A fantastic show with a wonderful atmosphere. Run by enthusiasts for fellow enthusiasts. Based in the middle of glorious countryside, just North of Kidderminster in Worcestershire and just South of Bridgnorth in Shropshire, it was a one day event held on Sunday, August 2nd. After all the rain in July we had been having, the day was bright and mostly sunny and I think that many enthusiasts, particularly with the classic cars, had thought let’s have a day out.
The Black Country at War Group were there with two nice Land Rovers as well as lots of kit and equipment. They also had a nice Sankey trailer, that the one member had converted to look even more military. He’d certainly made a very professional job of it.
Further along were Dave Spruce’s Austin K5, a Moggy 1000 Traveller, a Champ and a Hothkiss M201 Jeep. Then I spotted an Austin 10hp Light Utility which belonged to Tony Whitehead and his charming wife, who I hadn’t seen for over 25 years, so it was great to catch up.
A most unusual vehicle was the GKN Alvis Simba Armoured Car, which I think was a prototype for the Saxon APC. The interior looked similar, but with a side door instead, while the driver’s seat looked straight out of the Saxon. The owners wasn’t available to ask, but I remember reading somewhere that it had been almost abandoned up a corner of the GKN factory and a chap who worked there had managed to buy it. Maybe someone could confirm this or not ?
Any way a superb show and we’ll be back next year. Maybe there will be more MV’s next year ?!!!
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
Morris JU250 Minibus (14 FJ 53)
Morris J2 Minibus (39 EP 55)
Thornycroft Nubian Major Dennis Mk9 Crash Tender (51 RN 45)
Land Rover S2 Ambulance (RTT 490 H)
Grenadier Guards on Exercise with Austin K9 1Ton GS, Germany, March 1957
Austin 10hp Light Utility (ORE 89)
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Information all about Whittington Barracks Wartime Weekend
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
Aveling Barford 690 Dump Truck (00 FZ 48)
Bedford RL 3Ton 4x4 Public Address (81 AV 47)
Samson CVRT ARV (91 KB 64)
Challenger Tank Mk3 (79 KF 03)
Land Rover S3 Lightweight (Q 671 FLE)
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
Bedford S Type 4x2 Tractor (57 AN 00) Photo Number 3000 !!!
Leyland Martian 10Ton Heavy Recovery (217 EH)
Leyland Martian 10Ton Artillery Tractor (43 BM 64)
Bedford TK 4x2 Tractor (72 KC 39)
Berliet TBU15 6x6 Tractor (263-0560)
Saviem Renault SM8 4Ton Cargo (6803-0896)
Fiat 639 4x2 Cargo (EI-86479)
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)
British 8th Army (Embroid)
British 14th Army (Embroid)
