS750 (SS-170654)
Chevrolet C8 8cwt HUP (FHO 251)
Dodge D15 15cwt GS (7259 PP)
Ford F8 8cwt GS (LEV 96)
Ford F15 15cwt GS (TN-77-28)(Neth)
