Our first aircraft are some marvellous Vickers Valetta’s which I think typify the design of 1950’s aircraft.

[Show as slideshow]

Vickers Valetta (VW-188)

Vickers Valetta (VW-821)

Vickers Valetta (VX-564)

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.

[Show as slideshow]

Eastern Front Collection 1501

Eastern Front Collection 1502

Eastern Front Collection 1503

Eastern Front Collection 1504

Eastern Front Collection 1505

Eastern Front Collection 1506

Eastern Front Collection 1507

Eastern Front Collection 1508

Eastern Front Collection 1509

Eastern Front Collection 1510

Eastern Front Collection 1511

Eastern Front Collection 1512

Eastern Front Collection 1513

Eastern Front Collection 1514

Eastern Front Collection 1515

Eastern Front Collection 1516

Eastern Front Collection 1517

Eastern Front Collection 1518

Eastern Front Collection 1519

Eastern Front Collection 1520

Hi there and welcome to what’s new on miliblog this week. Well after three shows last week it was time once again to trawl through the collection of German WW2 photographs to add some more to our Eastern Front Collection. From our email-bag, these photos are very popular with you all, so I hope you will enjoy this week’s additions of which we feature five samples below.

We kick off with a column of German infantryman marching along a dusty road in the height of Summer. Following on is an unusual photo featuring two soldiers standing guard over a mermoral to their comrades lost in action.  Next we have some more marching soldiers, but this time Soviet prisoners of war and marching off the other way into captivity.

Next photo is a chiily one in the snow with a sergeant holding up a snow stick. And finally, we have an unusual one in the form of a crashed Soviet Polikarpov I-16 fighter plane, so neatly crashing without even knocking over any of the fences.

So we’ll return to the scanner and the phot box and see what we can bring you next week.

Cheerio !

Simon

Eastern Front Colection No 1341

Eastern Front Collection No 1345

Eastern Front Collection No 1348

Eastern Front Collection No 1352

Eastern Front Collection No 1359

Hi and welcome to this week’s what’s new on Miliblog. Well it’s been a busy week with three separate shows over the weekend. We started off with a nice drive out into the Worcestershire countryside for the Wartime in The Vale Show at Evesham on Saturday. We’ve a full report with over 150 photos under our Show Report section. However I couldn’t resist adding a before and after photo from our collection of a vehicle we saw at the show !!! Even the markings are the same on the front mudguard.

Austin K5 3Ton GS (KFF 980) in the 1990s

Austin K5 3Ton GS (KFF 980) Under Preservation 2010

The next day we scooted over to Halfpenny Green Airport, near Stourbridge for the 100 Years of Wolverhampton’s Airports Show. This was an event to celebrate the 100 years to the day since the first flight from a Wolverhampton Airport, which occurred on 27 June 1910. A show of military vehicles had been advertised, but by the time we arrived, they’d all left. Something to do with World Cup football match between England and Germany I believe, Still it was nice to have a walk around a wartime airfield complete with it’s original wartime control tower. Years ago, in the 1970’s, the airfield used to hold an annual air show that was a national event and featured the Falcons, the British Parachute Regiment display team, displays of Spitfires and Hurricanes and I believe the Red Arrows too in their Folland Gnat aircraft. Below is a photo of the control tower.

Halfpenny Green Airfield Control Tower

 Also at the event was a lovely percival Prentice Trainer, that I think was owned by Air Atlantique and based at Coventry Airport, which is pictured below.

Percival P40 Prentice T1 Trainer (VR-259)

 Finally after enjoying the sunshine we headed off to Himley Park near Dudley for the British Armed Forces Day. Here we saw a selection of familiar vehicles seen at other shows across the Midlands. Below is Tony Whitehead’s superb Austin 10hp Light Utility. Sorry Tony I think you were having a quick sleep as we went by and we didn’t like to disturb you for a chat !!! Perhaps next time.

Austin 10hp Light Utility (ORE 89)

 So it was back home for a well deserved cup of tea and check out the photos we’d taken over the weekend.

Have a great week and we’ll see you soon !

Cheerio !

Simon

Hi once again to you all. On Miliblog this week we feature some more photos loaded onto our Eastern Front Collection. We’ve received a number of emails from you saying how much you’re enjoying looking at the Collection, especially from visitors from Germany, so below are five more samples of photos added this week.

First we start with a cold looking infantryman on guard duty. Next illustrates that the German army wasn’t as fully mechanised as many think. These poor horses must have suffered in the apauling winter conditions, with one of collapsing under the strain. Another illustration of the conditions on the battlefield where the rain and the earth roads led to thick sticky mud that caused all sorts of problems. And here’s another photo of a horse drawn column of supply wagons, stuck down in the mud and having to be pushed out.

Finally we have a battleweary German soldier with what looks like a summer uniform. Maybe one of you out there that is more knowledgeable on uniforms can help. Is that a torch strapped onto their shoulder ?

So have a great week and we’ll be back soon with some more exciting items on Miliblog.

Cheerio !

Simon 

Eastern Front Collection No 1282

Eastern Front Collection No 1301

Eastern Front Collection No 1303

Eastern Front Collection No 1328

Eastern Front Collection No 1338

Hi and welcome to everyone across the world. What a fantastic month May has been for Miliblog, with over 10,250 visitors to our little website from all over the globe. Between you, we had over 730,000 hits looking at all the items we have on Miliblog. So all I can say is a big THANK YOU to you all.

We often are emailed from many of you asking if we know where you can find a certain vehicle or a spare part. Some have asked if they can feature their vehicle for sale. Well now you all can !

A new feature on miliblog is a classified section, where for free, no charge, you can upload a photo of your vehicle for sale and a brief discription of it as well. However for £5 you can place an advert and load upto 10 photosof your item that will be there for 3 months. 

If you’re organising an event, whether it a 1940’s event or military vehicle show, then please list your event for all similar minded enthusiasts to find. Again you can even load photos to go with the advert.

What about if you have a club or museum ? Well we can cater for you as well, with a special page dedicated to all different clubs and associations from all over the world.

Lastly, if you offer any type of service whatsoever to the military sectors from vehicles, uniforms, vehicle parts and renovations to models and books on military items, then we’d love to feature you here on Miliblog.

So down to this week’s features, and so we’re featuring some more of our collection from our Eastern Front. It’s pretty hot here in  the UK, but just look how cold it is in some of the photos. We start with a nice photo of three Panzer crew members, very useful for our uniform collectors and modellers. Following on is a nice Stug 3 (Sturmgeschutz) Self Propelled Gun, based on a Panzer 2 chassis, here seen at speed on a well used snowy road.  Another snowy and cold photo next with some some shivering German infantrymen aboard what looks like a Panzer 3 tank, judging by the height of the vehicle.

Next we have a pair of Panzer 2 tanks in a more warmer time on the battlefield, with a nice little Mercedes light truck parked up or probably getting out of the way of these speeding tanks. Finally we have a German infantryman ready to defend his post with his Kar 98k rifle and some ‘potato masher’ grenades.

So we say have a good week and continue enjoying visiting and looking at all the different items we have for you on Miliblog. And don’t forget, if you want to sell your military vehicle, why not pop it onto our classifieds section, after all it won’t cost you a penny or a cent !

Cheerio !

Simon

Eastern Front Collection No 1231

Eastern Front Collection No 1260

Eastern Front Collection No 1272

Eastern Front Collection No 1277

Eastern Front Collection No 1280

Welcome to what’s new on Miliblog this week in what’s a very historical week in military history. Seventy yeras ago this week in 1940, the little boats were heading across the English Channel to pick the remnants of the British and French armies from the beaches of Dunkirk. This week I would like to dedicate this week’s newsletter to my dear Uncle Bob, Private Robert Nourse. A lovely chap, he joined up into the Royal Worcesters and soon found himself digging trenches in Northern France. After a long retreat to the beaches he was eventually picked of the beaches by one of the little boats and managed to get back to England. He died a couple of years ago, but would never speak of his experiences, saying that he lost many good friends.

Also this week, June 6, is the 66th Anniversary of the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy.

As much as we would have liked to be over in Normandy visiting the various museums and famous sights, we instead went a few miles down the road to the West Park in Wolverhampton for the annual Wolverhampton Steam Fair and Transport Rally. For a full report visit our Show Reports tab, with lots of pictures of vehicles from the event. However below are five sample photos to tempt you to have a look further at all our show reports.

Firstly we have a lovely Austin Champ. These old British soldiers from the 1950’s are so full of character, you can just see the National Serviceman is his khaki uniform and beret driving it down the roads of Western Germany. The small and patina of these vehicles have grown on me over the years and if I had the room to store one, I’d certainly be out there looking. Next is a lovely Landie, but a pretty rare one too, a S3 Shorland Armoured Car. The owner told us all about it’s history, which is also in the Show Report. Flying an Ulster Defence Force flag, is a clue.

Next photo is another unusual vehicle spotted in the commercial section. It’s a Dodge Commando RG13 Coach, previously serving with the RAF as a coach/ambulance. Following on is a Scammell Explorer that we haven’t seen before, which is another nice 1950’s British Army vehicle.

Finally, we have a photo of Phil Palmer’s Leyland Hippo 10 Tonner. Although we’ve seen this beast many times before, it never fails to impress with it’s size.

So have a great week ahead wherever you are in the world.

Cheerio !

Simon

Austin Champ (HMJ 951 F)

Land Rover S3 Shorland Armoured Car (HNP 853 J)(12 FL 02)

Dodge Commando RG13 Coach (A 135 YOX)(18 KA 92)

Scammell Explorer 10Ton Recovery Tractor (YSY 250)

Leyland Hippo Mk2 10Ton GS (JSK 164)

 

Hi and welcome to what’s new on Miliblog this week. Well after getting our feet wet last week, it’s back onto firm ground again as we head East once more for some more photos in our Eastern Front Collcetion. I can never understand why there are so many photos around of German forces in WW2 taken by the servicemen themselves. Is it because German cameras in the 1930’s were noted as being the best in the World, and cheaper and more available or what ? It’s always very hard to find photos taken by British or Commonwealth troops or indeed US servicemen while serving abroad.

So for starters this week, we have two knocked out Soviet tanks, with one providing valuable information for our modelling friends who are into super-detailing their models. Following on is a good shot of some German infantry marching past another knocked out Soviet tank. Looking at their dress, I think this is in mid-Summer and makes a contrast to many of our photos which show Winter scenes. Just look though at all the equipment they are loaded up with.

Next we have another group of German infantrymen marching along in the Summer, with one shouldering an MG34 machine gun. Following on we have a complete opposite of the previous two photos with a nice shot of Winter camouflage oversmocks in a Christmassy scene !!! Lastly we have an enlarged photo from a small snap of a German infantryman. Useful for a close up on the uniform and the rubber bands on his helmet, used for attaching camouflage, usually items found in the field such as tree branhes, twigs or leaves.

So next week, we’re off to Wolverhampton West Park Show, where weather permitting, we’ll have a good turnout of military vehicles to bring to you.

Cheerio !

Simon    

Eastern Front Collection No 1159

Eastern Front Collection No 1171

Eastern Front Collection No 1188

Eastern Front Collection No 1206

Eastern Front Collection No 1218

Paul Valiadis, a good friend of Miliblog and the Chairman of the South Midlands Area, was seen around with his high-viz jacket either ushering vehicles into the arena or having a chat to other enthusiats. Paul’s own Austin K9 Wireless Truck was there in fine condition. Sorry Paul we weren’t able to take a photo as a wire fence was in the way ! Paul’s very much a fan of Austin K9’s by the way, running the K9 Register, and no, nothing to do with either dogs or Dr Who robots !!! Sorry Paul, but we couldn’t catch up with you for a chat !!! …….but we’ll be in touch

Well, what did we think of the show ? Absolutely brilliant !!!!!! Nice display areas, a fantastic selection of vehicles, plenty of room to move around in between them, good parking and a good selection of trade stands. What also was nice to see was that there was a small selection of civilian vehicles as well, The title said Wartime in the Vale, meaning the Vale of Evesham, and of course wartime tractors, cars etc were a nice addition. There were also a number of groups of re-enactors, with the one group portraying a USMC unit making an impression with some excellent groundworks. 

Well who did we meet ? We met a great bunch of chaps with the Champ Camp of the Austion Champ Owners Club. After all these years of owning a watimr Ford Gpw Jeep, Phil Plumb made a very sound case indeed to add a Champ to our collection. He’d taken a group of Champs over to Germany last year along with some old soldiers visiting the old camps they were stationed, Around 150 miles a day over 10 days and never a complaint. Also a hello to the three guys who wanted to know if we were like the beach photographer who’d take their photo and then be back for £5 for the photo next day. Well you’re here free of charge !!!

So we’d read last year that the show had the making of becoming a great show in the future, and all we can say is that we agree 100%. There’s the room to grow and communications to get there are good to. So a highly recommended show for next year’s diary.  

[Show as slideshow]

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Airborne Equipment

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Alvis Saracen APC (84 BA 39)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Alvis Stalwart Amphibious Truck (KAW 998 E)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, AM General M1044 Humvee (A 21 HMV)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin 10hp Light Utility (YYJ 279)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin 10hp Staff Car Conversion (FXP 491)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ Royal Navy Conversion (210 UXJ)(6948 RN)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ Royal Navy Conversion (210 UXJ)(6948 RN) Rear

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (55 BE 32)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (55 BE 63)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (832 XFK)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (874 UXJ)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (AAS 313)(80 BE 43)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (DEH 293 H)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (JVU 495 F)(16 BF 64)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (KNX 439 D)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (KSL 729)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (RVP 21 G)(88 BE 47)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (TTT 590 H)

Wartime in the Vale 2010, Austin Champ (UFF 332)