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
TA Detachment of Austin Champs for The Coronation 1953
Ford C15 and WOT2 15cwts in North Africa
AEC Matador Dorchester Armoured Command Vehicle
Scammell Explorer 10Ton Recovery Tractor (SJS 920 M)
Land Rover S2 109 Station Wagon (25 CL 51)
Humber Armoured Car, The Theory of Reconnaissance (WW2 Training Film)
