NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 18 JANUARY 2010
Hi again and welcome to this week’s look at what’s new on Miliblog this week.
Well after the excitement last week of more vehicles it’s been back to the scanning box and more for the Normandy 1944 Collection. This week sees an additional 140 photos bringing the total in the Collection to 500 ! I’ve included 10 samples below for you to see.
We have received an email this week from Peter in Stuttgart who has enjoyed the Eastern Front Collection and asks if there are any more photos to post on the website. Well for Peter, we have a added a further 90 photos this week.
So I won’t stop chatting this week but will get back to work in finding you some more interesting photos to see. Have a great week !
Cheerio !
Simon
Normandy 1944 Collection No 390
Normandy 1944 Collection No 391
Normandy 1944 Collection No 392
Normandy 1944 Collection No 412
Normandy 1944 Collection No 425
Normandy 1944 Collection No 454
Normandy 1944 Collection No 461
Normandy 1944 Collection No 488
Normandy 1944 Collection No 497
Normandy 1944 Collection No 498
NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 11 JANUARY 2010
Hi and welcome to another catch up of what was new on Miliblog this week !
Well we fancied a break from the Normandy and Eastern Front Collections, so I have added some more preserved vehicle photos at last ! As usual, I’ve shown some samples below to whet your appetite !
For the modellers amongst us, there’s a nice photo of an AEC Militant Mk3 Breakdown showing all the crane and equipment on the back of the vehicle. I believe Accurate Armour have a lovely model available of this Militant and this should help any of you that are building that kit. Next we have another British postwar heavy, in the form of a Scammell Constructor 20 Ton 6×6 Tractor in RAF colours and owned by a member of the Norfolk Military Vehicle Group.
Next we have a rare US Army 1941 Ford 2G8T 1.5 Ton 4×2 Cargo, which is even more unusual as it was taken here in the UK. Some years ago I worked for a catering company based in Stafford, and driving to work each morning I used to see many RAF vehicles driving away all loaded up from RAF Stafford. If only I had been able to stop and take some photos ! Amongst them were about 6 Leyland Daf 50-160 4×2 Trucks, one being 10 KL 44, which I have shown below. Often going home at night I would see them heading home to the camp to be loaded overnight for the next day’s journey.
Now something for our aircraft enthusiasts ! It’s a Vulcan V-Bomber, number XH-538 in fact. If you’ve ever seen and especially heard one of these beautiful aircraft, you are very lucky indeed. If you appreciate British engineering at it’s height -pardon the pun – and when good old Great Britain actually made something, then you cannot help looking in awe at this marvellous aircraft. Our V-Bomber collection is growing and if you have a look in the Aircraft/British Aircraft/Post war to 1970′s/V-Bomber photo gallery you can see some more examples.
Next to show that Miliblog doesn’t just start with World War 2, we have a nice WW1 Wolseley GS Lorry. It’s quite an old photo and looks like it’s taken in Brighton, probably after completing the London-Brighton Commercial Vehicle Run. Does anyone know if it is still around ?
Finally, I couldn’t resist of slipping in two more from the Normandy Collection. The first is of a Red Ball Express convoy of gasoline tankers with a watchful MP and the other is a camp of captured war booty in the form of German tanks. How much would they be worth now ? I’m sure Kevin Wheatcroft would be interested to add to his fantastic collection !!!
So my fellow enthusiasts, back to my trusty scanner and some more for your enjoyment !
Cheerio !
Simon
AEC 0870 Militant Mk3 10Ton Recovery (88 ET 04)
Scammell Constructor 20Ton 6x6 Tractor (PSJ 815)
Ford 2G8T 1.5Ton 4x2 Cargo (JKP 616)
Leyland Daf 50-160 4x2 Truck (10 KL 44)
Avro Vulcan Bomber (XH-538)
Wolseley WW1 General Service Truck (LE 5470)
Normandy 1944 Collection No 335
Normandy 1944 Collection No 336
This is Volume 4 showing the next 250 photographs from a collection of photos taken by many servicemen on the Eastern Front, also known as the Russian Front. Starting in 1941 with the German invasion of Russia with the sunshine and the dust, then going on through the hard winter months that the German forces were unprepared for. The Russians forces were well used to the cold climate and so were better placed for winter warfare. Then the advance turned into a long retreat with bitter fighting and heavy casualties leading to the Fall of Berlin in May 1945.
The collection features uniforms and vehicles from both sides of the conflict and many of the photos illustrate the harsh conditions and the reality of warfare, which must have been a horrific experience whichever side your were on. Again, we have to say that Miliblog is NOT a political website at all. There are many enthusiasts across the world interested in the equipment and uniforms of the Second World War. Many are serious model makers and may even find an idea for a model diorama or even for painting of model figures. The aim of Miliblog here is to bring together photographs for these students of history.
NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2010
Hello again and welcome to 2010 and what’s been added this week on Miliblog.
Well we have continued adding more photographs and now we have completed Volume 1 of the Normandy 1944 Collection, which we hope will be as popular as our Eastern Front Collection, and have started Volume 2. In fact, judging from the website statistics for December, many of you have enjoyed visiting the Eastern Front Collection, with many visits from our fellow enthusiasts in Germany.
To our military vehicle enthusiasts, we still have many more photos to add to the website of various vehicles. However if you can’t find a photo of your own vehicle yet, then we’d be very happy to receive an email with a photo of your vehicle attached to share with our fellow enthusiasts.
So please find below ten more samples from the photos posted this week.
Have a great week ! With all the snow on the ground, it’s been a lovely playground to test the four-wheel drive systems of our old military vehicles.
Cheerio !
Simon
Normandy 1944 Collection No 212
Normandy 1944 Collection No 228
Normandy 1944 Collection No 241
Normandy 1944 Collection No 278
Normandy 1944 Collection No 285
Normandy 1944 Collection No 303
Normandy 1944 Collection No 315
Normandy 1944 Collection No 328
Normandy 1944 Collection No 330
NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 28 DECEMBER 2009
Hi there and welcome to what’s new on Miliblog this week.
Or rather, what was new on Miliblog this week, as we catch up on the weekly newsletters !
Well after posting the first 500 of the Eastern Front Collection featuring the battleground between the German forces and the Soviet forces, we’ve received many emails asking if we had any photos showing the campaign in France after D-Day in June 1944. The answer has been a very loud ‘Yes’ and so this week after much hard work, the first batch of photos were posted into the Normandy 1944 Collection. I’ve loaded ten samples below to show you what are available. Although having seen the photos myself many times, I still get a real buzz seeing our preserved military vehicles actually in action. The Jeeps, the Jimmies, the Beeps, the liberated captured equipment as well as the troops wearing the uniforms and equipment that many of us collect or wear. Looking closer into the photos, you can see the amount of devestation to the French towns and villages that happened during the battles. The Liberation certainly came at a price.
If you are not sure how to visit these collections, go to the main menu and chose ‘Gallery of Photo Collection’. Then chose ‘Original WW2 Photos’ and then ‘Eastern Front Collection’ or ‘Normandy 1944 Collection’. You can start at Tab 1 and as you go through click on a photo to enlarge it onto your screen. Click again and you should be able to really enlarge the photo onto your screen. Some are really sharp photos, taken by the US Signal Corps, while others are a little blured as they were taken by troops at the frontline with their amateur cameras. Don’t forget, you can also click on any of the sample photos below to enlarge them !
We’re going concentrate on adding more to both the Normandy and the Eastern Front collection over the next few weeks. I hope you will be interested in viewing these photos which give a fantastic insight of what the conditions were at the front line.
Meanwhile a happy new Year to you all and the thoughts of a more prosperous year ahead for all of us.
Cheerio !
Simon
Normandy 1944 Collection No 4
Normandy 1944 Collection No 12
Normandy 1944 Collection No 20
Normandy 1944 Collection No 35
Normandy 1944 Collection No 59
Normandy 1944 Collection No 74
Normandy 1944 Collection No 82
Normandy 1944 Collection No 143
Normandy 1944 Collection No 153
Normandy 1944 Collection No 190
Following on is Volume 3 showing the next 250 photographs from a very exciting collection of photos taken by many Allied servicemen during the Normandy Campaign of the Summer of 1944. Following the D-Day Landings on 6th June 1944, the Allies attempted to breakout from the bridghead throughout June. The Americans drove up the Cotentin peninsula towards Cherbourg and then across through into Brittany. Many of the photos show the devestation of battle of just the ordinary little villages that were destroyed in the name of the Liberation. If you are a military vehicle enthusiast who owns and loves their Jeeps, Dodges and Jimmies, then see your vehicle in it’s environment. Who knows maybe your actual vehicle may be in one of the photos. Looking at many of the photos the Summer of ’44 looked pretty dry and dusty, with many vehicles covered in a light dust. Again a useful observation for model makers amongst us.
This is Volume 3 showing the next 250 photographs from a collection of photos taken by many servicemen on the Eastern Front, also known as the Russian Front. Starting in 1941 with the German invasion of Russia with the sunshine and the dust, then going on through the hard winter months that the German forces were unprepared for. The Russians forces were well used to the cold climate and so were better placed for winter warfare. Then the advance turned into a long retreat with bitter fighting and heavy casualties leading to the Fall of Berlin in May 1945.
The collection features uniforms and vehicles from both sides of the conflict and many of the photos illustrate the harsh conditions and the reality of warfare, which must have been a horrific experience whichever side your were on. Again, we have to say that Miliblog is NOT a political website at all. There are many enthusiasts across the world interested in the equipment and uniforms of the Second World War. Many are serious model makers and may even find an idea for a model diorama or even for painting of model figures. The aim of Miliblog here is to bring together photographs for these students of history.
NEW THIS WEEK – MONDAY 21 DECEMBER 2009
Hi and welcome to Miliblog in this Christmas week !
We’re all stuffing our faces this week with turkey, sprouts and new potatoes and hoping that we have all been good boys and girls and that Santa Claus will bring us some nice presents. It’s the time of year to think about friends and family overseas, living or working far away from home. It started me thinking of many in the forces away from their loved ones on overseas postings, and with a nice glass of red wine and a mince pie, thinking further back to those from other countries that came together as the Allies in World War 2.
We’ve featured many vehicles of many nations this year on Miliblog but really have so far included military badges of just the UK and the USA. So following that theme, we’ve added a small number of badges to Miliblog this week. We have Belgian, Canadian and Polish badges as well as others from South America. Many people came to the UK and enlisted in the RAF in WW2 and each were given their own badge to illustrate which country they came from. As usual I’ve shown a few samples below.
So back to the presents and hope Santa has bought us a nice book on old Bedford army lorries !
Cheerio and a very Happy Christmas to you all from Miliblog !
Simon
Polish 2 Corps (WW2)
Canadian 2 AGRA (Army Group Royal Artillery)
Belgian 1 Infantry Division
RAF Argentina Patch
RAF Brazil Patch
RAF Canada Patch
RAF Jamaica Patch
Following on is Volume 2 showing the next 250 photographs from a very exciting collection of photos taken by many Allied servicemen during the Normandy Campaign of the Summer of 1944. Following the D-Day Landings on 6th June 1944, the Allies attempted to breakout from the bridghead throughout June. The Americans drove up the Cotentin peninsula towards Cherbourg and then across through into Brittany. Many of the photos show the devestation of battle of just the ordinary little villages that were destroyed in the name of the Liberation. If you are a military vehicle enthusiast who owns and loves their Jeeps, Dodges and Jimmies, then see your vehicle in it’s environment. Who knows maybe your actual vehicle may be in one of the photos. Looking at many of the photos the Summer of ’44 looked pretty dry and dusty, with many vehicles covered in a light dust. Again a useful observation for model makers amongst us.
Hi there everyone and welcome to what’s new on Miliblog this week
With 500 photographs now in the Eastern Front Collection, we though we’d take a break and add something else to the collection for your entertainment. So we’ve added about 30 new vehicle photos, including some nice Fordson Thames E4 3 Tonners, some M2 Alligators and a film star !
So I’ve added in some samples below for tempt you to visit them. The RAF used many Standard Vanguards in the 1950′s and 1960′s and our first photo shows a preserved Pick Up – or Ute as they are known in Australia. Next we have an unusual Bedford RL 3 Tonner GS, but with a Mine/Armoured Cab. The idea was that when the vehicle went over a mine in the road, the blast was driven away from the cab and protected the crew. The idea was later used by the South African Army vehicles and also later still with more modern military designs. Next is a Land Rover 101 GS with unusual arabic markings and camouflage
Our next sample is a rather unusual Leyland Hippo Mk3, but as a 4×2 Tractor unit rather than the usual 6×4 Tanker or GS we normally see. Looking at the fashions in the photo it must be from the 1970′s. Next is a National Service special in the form of a Fordson Thames E4 3Ton 4×4 Breakdown truck. Anyone who collects old Dinky or Matchbox toys will recognise the cab from the Ambulance model that was made. Used as a breakdown truck in Aviemore, I’d be very interested to hear from anyone of you who lives in the town and could say if it’s still there !
Next we have a very interesting photo indeed of a German manufactured vehicle in service with the British Army. It is a EWK-KHD M2 Alligator Amphibious Bridging/Ferrying Vehicle, and on this photo one of the sides has been dropped down. The other side will drop down and the vehicle driven into the river along with a number of other Alligators. The idea is to join them all up side to side to form a quick bridge to get vehicles across. They even have a motor on the back to manouvre them about the river.
Lastly we have our film star ! The Chevrolet 1.5Ton driven by Pop Larkin (David Jason) in the British TV show of the 1990′s, ‘The Darling Buds of May’, it also carried Catherine Zeta-Jones who was making her first TV appearance before moving on to the bright lights of Hollywood.
So have a great week doing your Christmas shopping and we’ll see you next week !
Cheerio !
Simon
Standard Vanguard Phase 1 Pick Up (TCV 432)
Bedford RL 3Ton 4x4 Mine-Armoured Cab (AVG 113 D)
Land Rover 101 GS (Arabic)
Leyland Hippo Mk3 10Ton 4x2 Tractor (07 AN 55)
Fordson Thames E4 3Ton 4x4
EWK-KHD M2 Alligator Amphibious Bridging Ferrying Vehicle (24 BT 88)
Chevrolet YP-G4112 1.5Ton 4x4 Cargo (PGC 123)
