Marston Moor English Civil War Memorial

Took the truck out with the family for a drive earlier this week to the Marston Moor Battlefield, which is only about 5 miles from our house. This was a site of one of the major (if not decisive) battles of the English Civil war in 1644.
There is a memorial which has been erected by the Cromwell Association to commemorate the event.
-

Managed to prise my son Alex off his X-Box long enough to come along :)
-  
-

-

-

-
-
-

This is the view looking back from the memorial to 'Cromwells clump' where he watched the battle unfold.  The highest spot for miles around this would have given the best view of the battle as it unfolded.
-

CCKW 352 - Truck Adventures - Update

A bit of a update on truck adventures in the last few weeks.  Always a bit reluctant to to start after being stood for a while, with the assistance of a few squirts of Damp Start (ether based) she will normally fire up.  After a failed attempt I cleaned the plugs and check the gaps, but didn't help, so it was clear that something was amiss.  As there was fuel in the filter the problem was probably electrical, although I did a have a spark at the points.  Having inspected the inside of the Distributor Cap I could see it was quite pitted so I thought I would replace that along with the Condenser and Rotor Arm as well for good measure.  A call through to Rex Ward sourced some replacements which turned up the next day :)
-

-
Fitting the new parts in turn, the old Condenser was the culprit, but just for good measure I still went ahead and replaced the Cap and Arm.
-
 -
It's two years now since I had the truck independently looked over, so I had arranged to take up to MV Depot at Helperby this week.  I want him to have all the wheels off, check all the brakes over and amongst other things change the fuel filter.  In preparation for the 20 mile drive I stuck some fuel in at the local Tescos supermarket and was happily driving it home when the engine spluttered to stop and I found myself broken down at the side of the road :(   Checking under the bonnet, the problem was obvious, fuel contamination...  See pic below.
-

-
Fortunately I subscribe to a recovery service through my insurers, so eventually I got recovered.
-

-
The following morning the truck was winch off at MV Depot, and he managed to get it going.
-

-
On the one hand I feel unlucky because it broke down just before the main fuel filter was going to be changed.  Sludge and water in the system would have become apparent then.  On the other hand I feel lucky that it broke down on a straight stretch where it didn't inconvenience anyone.  Given that I'd just driven right through the centre of York, if I'd broken 2 miles earlier in the middle of one of the major junctions it could have caused truly massive disruption...
-

Truck - Rust Hole

I can share with you I'm doing some bodywork restoration on the CCKW at the moment and recently had it home to work on.  I focused on rubbing down and then re-painting the cargo body, and generally everything went well, apart from the discovery of this corrosion hole at the back :(
-

-

-
My current thinking is to fill it for the moment, and then get it welded up properly along with some other planned work later in the year.
-
After the paint had dried we took it out for a short drive into York where we parked up for a picnic lunch in the cool spring sunshine.
-

-

-

Managed to sneak a photo in in front of Cliffords Tower.
-
-

Truck Is 70 Years Old This Month

As best I can make out, my CCKW 352 truck is 70 years old this month.  Took it out for a short spin this afternoon, and snapped a couple of photos in the weak winters sun.
-

-

-

-

Remembrance Sunday

Here in the UK it's been Remembrance Sunday when all over the country people attend services and parades to remember those affected by conflict.  Myself I bought the biggest poppy I could lay my hands on and fastened it to the front of the CCKW.

-
Talking of which, with winter just round the corner I decided that this year I'll strip the back down and put the canvas and seat woodwork into store.  Here's a couple of photos.

-

-

As you can see from the lengthening shadows (above) I was running out of time, so for the moment the seats are still in, and will have to wait until another day.
-

CCKW 352 1/16th Scale Model

Last year I was contacted by keen modeller called Morten Moeslund who wished to build a 1/16th scale model of a CCKW truck and was looking for some assistance with measurements and photos.  I was happy to help, and a couple of months back he sent me some photos of the end result.  It looks just brilliant.
-orten MoeslundMorten MoeslundMorten Moeslund
-

-

-

-

-

-

Truck Stuff & 1940 Event On Fathers Day At The Valley Gardens

Since I posted on 3 Jun about the issues with the trucks windscreen seal, after a great deal of ringing around I sourced a replacement from a company called 'Dugdales', the part being described as a Rubber Extrusion R40 Windscreen Section.  It was quite straightforward to fit thankfully.
-

-
This allowed me to attend a 1940s event at the Valley Gardens in Harrogate last Sunday without the truck looking too shabby.  Initially I drove over to Knaresborough on my own in the morning and then swung by to see my old friend Chris.  He fired his Jeep up, and my godson Gareth became my co-driver and we drove up in convoy up to Harrogate and parked up with a collection of other 1940 vehicles (mainly Jeeps it has to be said).
-

Chris in his Jeep

This is the 3rd year that the Valley Gardens has hosted the event, and it is getting better each year so it seems.  The goodish weather this year helped with the attendance, with over 22,000 people going through the gardens.  Mrs Vulture and son Alex turned up just after lunch and during a break in chatting with people I decided to try and lay the windscreen assembly down.  This was a first for me, not having tried it before in the almost two years I've had the vehicle.  After untying the ropes holding the cab roof canvas with the assistance of Chris, Gareth and Chris other son Graham the four of us then applied some muscle to the windscreen which slowly started to move.  The repeated application of some light oil eased the pivot joints that probably haven't moved in over a decade, and  eventually the windscreen assembly lay flat.
-

-
The truck certainly looked different !
When it came time to leave I decided to drive home with it down which was:
a)  Quite a cold experience, and
b)  Quite disconcerting as the view forward to so heavily restricted !
-

-
All in all a good day out :)
-

CCKW 352 at Cliffords Tower

Brought the truck home yesterday and detoured via Cliffords Tower here in York for a quick photo  :)

The historic and the ancient together.

-

Once home I attacked the windscreen seal.  As you can see in the photo below, I had had to resort to using insulating tape to stop it dropping off.  The rubber had just perished with age and was splitting.  

-

-

Here's a piece I removed from the side.  

-

-

Anyway, after removing all the old seal I then took the opportunity to clean up the channels where the strip slides into and sorted out a little bit of corrosion.  Just need to source some new rubber now.  The normal suppliers seem out of stock though :(

Drive It Day 2013

Each year The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) encourages the members from affiliated clubs to get their classic/ancient vehicles out and about for one day.  Last year was the first time we had participated Link, and we decided to go out and about for a short drive this year as well.  The day started out with me retrieving the truck from where I have it currently stored and deciding to top the tank up with £100 worth of fuel.  I have frequented the local Tescos several times since we moved to York in Dec 2012 in my car, and felt that although tightish, the forecourt would be okay for the truck.  Biggggg error of judgement there !  It was busy, and after tanking up I had the devils own job manoeuvring around to get out without:
a)  crashing into multiple cars,
b)  destroying a newspaper stand,
c)  wearing out the thrust bearing on the clutch !

Anyway, back home I collected the family we drove to the nearby now semi-derelict WW2 bomber base of RAF Rufforth. This airfield at its height had over 1700 personnel on site when No. 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) 7 Group Training Command was operating from their with, Halifax I / II / III / V, Stirling I, Oxford II, Spitfire Vb and Hurricane IIC aircraft.

Here's a photo of us at the bottom of one the surviving runways.  I've tweaked it using a program called Photomatrix which I find can produce some interesting results.  
-

-

-

Yorhshire MVT - 'Crank-up' Event

Went along on Sunday to the first event of the year for the Yorkshire branch of the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT). Held at Cliffords Tower in York, it was a bit of Jeep fest it has to be said, however my CCKW brought a touch of class to the event :) The three M35 Reo (trucks) were a revelation to me in how great the engines sounded, with the Turbos whistling away. Fabulous ! I really want one !
-

From Wargaming BLOG Photos

-

-

-

100,000 views !!! and some reflections...

It seems appropriate to the mark the occasion of exceeding 100,000 views on the Blog with a post to say thanks to all who have dropped by and especially to those regulars who chip in with feedback from time to time.  I am conscious that the title of the Blog does have wargaming in it, and that over the last two years there have been far fewer posting of that type than in earlier years.  This has been predominately down to circumstances with work which has seriously cramped my attendance at my local Huntingdon club.  Things are about to change however, and the long weekly trips (170miles) from Warboys to Bristol will shortly be coming to an end.  I have secured a new job in York that I start in the New Year, and the family and I will be moving back to Gods own county (Yorkshire) if all goes according to plan on the 19th Dec.  Our new home will in the Woodthorpe area of York.  I will be sorry to leave our current home which we have lived in since 1998 and the many friends I have in the Huntingdon area. I shan't be sorry though to see the back of one of the neighbours however, so there is a real upside there ! LOL  The costs of moving house are quite incredible has to be said, and with stamp duty thrown in I won't be seeing much change out of £20k :(

Wargamers tend to be hoarders  and I'm no exception with loads and loads of books figures and terrain in the loft.  These last 4 weeks I've been slowly bringing it down, and the house has boxes stacked all over the place ! The removals company said a second vehicle might be required to move us, but I told them I would use my CCKW 352 to move some stuff up.  I'm going to have to drive it up anyway, so it might as well help and out and keep costs down.  In preparation for the 150 mile journey I decided to put it into a truck garage called Welch Commercials, and asked them to give it a dummy MOT check.

As a pre 1960 vehicle the law  doesn't require it to have a MOT, but actually I don't agree with that, I think all vehicles should have an annual safety check of some kind. Anyway, the garage spotted a few things but only one significant one would have ‘failed it’. The new rubber hose that Rex Ward (the main GMC parts supplier in the UK) supplied a few months that connects in the inlet manifold to the Hydrovac (like a car servo) pipe wasn't man enough for the job and was partially collapsed  They have had one made up for me locally that has a coil insert within it. With the move of house and job + the weather I'm not getting the time to put into the truck at the moment, so I'm having them change the last 3 brake hoses that still needed doing, along with sorting three things they spotted:
a) the UJ nearest the pillow block rear prop shaft had some play in it,
b) 2 bolts on another U/J that were loose,
c) add split pins to the engine mount bolts.

Current plans are to load it up the coming Friday and drive it north next Saturday.  I hope the weather is kind as I reckon the trip will take at least 5 hours and 6 Volt windscreen wipers are rubbish ! LOL
-

Frustration is....

Frustration is crappy weather like this over the weekend when I'm wanting to get a door-skin off the truck to sort out some rot on it :(
-

-

RAF Glatton Memorial Road Run

As the secretary for my local branch of the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT) one of my duties is to write up a report on the activities of our Huntingdon Area for inclusion in the quarterly club magazine 'Windscreen'.  I thought I would share part of the article here on my Blog which pertains to a recent road run we did :)
--------------

After the enjoyable time had on our May road run our second run of the year scheduled for 16 Sep was much looked forward to.  Fortunately the gods smiled upon our endeavours and extended the good weather experienced in early Sep up to that weekend.  Meeting up again at a start location near Kings Ripton in Cambridgeshire we doubled our previous numbers and gathered together 14 vehicles and 29 people for our trip which we grandly entitled ‘The Glatton Memorial Road Run’.  After a driver briefing given by our event organiser Andy Miller we hit the public roads in convoy at around 13:00.  Setting off was one of the moments in the day that I wish we could have bottled, as the organised chaos that ensured as we pulled out was just brilliant.  Heading initially south west we joined the old A1 near Alconbury where we turn north and after a couple of miles stopped for fuel and air at a convenient petrol station.  Our convoy of 3 Jeeps, an Austin Champ, 2 Land Rovers, a 1942 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, a Dodge WC52, a monster 12 ton URAL truck and 5 GMC CCKWs (one of which had a M45 Quadmount in the back) made an impressive sight and had other motorists stopping and taking photos and turning round and driving back past for another look.

-

Continuing north we stopped at the Memorial to the 457thBombardment Group (H) which commemorates the 86 aircraft and 718 men who were KIA/MIA or POW during operations in 1944/45.  

After paying our respects we laid a card with the following poem written by one of our members Andrew Griffiths.

Job done, all missions flown
Most went home, home sweet home.
Loved ones waited fear in heart
Never again would be apart.

For some the wait was not to cease
It was those who would feel no peace
Where their loved ones once stood, today we stand
Thanking them for our peaceful land.

A debt is owed we cannot repay
But we didn’t forget,
We came today.

May God Bless all those souls that fought for freedom and paid with the ultimate sacrifice.
You are not forgotten.

Your friends from the Huntingdon & District Military Vehicles Trust
16th September 2012.

Remounting we turn east and headed through Conington village and then travelled down a public road that used to be the SW/NE runway of RAF Glatton.  At the end of this we pulled into Peterborough Conington Airport which operates from one the remaining runways, and parked up by prior arrangement by the windsock for a photo call, and a welcome cup of tea for those who wanted one in their café.  

Continuing on, no sooner had we set off than a potential problem with the route became apparent. A tiny bridge with a 5 ton weight limit presented a challenge to our 12 ton Ural, 
but after considering the position we proceeded on the basis that the vehicle was so large and the bridge so small only one axle would be on it at any one time!  The last half of our journey took us through the outskirts of Holme village after which we broke into open fenlands for the run into Ramsey and the WW2 Militia Camp which was our destination.  The custodians kindly opened up their NAAFI facilities for tea and coffee and our happy band finished off the day with a picnic tea. All in all a terrific day with lots going on, and accordingly lots to enjoy. The entertaining route worked well with RAF Glatton providing a great focus for the whole event.
Plans for the future over the winter months include a X-Mas/New Year road run and a late X-Mas / First Area Anniversary meal in early Jan.

--------------------------