Heard a great story yesterday ! We have a good friend who owns a 1939 Austin 8hp Open Tourer. Although it’s ex-army, he insists of keeping it in a post-war civilian colour of bright red with loads of chrome – don’t worry guys, I’m working on him to paint it army green and get markings on it !!! He took the car to a show last year and an old chap came over and they chatted. His story was that he’d been an army driver for an officer for the whole of the war, driving him all over the country in an Austin 8hp, like my friend’s car. At the end of the war, he was demobbed and told to drive the car back to a certain barracks and then that was the end of his army life. On arrival at the barracks, he was told to park the car next to a whole row of other Austin cars, hand in the vehicle paperwork in the office, collect his rail-pass and clear off. Now this chap knew this car inside out and had treated it like his baby, so he was sad to part company. He signed off the vehicle, collected his rail-pass but as he came outside the place was deserted. He waited a few minutes, jumped in his old pet and drove off and back home. The car remained in his family for over 20 years until it just rotted away !!!
Another busy week with lots more photographs added. This week I have concentrated on getting some more US World War 2 vehicles on. We now have over 75 US medium weight GMC 352 and 353 CCKW 2.5 ton truck and after a number of emails we have over 20 pictures of the good old Duck, the GMC 353 DUKW 6×6 Cargo, to give its proper name ! Included are some of the Duck in post-war British Army colours, useful to those of you who are modelmakers and have bought the Italeri 1/35 scale model kit of the Duck in the RASC version. Finally, I’ve added others to most other categories, including some more Jeep photos. The one below I think just captures the 1940′s re-enactment feel, with US Army, civilians and a British Royal Navy Wren. There are over 1700 photographs now on the blog so I hope you find lots to have a look at whatever your interest is !
Below are samples of what you can find
Bye for now and to our friends in The Netherlands ……. Een goede dag verder !
SIMON
GMC 353 CCKW 6x6 Cargo (BT-49-NY)(Netherlands)
GMC 353 DUKW 6x6 Cargo (72 YP 65)
Willys MB-Ford GPW Jeep
