Display pilot's incredible escape from World War Two fighter as he bails out after mid-air collision at airshow.

These pilots had a lucky escapes... Link
-

-

GMC 352 Purchase - Progress Report - No 1

Since I last posted arrangements have been firmed up, and I view the vehicle this Friday. If its okay (and confidence is high that it will be), I have set plans in place to pick it up the following Saturday. I've arranged insurance through a company called Adrian Flux Insurance Services. £120 for a years cover + £ 30 for roadside assistance, recovery and homestart. Must confess I was surprised at how reasonable the latter element is, for should it need recovering a 6.5 tonne vehicle is going to need more than your normal small car transporter to more it.
-

Photos From Waddington Airshow

Last Saturday the family and I went to the Waddington International Airshow. Overall it was a great day out, the highlight being a stunning display by the United Stated Air Force (USAF) display team 'The Thunderbirds'. It is the first time in over ten years that they have been to the UK, and Waddington was the only display they were doing. Six F16s tearing the sky up was a sight (and sound) to behold.
-


2011-07-02 Wattisham Airshow

Ambition To Buy A WW2 GMC CCKW Truck

To cut a long story short, it looks like I could be about to satisfy a long-term ambition of mine to own a historic military vehicle. I've been put in contact with a chap who is selling a GMC 352. This is the short wheel-based version of the 353 that was designed as an Artillery tractor for towing 75mm and 105 guns. No road tax, no MOT, insurance is only £120, so apart from the fact it only does about 8 the gallon, it should be cheap to operate, right ? Well if everything goes according to plan I should find out in a few weeks ! :)
-

In pictures: Dunkirk command tunnels

The BBC web site has some pictures showing the renovated tunnels underneath Dover Castle where Operation Dynamo was planned. Link
-

WWII In Photos - A Retrospective In 20 Parts

An old friend of mine Steve Hammond sent me a link to a fascinating series of photo essays being done by a guy called Alan Taylor. Highly recommended. Link
-

How Many Left ?

If you live in the UK this is a fascinating site which tells you how many cars of any make and model are still on the road in the UK. Link
-

Air Commodore Peter Cribb -Obituary

Air Commodore Peter Cribb, who has died aged 92, was one of the most successful and gallant master bombers of the Pathfinder Force; he flew more than 100 wartime operations, including one when he made an unauthorised raid on Hitler’s retreat at Berchtesgaden. Link
-

Hadrian's Wall: A horde of ancient treasures make for a compelling new Cumbrian exhibition

The Roman Emperor Hadrian, who came to the throne AD117, claimed that the gods had instructed him to "keep intact the Empire", so he planned a massive wall to defend its northern boundary against the unruly tribes beyond. There is an interesting article on the Independent On Sunday site about new discoveries. Link
-

SS Richard Montgomery

Stumbled across this story yesterday. SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built during World War II, one of the 2,710 used to carry cargo during the war. The ship was wrecked off the Nore in the Thames Estuary in 1944 with around 1,500 tons of explosives on board, which continue to be a hazard to the area. Link
-

Lock N Load Publishing - Old PC Games

Found this interesting site that deals exclusively in old 'classic' PC games. They are all available for download for very reasonable prices. Link
-

AFV Combat Speed

There is a very interesting recent thread on The Miniatures Page (TMP) web site about AFV Combat Speed. Well worth a read, many of the postings are very entertaining and informative. Link
-

Low Fast Pass

These are some of the lowest fastest passes you will ever see, fabulous !
-

Recent Purchases - For My 15mm Sci-Fi

You know what it's like....you see something (a model or piece of scenery) and immediately think, that would just go brilliantly with X !! Well in my case this happened twice in the last month. I stumbled across some AT-43 mechs on E-Bay, and also a piece of Kryomech scenery. In both cases the manufactures are now out of business, only the gods know if we will ever see them again in production. Although both pieces are designed for 28 and 25mm, I think they look fine with my 15mm Sci-Fi collection. For scale comparison I've included a few 15mm figures and vehicles.
-

-

-

Above is the AT-43 Cobra M-8
-

-

Above is the Kryomech Anti-Aircraft Tower. Figures in the foreground by Blue Moon, vehicle by GZG.
-

Invincible, pride of the Falklands, is broken up in knacker's yard

There is nothing good at all about this, my favourite ship getting broken up :( Link
-

Operation Crossbow: How 3D glasses helped defeat Hitler

Newly released photographs show how a team of World War II experts disrupted Nazi plans to bombard Britain - with the help of 3D glasses like those in modern cinemas. See the BBC web site for more info. Link
-

WWI underground: Unearthing the hidden tunnel war

Archaeologists are beginning the most detailed ever study of a Western Front battlefield, an untouched site where 28 British tunnellers lie entombed after dying during brutal underground warfare. For WWI historians, it's the "holy grail".
See the BBC web site for for info on this interesting story. Link
-

Friday Humour

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, Lancashire scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone, in the weeks that followed, a Cumbrian archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story published in the Windermere Times : "Cumbrian archaeologists, finding traces of 130-year-old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network 30 years earlier than Lancashire".

One week later, the Yorkshire Post reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his backyard in Bawtry , South Yorkshire , Amos Thwaite, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely f--k all. Amos has therefore concluded that 150 years ago, Yorkshire had already gone wireless."
-

German Tank Destroyer hoisted out from Baltic Sea

Check out this video I found on U-Tube of a WWII German Hetzer SPG being dragged out of the Baltic sea !
-

-

Rorke's Drift hero Edward Savage memorial unveiled

A memorial is to be unveiled in a Cardiff cemetery to a survivor of the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

Newport-born Edward Savage was 20 when he fought in the battle, immortalised in the film Zulu, in South Africa in 1879. See the full article on the BBC web site. Link
-

Apache helicopter: A tour around the attack aircraft

The British army's fleet of Apache attack helicopters have clocked up a landmark 100,000 flying hours, a third of which have been flown on operations in Afghanistan.

The Apaches are flown on operations by 3 and 4 Regiments Army Air Corps, based at Wattisham airfield in Suffolk, where the BBC's Caroline Wyatt was given a tour of the aircraft by Captain Murray Nicol. Link
-

Friday Humour

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb.
Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'.


Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'.. .and thus, the word GOLF entered into the English language.


Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.


Coca-Cola was originally green.


It is impossible to lick your elbow.


111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321


If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.


Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common ?

A. All were invented by women.


Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?

A. Honey


In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'


It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.


In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'
It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'


Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.


At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!


Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by itself, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
-

Dropship Horizon Blog - The End

Slightly gutted today to find that one of my favour Blogs that I follow, Dropship Horizon is coming to an end. It has been a fabulous resource for the 15mm Sic-fi gaming community over the last couple of years and will be sorely missed.
-

Joke Stuff - Great catches out there

There are some great catches out there. Exerts from Irish personal adds.

1. Grossly overweight Louth turf-cutter, 42 years old and 23 stone, Gemini, seeks nimble sexpot, preferably South American, for tango sessions, candlelit dinners and humid nights of screaming passion. Must have own car and be willing to travel. Box 09/08

2. Galway man, 50, in desperate need of a ride. Anything considered. Box06/03

3. Heavy drinker, 35, Cork area, seeks gorgeous sex addict interested in pints, fags, Glasgow Celtic football club and starting scraps on Patrick Street at three in the morning. Box 73/82.

4. Bitter, disillusioned Kerryman lately rejected by long-time fiancée seeks decent, honest, reliable woman, if such a thing still exists in this cruel world of hatchet-faced bitches. Box 53/41

5. Ginger-haired Meath trouble-maker, gets slit-eyed and shirty after a few scoops, seeks attractive, wealthy lady for bail purposes, maybe more. Box 84/87

6. Artistic Clare woman, 53, petite, loves rainy walks on the beach, writing poetry, unusual sea-shells and interesting brown rice dishes, seeks mystic dreamer for companionship, back rubs and more as we bounce along like little tumbling clouds on life's beautiful crazy journey. Strong stomach essential. Box 12/32

7. Chartered accountant, 42, seeks female for marriage. Duties will include cooking, light cleaning and accompanying me to office social functions. References required. No timewasters. Box 23/45

8. Bad-tempered, foul-mouthed old bastard living in a damp cottage in the arse end of Donegal seeks attractive 21-year old blonde lady with big chest. Box 40/27

9. Devil-worshiper, Offaly area, seeks like minded lady for wining and dining, good conversation, dancing, romantic walks and slaughtering dogs in cemeteries at midnight under the flinty light of a pale moon. Box52/07

10. Attractive brunette, Macroom area, winner of Miss Wrangler competition at Jolene's Nightclub, Macroom, in September 1978, seeks nostalgic man who's not afraid to cry, for long nights spent comfort-drinking and listening to old Abba records. Please, Please! Box 30/41

11. Limerick man, 27, medium build, brown hair, blue eyes, seeks alibi for the night of February 27 between 8pm and 11.30pm

Life at war captured through the eyes of soldiers

Soldiers have been filming themselves on duty in Afghanistan for years. The UK Ministry of Defence has now released this powerful and uncensored footage to the BBC for a documentary series coming out on 7 Jun. See the BBC web site for more. Link
-

B-17 Flying Fortress conservation work begins

A conservation team has begun a 16-month project to transform a World War II American bomber.

The B-17 Flying Fortress, Mary Alice, had been on display at the American Air Museum, part of Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford, in Cambridgeshire.

See the BBC web site for more info. Link
-

Friday Humour

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Ireland asked the
Priest beside her, 'Father, may I ask a favor?'

'Of course, child. What may I do for you?'

'Well, I bought an expensive women's electronic hair dryer for my
mother's birthday that is unopened and well over the Custom's limit,
and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could
carry it through customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?'

'I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not
lie.'

'With your honest face, Father, no one will question you.'

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her.
The official asked, 'Father, do you have anything to declare?'

'From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare.'

The official thought this answer strange, so asked, 'And what do you
have to declare from your waist to the floor?'

'I have a marvelous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but
which is, to date, unused.'

Roaring with laughter, the official said,

'Go ahead, Father. -- Next!'

Navy drops bombs off Scottish coast

The far north-west tip of Britain is so remote that for the past 100 years it has been used by the military as a bombing range.

Garvie Island, off the Scottish coast is the only place in Europe where British and Nato forces can drop live 1000lb bombs. See the BBC web site for more. Link
-

Capturing the Enigma: 70 years on

70 years ago today, the Royal Navy captured U-Boat 110, an event which helped Britain crack the German's secret Enigma code during World War II.

With the help of the former naval officer who boarded the U-boat, our correspondent Mike Thomson reports on a remarkable event which may have shortened the war by as much as two years.

This is well worth listening to. Link
-

Aerial surveys of Viking shipyard on Skye

This is quite an interesting article about a 12th Century Viking shipbuilding site on Skye. Link
-

Dambusters: Cambridge scientists recreate daring World War Two raid

The development of a bouncing bomb - dropped at exactly 60ft above water in order to destroy German dams - was a testament to wartime Britain's innovation, daring and courage.
But when the calculations and plans for the Dambuster raids were lost in a flood in the 1960s, it seemed the secrets of the raids had disappeared with them.
Now a team of scientists from Cambridge University has painstakingly recreated the bomb and re-enacted its path over water, filming the results for a documentary. Link
-

Prof Richard Holmes, acclaimed military historian, dies

It is with some sadness that I read this morning on the BBC web that Prof Richard Holmes has died. Over the years I have greatly enjoyed watching many of his programmes. Link
-

Royal Wedding

Must confess I watched all the Royal Wedding on the TV yesterday. I had intended only dipping into the event and now and then whilst painting some figures, but I got sucked into the whole thing. If there is one thing this country can do well, it is put on a nice royal event. The groom and best man looked very smart, the bride v beautiful, and her attractive sister veryyyyyy easy on the eye :)
I don't consider myself a raving royalist, but I confess the idea of becoming a republic and having to elect some self serving politician horrifies me. Long may the institution of the British monarchy flourish, is what I say. Link
-

William Shatner Says ‘Goodnight, Space Shuttle’

William Shatner telling the story of the U.S. spacecraft most directly inspired by Star Trek. The final space shuttle mission ever (by Atlantis) is scheduled for June 28th. This is definately worth a watch. Link
-

US Civil War 150th anniversary: How US remains divided

The US is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the country's most destructive conflict, the Civil War. In Charleston in the state of South Carolina, where the war erupted, the BBC's Paul Adams says Americans remain divided over the roots of the conflict to this day. This is quite an interesting article on the BBC web site. Link
-

From the English to American Civil Wars: How East Anglians came to control the world

I found this quite an intersting article on the BBC web site, as I live in East Anglia. Link.
-

Luftwaffe Dornier 17 at Goodwin Sands 'still intact'

The discovery of a unique German warplane off the Kent coast left experts "incredulous". New images suggest the Dornier 17 is still intact and there are hopes that it will go on show. Link
This is quite a fascinating little story and certainly worth checking out.
-

Aircraft Carrier: A Mind-Boggling Building Job

In a shipyard in Scotland the future of the Royal Navy is slowly taking shape. But the construction of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is a mammoth task. Link. Lets hope it all fits together like it should is all I can say !
-

Joke Of The Day - 'Phones'

Several men are in the locker room at the golf club. A mobile phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
-
MAN: 'Hello'
-
WOMAN: 'Darling, it's me. Are you at the club ?'
-
MAN: 'Yes'
-
WOMAN: 'I am at Bluewater and I've found this beautiful leather coat. It's only £500. Is it OK if I buy it?'
-
MAN: 'Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.'
-
WOMAN: 'I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership on the way here and saw the new 2010 Models. I saw one I really liked.'
-
MAN: 'How much ?'
-
WOMAN: '£65,000
-
MAN: 'OK, but for that price please make sure you haggle for all the optional extras.'
-
WOMAN: 'Great ! Oh, and one more thing...the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking £750,000.
-
MAN: 'Well, if you still like it that much, why not make an offer of £700K. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand if you think it's worth it.'
-
WOMAN: 'OK. I'll see you later ! I love you so much !'
-
MAN: 'Bye ! I love you, too.'
-
The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape.
-
-
He turns and asks:
-
" Anyone know who this phone belongs to ?"
-

HMS Invincible makes final journey to Turkish scrapyard

-
Saw this news article on the BBC web site. 'The aircraft carrier HMS Invincible has left Portsmouth for the last time before it is broken up at a Turkish scrapyard. The carrier, which saw action in the Falklands War but has remained in dock since 2005, was sold through an internet site'. Link.
-

-
This make me very sad as I was lucky enough to visit Invincible in 1998 (whilst working up in the English Channel) and see the Sea Harriers operating from it. The deck surface is like the non-slip tarmac surface you get on some roads, and of course it wears over time. I recall standing on the flight-deck near where that helicopter is on the photo, whilst a flight a four Harriers took off, and getting engulfed in a storm of grit thrown up from deck by the thrust from the Pegasus engines ! Awesome ! :)
-

Remembering the secret mission of Cockleshell Heroes

A memorial to the Royal Marines who canoed almost 100 miles behind enemy lines to blow up ships in a daring World War II raid has been unveiled in France. But what did the secret mission entail, and why was it so important ?
See the BBC web site for more info. Link
I read a book years ago about these guys, what a hell of a mission they had to undertake.
-

Coded American Civil War message in bottle deciphered

A message in a bottle delivered to a Confederate general during the American Civil War has been deciphered, 147 years after it was written. This is quite an interesting article on the BBC web site. Link.
-

New Walker 'Chomper' Completed

Just completed a Walker I bought some months ago. Made by Blue Moon Manufacturing it is from their 15/18mm Vehicle range. The body is resin, and the legs and arms metal. It went together fine (some drilling is necessary), and I'm reasonable satisfied with the result. In size it is very similar to the Critical Mass Walkers. Rather than going for the 'new out of the factory look' of some vehicles, I opted for the weather-beaten look.
-

-

-

Vintage Wargaming Blog

Stumbled across this interesting blog which is dedicated to vintage wargaming. Well worth a look, and one I shall be following. Link
-

New Combat Mission Game Coming Out

I was a massive fan of the first Combat Mission ‘Beyond Overlord’ that the company Battlefront released 2000. For me this was just a fabulous PC wargame in the main because of its suitability to play by E-Mail. The big news is that battlefront are releasing a follow up, called Combat Mission ‘Battle for Normandy’ . There is no firm release date yet, but this is definitely one to watch. Link
-

British Battles

Quite by accident I stumbled across this rather good little site all about British battles. Link
-

'The Eagle' - Film

In 1993 I read Rosemary Sutcliff's historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth (1954) which tells the story of a young Roman young Roman officer searching to recover the lost Roman eagle standard of his father's legion in the northern part of Great Britain. The story is based on the Ninth Spanish Legion's supposed disappearance in Britain. I bought the novel on a trip north to see an old school friend of mine in Scotland. My wife and I were driving along part of Hadrian's Wall and stopped at one of the many forts where there was a tourist information centre, and that's where I picked the book up. The weather that March day was dreadful with torrential rain hammering down, and I remember thinking what a god forsaken spot the wall must have seemed at times to those Roman soldiers who were used to the sunny Mediterranean weather. It was a novel I greatly enjoyed, so I'm looking forward to seeing the recently released film 'The Eagle' which is based on the book.
-

-

Lost city of Atlantis, swamped by tsunami, may be found

This is quite an interesting posting by Reuters. A U.S.-led research team may have finally located the lost city of Atlantis, the legendary metropolis believed swamped by a Tsunami thousands of years ago in mud flats in southern Spain. Link
-

TMP - New 15mm Sci-Fi Message Board

On The Miniatures Page (TMP) a new message board has been created for those interested specifically in 15mm Sc-Fi gaming. Link
-

Dawn Of War 2 - Retribution - Review

Found this review of the up and coming next release for the Dawn Of War 2 computer game on U-Tube. Beautiful :)
-

-