NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 24 AUGUST 2009

Well welcome once again to Miliblog and this weeks’ newsletter.

Miliblog have just returned from a fantastic day out at the Severnside MVT Area’s 3 day show at Kemble Airport not far from Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Based on an ex-RAF airfield and next to Kemble Airport, the location is excellent with lots of grass and ex-runways to have a drive around on.  My wife packed me off early with sandwiches and a flask of coffee and after two hours we arrived. Our digital camera had a memory card that was still full of stuff from previous shows and so I bought a new 4gb card that would give me loads of capacity for the show with hundreds of vehicles promised. First shot was to be a nice Jeep in the carpark, so I switched on the camera and…..nothing ! A faulty memory card and dispite a call to the shop I’d bought it from, I’m sad to say that I couldn’t take one photograh at all ! I’m soory to the ATC lads who were manning the entrance from the carpark because they learnt a few new Ango-Saxon words that day ! It was like being on a waiting list for a top restaurant all year to finally turn up and you’d forgotten your knife and fork !

Still we enjoyed a fantastic day out on the first day of the show, The weather was good and halfway through the day were treated to an airshow from an all-black Hawker Hunter, and the guy certainly knew how to fly ! Even with 1950′s technology, the rate of climb looked  amazing ! Met some great people there including Mick Dent who, with his charming assistant, was running the MVT Clubshop. If you’re reading this Mick, I hope you find a photo of some of the vehicles you’ve owned over the years. Lots of great vehicles and uniforms there including three SAS Pink Panther Landies, an unusual AEC Militant with an Office Body that had the sides extended out, which was quite amazing.  Not all a disaster though as we managed to buy from one of the stalls some really nice photos, which I’ll be sharing with you soon. In fact I’ve shown three of them below. Really a highly recommended show and we will be back there next year with a camera that works !!!  

New photos this week have been a few Leyland Daf Refuellers of the RAF and Royal Navy, some Scammell Explorers, including one from Central Garage in Kyle in Scotland. Does anyone  know if it’s still there ?Also a Land Rover S2 109 Station Wagon belonging to the Commanding Officer of the 44 Division. We have ten more videos to share including a brilliant original wartime one on the theory of Reconnaissance which shows Daimlers Dingos and Humber Armoured Cars. See if you agree with the method and wonder, like me, what the enemy forces are doing while it’s going on ! Still it’s very enjoyable to watch, including the command of ‘Driver, Advance !’ 

With over 3,300 photos on Miliblog, it’s so difficult to categorise them to ensure you all can find the items you are looking for.  A soldier standing by a car for example. Since it was during the lates 1950′s and show the car and the driver, we’ve listed it under Orginal Post War Photos and then British National Service. Then the tab for Army. There are sub-sections, and more sub-sub-sections for most of the categories on Miliblog, otherwise it would be difficult to split down all the items. 

Finally just received the latest edition of Windscreen. the club magazine of the Military Vehicle Trust. It is superb as ever and if you are into MV’s and in the UK then I highly recommend you join. The club details are posted on the Links page under Military Vehicle Clubs.

Have a great week !

Cheerio !

Simon

Humber Armoured Car, The Theory of Reconnaissance (WW2 Training Film)

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2009

Hello again and welcome to this week’s newsletter on Miliblog.

Looks like another quiet week with many away on holiday or even out and about in their military vehicles. There’s nothing better on a warm sunny day than a drive round with the top down and wind in your hair !

Last week we featured a superb SAS Pink Panther Landy from the Kington Show. Like many things in life, we often assume everyone knows the same as we do ourselves, but the thought occurred to me if you all knew why these SAS Landies were painted pink. Back in the 1970′s a crashed ex-RAF Mosquito aircraft was discovered in the desert in North Africa. Made with a wooden frame, the canvas over the years had been blown away revealing the wood which had been painted in a pink preservative paint, which used to be very common in woodworking. Although the plane could be seen from the ground, the shade of pink had weathered slightly to blend in with the desert sand and so couldn’t be seen from aircraft. Hence the SAS Landies patroling the desert were painted this shade of dirty pink. Also in the 1970′s, and showing my age, was a television cartoon character called ‘The Pink Panther’ and so the Landies adopted this name.

I’m sorry to say we’ve been a bit lazy this week and not added many photos at all ! However one we have added is one of my favourites as it was sent to me back in 1998 from Beverley Madege, who’s Bedford RL was the love of her life. I think whatever military vehicle we own, we all feel really passionate about it and have great fun with them, that is until they go wrong !

So have a great week and soon coming is the Severnside MVT branch’s show at Kemble over the weekend of August 29-31, which miliblog will be visiting.

Cheerio !

Simon

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 10 AUGUST 2009

Hi there again and welcome to this week’s newsletter.

A bit late this week as I’ve been catching up on stuff to put on in the future months. Only a few more photos this week but neverless some nice ones including the Bedford RL Light Recovery shown below. Don’t forget that the search tab at the top not only searches registration numbers of vehicles but also the vehicle types as well, such as Bedford QL etc.

This week Miliblog ventured out for th whole day down to sunny and beautiful contryside of Herefordshire to the town of Kington for their annual Vintage Show. Please visit our show report for more details, but to say it was well worth the drive to see the green machines as well as many other old classic cars, trucks and tractors. Highly recommended for next August.

I’ve had an email from Brian who asks why can does he see photos showing twice on the lastest images tab ? Had I made errors and listed them twice ?  Well no Brian, not exactly. Where I’ve taken a photo of an Austin Champ for example at a show, I’ve added it to the show report to show what vehicles were there and then since we didn’t have a photo of that individual Champ in the Austin Champ section, it’s been added. Next time we see that particular Champ ata show, we’ll just add it to the show report. Below are a couple of samples from the show including a superb SAS Pink Panther Landy. 

So back to the albums and find some nice goodies for the next few weeks !

Have a great week !

Cheerio !

Simon 

   

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 3 AUGUST 2009

Hi everyone and welcome to this week’s whats’s new on Miliblog newsletter.

Lots of new photos this week, from Leyland Hippo Tankers, Alvis Stalwarts to loads of Austin Gipsies used by the Home Office and released in the late 1990′s. I’ve put some samples below for you to see, including a very unusual Land Rover S2 109, which I think may have been for an unmanned drone aircraft. If you look closely you can see a sort of ramp at the back to hold the drone.

Another exciting development we have this week is the start of featuring videos from You Tube. It’s all above board, our website chaps have assured us. So we’ve been busy putting 50+ videos for your pleasure. Some are only for a few seconds, while others last over five minutes. Below is a sample for you to see. I’m still amazed as to the amount of military vehicles that keep arriving on the scene after all these years. Where have they been for the last 60 years ?!!!

One plan for the next month is to get the Forum working and our trusty web designer is looking at a completely new version that will enable you to share your own queries and questions with other enthusiats all over the world. 

So we will leave you to enjoy yourselves once more looking through our photos.

Take care and cheerio !

Simon  

 

  

 

  

 M3A1 Stuart Tank Going Out !

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 27 JULY 2009

Hi there once again and welcome to this weeks newsletter. The good old scanner has been busy again and we’ve added another 100 photos this week for your enjoyment. Lots of fire engines, Land Rovers and many original photos from the collection. Often we all look at the armour, the recovery vehicles, the cargo trucks and often forget the plain ordinary every day workhorse vehicles. Such examples this week were two old Morris minibuses from the 1970′s, a JU250 next to a Bedford RL being loaded with some exercise equipment for the local scouts, and a nice J2 with a ‘Mobile Display’ badge on the front. Next are a good looking Thornycroft Nubian Fire Tender but in Royal Navy markings rather than the usual RAF we’ve shown in the past and a nice Land Rover Ambulance.

We’ve also put on some photos depicting the Grenadier Guards on a training exercise in Germany in March 1957 and the sample below shows some of the squad next to an Austin K9 1Ton GS, and it looks like it’s raining. Next sample is a nice Luftwaffe Mercedes in the snow I picked up recently and has been a nice addition to the Original WW2 German photos section.

Well Sunday August 2 arrived and the rain stopped for a whole day ! So Miliblog was able to accept the invitation to attend the Trimpley Vintage Show. Based just North of Kidderminster and South of Bridgnorth in Shropshire, it turned out to be a real jewel of an event. A superb atmosphere reflecting a show held for enthusiasts rather than a pure money making event. Lots of classic cars, tractors, lorries, trade stands and of course a selection of our favourite green machines. Dave Spruce was there with his wonderful Austin K5, but the highlight for the day was seeing Tony Whitehead and his charming wife with their fantastic Austin 10hp Light Utility. I hadn’t seen Tony for over 25 years and we spent over an hour catching up on old times. If you read this Tony, great to see you again, mate !  Next year we’ll definitely be there again and highly recommend that if you’re in the area to visit even just to soak up the wonderful atmosphere.

So my trusty scanner has had the day off and so now will be ready for some hard work ! Don’t forget everyone that the ‘Latest Images’ tab at the top shows precisely that !

See you all soon

Cheerio !

Simon  

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 20 JULY 2009

Hi once again and welcome to this week’s newletter of new items on Miliblog.

Some more nice vehicles have been added this week, including some Aveling Barford 690 Dump Trucks in British Army service in the 1970′s and some more nice old Bedford RL trucks. One shown below is an RAF Public Address bodied version. Is that monument in the background on Southsea Common in Portsmouth does anyone know ? Next we have a nice Challenger Mk3 Tank taken at the Army Day at Uttoxeter Racecourse, in Staffordshire in June 1996. The chap who was the Clerk of the Course at the time was an ex-army Major, who persuaded the army to have a wonderful Army Day during one of the race days. At the time I worked as a finance controller for a catering company that provided all the racecourse catering and so had the opportunity to take various photos and go behind the scenes over the years. Next sample below is a Samson CVRT ARV (Armoured Recovery Vehicle) and looks from the stone wall to be taken in The Cotswolds area of the UK. A nice relaxed photo with the soldier smiling on the top.

Lots of Land Rovers, or ‘Landies’ as they are known, give years of service to our armed forces and on miliblog we have many photos of them in Army, RAF and Royal Navy markings. Once they are on civvi street, of course they are snapped up for all sorts of reasons, from a continued working life to one of being pampered as an enthusiast’s pride and joy. Shown below is a good looking Landie Lightweight which looks a credit to it’s owner.

Wel to those that made the War and Peace Show at Beltring these last few days, I hope the weather was kind with lots of sunshine. Miliblog would liked to have been there but with family commitments we could not. Maybe next year ! Meanwhile we will wait and soon see the photos in Military Machines International and Classic Military Vehicle magazines.

Well back to the trusty old scanner and see you soon !

Cheerio !

Simon

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 13 JULY 2009

Hi there again and welcome to this week’s newsletter of what’s ne on Miliblog this week.

To start with we have reached another milestone this week when my trusty old scanner coughed and spluttered photo number 3,000 onto the website, which was a nice Bedford S series Tractor in RAF markings, which I have illustrated below. It still amazes me to look at the website statistics and see the visits from all the different countries across the world, so a big ‘Hello’ to you all. To share a common interest in old military vehicles I think is a wonderful thing. We also have loads of 1950′s/1960′s Leyland Martian 10ton Trucks in various forms, Artillery Tractor, Cargo and Heavy Recovery. Some are in British army service, and you can just see the National Service troops driving them during their ‘two years in’. Have a look at the sample below showing one towing a 5.5″ gun, which was also a gun used in WW2 and usually towed by an AEC Matador. Others are in civilian guise and being used for recovery work. In addition, we have some nice old Bedford TK 4×2 tractors, and as we have said before, we love looking right into the photos to see what else is going on. One example below shows a nice Wessex helicopter as the load. Also added are some more French lorries, the one I love in particular is the Berliet TBU15 6×6 Tractor with a tank transporter trailer. It is so wonderfully Gallic that you can almost smell the Galloises cigarettes !  Another French Saviem Renault looks like it’s taken in the Alps. Finally, we have at last managed to identify our Italian military vehicles, a sample I show below. It’s a lovely old Fiat, although at the end of it’s military career I think. I would really like to obtain some photos of the old Alfa Romeo Matta or Fiat Campagnola field cars, so if anyone can help……..    

We really enjoy adding each week to Miliblog and seeking new items and stories to relate to you. This week we heard a story about the Staffordshire Yeomanry. In World War 2, many of the troops in the regiment came from Staffordshire, which is roughly in the Midlands of England. One town in the area, Burton-upon-Trent was, and still is, famous for brewing beer. One of the senior officers in the Yeomanry was a senior manager or even director of Bass Breweries from the town in civilian life before being called up. He insisted that the troops should wear a red material triangle on their berets behind the Yeomanry badge, to emphasise the badge and make them stand out. So for all the war years that’s what they wore. Little did the troops realise that the red triangle was the famous logo or trademark for Bass Beers and that for years they had been advertising the product free of charge !!!

Also mentioning Burton-upon-Trent, before the war one of the breweries ran a series of adverts for their beer called Burton Ale. It featured various tradesmen disappearing off-site and someone asking where’s Tommy gone, with the reply ‘He’s gone for a Burton’, ie a Burton Ale. In the war it took on a different meaning, particularly in the RAF, when a colleague had been shot down and lost.

Well that about wraps up this week and I will return to the scanner to see what new stuff we can find to share with you.

Cheerio !

Simon

 

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 6 JULY 2009

Hi and welcome once again to this week’s weekly newsletter of what’s new on Miliblog.

Well we managed to get the additional 40 photos of the old AEC Matador WW2 Gun Tractor scanned and onto Miliblog ! This means we have over 110 photos of these famous old trucks for you to see, whether you have seen one working at an agricultural show or even made an Airfix plastic model kit of one. To find them look under Military Vehicles, British, WW2 Preserved, Gun Tractors.

This week we have been looking through our badge collection and scanning on a few more, this time concentrating on some WW2 and post war British cloth badges. Many are of British Armies, such as the 1st Army which operated in Tunisia, the 2nd Army that was raised for the Normandy Invasion, and the famous 8th Army that fought it’s way across North Africa and the up through Italy. Finally not to forget the ‘Forgotten 14th’ , the 14th Army led by General Slim in the Far East. Some of them almost look homemade ! But I am assured by colleagues in the know that they were often locally made while on the campaign ! Can anyone out there help on this at all ?

Also added this week is a nice photo taken on March 5, 1944 at the Photographic Section of the American Red Cross at 87, Duke Street, London W1. The guy’s name is PFC Bennie Lewis Devane, who was from Schley, in the State of Georgia. I wonder what his story was and where he served ?

Well for next week, I’ve been sifting through the albums once again and we are going to have a British 1950/60′s week with lots of old Leyland Martian trucks in Cargo, Artillery and Heavy Recovery modes.

So I wish you all a great week and hope that the rain here in the UK stops for a while !

Cheerio !

Simon

British 1st Army (Embroid)

 

 

 

British 2nd Army (Embroid)

 

 

 

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 29 JUNE 2009

Hi to you all and welcome to another weeks newsletter of stuff that’s new on Miliblog this week !

Well after the massive 200+ photos of Berlin in May/June 1945, this week has been a little quiet. Having said that though, we do have some more nice photos added for you all to see. In addition to the Berlin photos, my friend also had some photos from Gulf War 2, which have been added. Again no copywright for these have been mentioned, but as we’ve said before, if anybody has a legal right to any photos we have on Miliblog and object to them being shown, then of course contact us at info@Miliblog.co.uk  There are many photos in the collection that have not been added because they have the photographers name on the back and we are still trying to contact them to seek permission. Ok ! The sample photo below shows  a gathering of British soldiers before the jump-off. Lots of red berets of the Parachute Regt, pale blue berets of the Army Air Corps and a few berets with cockade from the Royal Fusiliers. This photo I find very interesting and it is like a famous painting in an art gallery ! Each time you look at it, you find something new !

The next sample for this week is a lovely old Bedford MWD 15cwt that has been converted by the Netherlands Brandweer (Fire Brigade) and is in a procession of what appears to be old fire engines, somewhere in The Netherlands, with two Dutch army guys looking on. Does anyone know where this photo was taken ?  In the background is a similar Dodge WC-51 Weapons Carrier and a DAF YA-328 6×6. 

Lastly we have a lovely old photo of an Austin K6 6×4 with a Cole Mk7 crane on the back. Looks to be postwar and the magnifying glass shows ‘Nerf & Vlas Matie’ on the door. Again can anyone help with this company name ? Maybe Belgian or Dutch ?

Don’t forget that we have a ‘Search Image’ tab listed at the top of the Website. This is very useful and you can enter a vehicle type, ie Dodge WC-51, you can enter a manufacturer, ie AEC or you can even enter a vehicle registrartion number to see if your military vehicle is on Miliblog. If it isn’t, then we would always welcome a photo to add to our gallery, and of course ackowledge your name against it.  Collecting military items is a hobby througout the world, and I think it’s really great to share people’s photos, experiences and above all the knowledge. 

So we will say goodbye for this week and look forward to next week’s additions. We hope to bring you over 40 photos of the AEC 0853 Matador Gun Tractor ! Let’s go and warm up the scanner !

Cheerio !

Simon 

NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 22 JUNE 2009

Welcome to this week’s newsletter of what is new on Miliblog 

As promised last week, a good friend has contributed over 200 photos of Berlins in May/June 1945. However I must point out once more that Miliblog is NOT a political website or that any photos we show illustrate support for any political opinion, either from the left or from the right. We are just interested in the equipment, unifirms, vehicles, tanks etc and the mechanics of them. The purpose is for historians, collectors of military hardware and for model-makers etc. Having stated our serious side, we move on.

These Berlin photos are filed under Gallery of Photo Collection, Original WW2 Photos, Berlin….. They illustrate vehicles from a number of countries; T-34 tanks, Sherman tanks in both Russian and US markings, a Valentine tank in Russian markings etc. I hope you have time to visit them, as they also illustrate the bad side of warfare. I’ve added a few samples below.

Next, a big thank you to Craig Hackley for sending Miliblog photos of his lovely Hotchkiss M201 Jeep that he’s currently selling. Looks in superb condition and if anyone is interested then please email us here at info@miliblog.co.uk and we will forward your details onto Craig. 

Next are just a couple of small photos I bought recently. They are from 1956 and show a Bedford RL 3 Tonner and also a French AMX 13 Light Tank being lowered by sling into landing craft for the invasion of Suez in 1956/57. Any of you guys out there with a Bedford RL fancy repainting your vehicle in desert sand over the winter period for next year’s show season ?!!!

Finally a big hello to all you guys across the pond in the USA that visit our little website.  In particular a mention to our fellow enthusiasts in:-

Central Jersey MV Pool, North Carolina MV Preservation Club, Military Transport Association of North Jersey and the Green Mountain MV Club.

If you visit our links pages, you can double click on the links to their website….but don’t forget to double click the back button to return back to Miliblog though !

Well folks, that a bout wraps it up for this week. Coming soon for you helicopter fans are some photos of the US Army Blackhawk and Apache choppers in service in the Middle East.

Cheerio !

Simon