Old SSI Computer Games - Free To Download

This site is hosting old computer wargames done by companies such as SSI. They are free to download. Link
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F-35B Lightning II - First Ship Landing

The Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II made its first landing Monday aboard a Navy warship at sea, the service announced. The hop apparently was uneventful and the landing, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, went exactly as predicted. Link
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UK military deaths in Afghanistan

Lest we forget....
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The UK's military role in Afghanistan since 2001 has not been without its human toll. Members of the Army, RAF, Royal Marines and special forces have lost their lives in the fight against the Taliban. Here, the BBC News website offers a look at who they were and how they died. Link
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Replica Tiger Tank

Believe it or not a company in Hungary (I think) are making a replica Tiger Tank. They are almost there, just need to sort the tracks out from what I have read. There is a video on U-Tube of the vehicle prior to fitment of the running gear.
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Holme - 1940s Weekend

After a couple of abortive attempts to take our CCKW 352 truck to local events, plans came good on Sunday when my son and I took a leisurely 10 mile drive to the village of Holme, where a 1940s weekend was being hosted. A refreshingly relaxed affair, the main village road was closed to the public between 10:00 and 16:00 with only ‘vintage traffic’ movements allowed. We pitched up at just after 10 and were directed to find a convenient place to park near Holmewood Hall which was used during the war by the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) for packing airborne containers to be parachuted into occupied Europe. The UK of recent has been experiencing some unseasonably hot weather, and Sunday was no exception, so I was grateful to be able to park up near some trees which provided a measure of shade from the suns glare.
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Chatted to lots of folk, including one guy in his seventies who on seeing the truck reminisced with me about being a child of 7 during the war, and going to a local US airbase that was hosting a children’s party. Apparently all the kids were picked up in a CCKW and his memories of them all in the back with the canvas up and the seats down were very strong, and brought a smile to his face as he was relating the story.

There were a few other military vehicle there:
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This Leyland 'Hippo' is one massive truck !
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It was good to see the odd vehicle there that was slower than ours ! :)
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Can’t finish this posting without showing a picture of one of the many vintage vehicles that were on display. I’m a sucker for a nicely maintained vehicle of any type when painted white, but this little Ford Popular car took my breath away for a moment. Simply beautiful :)
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All being well we’ll definitely be along next year.
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Grinding The Crack

An amazing piece of flying this....
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Upper Gereshk: The Helmand Plan Meets Tough Reality

For anyone who might think that after 10 years in Afghan things should be getting easier, this BBC article makes kinda depressing reading... Link
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German Reunification And The Euro

Absolutely nothing to do with gaming or military stuff, but I would like to recommend to you my favourite economics blog called Mindful O Money (The social news and knowledge network for the investment community). I don’t pretend to understand a lot of what Shaun Richards writes about, however this guy really does know his stuff and he wrote a fascinating piece on 29 Sep 11 entitled, ‘Did German reunification mean that the original concept of the Euro was doomed to failure?, This makes interesting reading for those wondering about the Euro mess. Link
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Friday Humour - Dog

A man was leaving a convenience store with his morning coffee when he noticed a most unusual funeral procession approaching the nearby cemetery.

A long black hearse was followed by a second long black hearse about 50 feet behind the first one.

Behind the second hearse was a solitary man walking a dog on a leash.

Behind him, a short distance back, were about 200 men walking single file.

The man couldn't stand the curiosity. He respectfully approached the man walking the dog and said, 'I am so sorry for your loss, and this may be a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a funeral like this. Whose funeral is it?'

'My wife's.'

'What happened to her?'

The man replied, 'My dog attacked and killed her'

He inquired further, 'But who is in the second hearse?'

The man answered, 'My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my wife when the dog turned on her.'

A poignant and thoughtful moment of silence passed between the two men.

'Can I borrow the dog?'

The man replied, 'Get in line.'
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Stalin Line Military Complex, Belaru

This is quite a jaw dropping article, well worth a read. Link
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Video - 'A Short Trip Out'

Such a nice September afternoon here in the UK (although a bit windy), took the CCKW truck out for couple of runs. Made a short video of the first one :)
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F-15 Ejection at Supersonic Speed

“People don’t understand what wind does to someone at that speed.”
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This is worth watching guys, make you think...
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SAS war diary: The SAS secret hidden since World War II

A secret World War II diary of the British special forces unit, the SAS, has been kept hidden since it was created in 1946. Now it's being published for the first time to mark the 70th anniversary of the regiment. The BBC has exclusive access to the remarkable piece of history. Link
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Friday Humour, Early - "HELL EXPLAINED" +"AN EVENTFUL MARRIAGE"

HELL EXPLAINED

BY A CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on a University of Arizona chemistry mid-term, and an actual answer turned in by a student.

The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely.. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... ....leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.


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Manual for an Eventful Marriage

Chapter 1 – 101 Ways to Start a Fight
- The first 10.
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One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift...

The next year, I didn't buy her a gift. When she asked me why, I replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started.....
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My wife and I were watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed.

I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have Sex?' 'No,' she answered. I then said, 'Is that your final answer?' She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, 'Yes..'. So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And that's when the fight started...
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I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. "I'll have the rump steak, rare, please."

He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"

"Nah, she can order for herself."

And that's when the fight started.....
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My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table.

I asked her, "Do you know him?"

"Yes", she sighed, "He's my old boyfriend.... I understand he took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn't been sober since."

"My God!" I said, "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"

And then the fight started...
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When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the shed, the boat, making beer. It was always something more important to me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point.

When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush and said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."

The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
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My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, "What's on TV?" I said, "Dust."

And then the fight started...
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Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the van, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and then I discovered that the weather would be bad all day.

I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed….. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."

My loving wife of 5 years replied, "And, can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?"

And that's how the fight started...
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My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.

She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds."

I bought her a bathroom scale.

And then the fight started......
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After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security.

The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's License to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home.

I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office... She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.'

And then the fight started...
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My wife was standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.

She was not happy with what she saw and said to me, "I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.' I replied, "Your eyesight's damn near perfect."

And then the fight started....
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Sherman Tank With Concrete Armour

Whilst browsing the Historic Military Vehicle (HMV) forums I came across this thread about Sherman tanks with several inches of concrete being applied to the hull front. I've never read or seen anything about this before. Link
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Here's an intersting little article comparing the new Space Marine computer game with the 40k figure game. Link
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Here's the trailer for those who haven't seen it yet.
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My son has a copy for the X-Box, graphically its pretty stunning. As for game play, the jury is still out as far as I'm concerned. Need to see youngster playing it some more.
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Scimitar Tank Upgrade

Saw this article about the Scimiar, and was impressed with how 'tooled up' such a small vehicle can be.
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The Scimitar Mark 2 Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) has gone operational on Operation HERRICK 14 and is currently being used by the 9th/12th Royal Lancers in Lash Durai Junction, Helmand province [Picture: Petty Officer (Photographer) Hamish Burke, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

The up-armoured vehicles are giving extra protection to the soldiers of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, as they provide security in the Nahr-e Saraj (North) district of Helmand province.

The main task of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers is to overwatch the battlespace either side of Highways 1 and 611, the two main supply routes that run through the Task Force Helmand area of operations.

BAE Systems has upgraded the armour on all five vehicles that make up the CVR(T) family - Scimitar, Spartan, Samson, Sultan and Samaritan - through an Urgent Operational Requirement process worth around £30m. CVR(T) is on display in the UK for the first time this week at the DSEi defence and security equipment show, currently taking place in London.

As part of the contract, the vehicles have been re-hulled to give better mine-blast protection for troops, and improved armour added for enhanced resistance to blasts and ballistics, as well as new mine-blast protection seating in every position in every variant. Other enhancements include repositioned foot controls and a revamped fuel system.

The Scimitar Mark 2 has been re-hulled and up-armoured for improved protection from blasts and projectiles, with repositioned foot controls and a revamped fuel system for a better driving experience [Picture: Petty Officer (Photographer) Hamish Burke, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Scimitar Mark 2 builds on a number of upgrades that have previously been made to the CVR(T), which address the problems experienced while operating in the harsh Afghan environment. These previous upgrades have included improved power output, new gearboxes and transmissions, air-conditioning, improved communications, air filters and night-vision systems.
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M10 Achilles Restoration

Came across this thread on the Historic Military vehicle forum about an M10 Achilles tank destroyer undergoing restoration. What an amazing job they did of it. Link. Awesome turn of speed on it as well ! Check out the vid below !
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Hitler's Atlantic Wall: Should France preserve it?

Sections of Hitler's Atlantic Wall are being restored by French enthusiasts. But should the Nazi fortification be fully embraced as part of the country's heritage ? Check out the BBC web site for an interesting article on this. Link
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Death Of Andy Whitfield

Slightly gutted today to hear that Andy Whitfield (39) who was the lead in the first episode of Spartacus died yesterday from Cancer. Link
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Here's a great clip from the show:

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Humour - How To Give A Cat A Pill

Just had this sent to me. As someone who has owned a cat, I recognised a lot of this ! LOL
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How to Give a Cat A Pill

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in rightï hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger.
Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink beer to take taste away. Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect.. Toss back another shot. Throw Tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from across the road. Apologize to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie the front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for RSPC A to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.


How To Give A Dog A Pill
1. Wrap it in bacon.
2. Toss it in the air.
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35 Top Oxymoron's

35. State worker
34. Legally drunk
33. Exact estimate
32. Act naturally
31. Found missing
30. Resident alien
29. Genuine imitation
28. Airline Food
27. Good grief
26. Government organization
25. Sanitary landfill
24. Alone together
23. Small crowd
22. Business ethics
21. Soft rock
20. Butt Head
19. Military Intelligence
18. Sweet sorrow
17. Rural Metro (ambulance service)
16. "Now, then ..."
15. Passive aggression
14. Clearly misunderstood
13. Peace force
12. Extinct Life
11. Plastic glasses
10. Terribly pleased
9. Computer security
8. Political science
7. Tight slacks
6. Definite maybe
5. Pretty ugly
4. Rap music
3. Working vacation
2. Religious tolerance

And the number one top Oxymoron.... 1. Microsoft Works
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PC Game - Hard Reset

Followed a link this weekend that ended up with me downloading a Demo of a game called 'Hard Reset'. Graphically it is stunning, and the environment reminds me very much of the Blade Runner film. Worth checking out: Link

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Busy Weekend On The Military Truck

Since my last posting about the CCKW 352 on 26 Aug, this last weekend has been quite a productive one on it. I picked up the overhauled Generator and Regulator and refitted them (and the battery is now charging), fitted a new front brake hose (not without some stress it has to be said), and started on a refresh of the paintwork. I'd counted six different shades of grey on the truck and parts of it looked a real mess, so I invested in 5 Litres of RAL 7040 Grey paint from Ketts Autopaints in Peterbrough (which cost a small fortune) and we set to work on Saturday with a small roller and paint brushes. I've still a few bits to do, but overall I'm very happy with the results thus far.
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Wreck Diving the Mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon

Truk Lagoon, known as Chuuk – a group of tropical paradise islands in the Federal States of Micronesia – offers adrenaline-junky scuba divers a cool yet creepy underwater adventure in shark-infested Pacific waters while wreck diving the mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. More than 50 major shipwrecks from WWII litter the seabed, making the undersea wonder of the world the best shipwreck diving destination on the globe. There are some awesome photos on this site - Link.
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Tomb found at Stonehenge quarry site

The tomb for the original builders of Stonehenge could have been unearthed by an excavation at a site in Wales. Link to the BBC web site.
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Hope yet for African Queen gunboat on Lake Tanganyika

Ships don't come with much more historical ballast than the MV Liemba. The steamer still shudders and belches its way across Lake Tanganyika every Wednesday and Friday, a century after it was built as a warship in Germany. Link to BBC web site for the full story.
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Poll - Is a Games Workshop Finecast resin figure good value for money at £10 ?

Two days ago I blogged about the new Games Workshop (GW) resin (not plastic as I posted) Finecast figures. I'm not a GW hater, I've bought loads of their figures over the years, but I feel that at £10 per figure these are outrageously overpriced. Anyway, chatting to my old friend John Elwen last night, he mentioned that there was comment about the new resin figures in the GW 2011 Annual Report. So after walking my dog, I went in search on the net, and found the report in question and the commentary, elements of which I reproduce here from Page 4:

"Compared to their metal cousins resin models are far easier to assemble, are lighter and less prone to chipping and are much easier to convert with a hobby knife and superglue. Crucially, resin miniatures provide a much higher level of detail for the customer. The reaction of customers and staff to Citadel Finecast has been overwhelmingly positive."

Personally I'm not convinced by the PR guff in the report. My own experience of resin being that small pieces with fine detail are notoriously brittle and susceptible to damage. Anyway, I have started a Poll which I will leave open for a month.
The exam question is 'Do you think £10 for a GW single Finecast resin figure is good value for money ?'
Please vote, I'm interested to see whether I'm totally out of touch on this one.
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Post Poll Note: Thanks to those who voted on the poll I ran. Out of 43 votes, 1 person thought £10 for a figure was good value, 2 were not sure, and 40 thought thought that it was a rip-off !

Frustration At The Vulture's Roost

Large amounts of frustration here at the Vulture's Roost. On Monday I took the truck's Generator and Voltage Regulator through to an auto-electricians in Peterborough called C J Parkinsons (due to the problem mentioned on the 20th) to get them sorted. See photo of the Regulator below.
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I was hoping to have them back yesterday, but the forecast is now Tuesday :(
The weather has been rubbish here the last couple of days, so the opportunity to change the brake hose has been limited as well. So I'm stuck with 5.1 tons of soggy immobile WW2 truck compacting my tarmac. (sigh)

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On the upside we've been playing Carcassonne, which is without doubt a top family board game. If you haven't got a copy, I highly recommend you get one.









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Games Workshop - Unimpressed

Yesterday my son and I visited our local Games Workshop in Peterborough and picked up a Tau Empire Battleforce box set.
It's quite a while since I've been in there, and I must confess I was slightly shocked at the prices they are now charging, and surprised that they have now done away with all the individual blistered metal figures. I thought the single plastic figured blisters that have replaced them were outrageously priced at £10. V unimpressed...
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Ramsey 1940 Weekend

This weekend a village close to where I live called Ramsey is hosting a 1940's weekend. I had hoped to take my 1944 CCKW 352 truck along, but sadly they already have over 200 vintage/historic vehicles booked in, and have no space left. I shall still go along anyway, but just as a normal member of the public. The weather looks like it will be fine this weekend, so hopefully I'll get some get photos which I'll post later. Talking of the truck its been an expensive week at this end with over the purchase of £190 worth of parts (oil filter, 6 x flexible brake hoses and springs, generator repair kit, and spare brake and grease nipples). The two main issues I need to resolve at the moment are:
1. A brake hose on the drivers front which has a small bulge in it,

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2. The generator which is not charging the battery.

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I hope to get both sorted in the coming week.
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Iron Age road link to Iceni tribe

A suspected Iron Age road, made of timber and preserved in peat for 2,000 years, has been uncovered by archaeologists in East Anglia.

The site, excavated in June, may have been part of a route across the River Waveney and surrounding wetland at Geldeston in Norfolk, say experts.

Causeways were first found in the area in 2006, during flood defence work at the nearby Suffolk village of Beccles.

It is thought the road is pre-Roman, built by the local Iceni tribe.

See the BBC web site for more info. Link
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Ex Iraqi tank that caused chaos at Bovington

Whilst browsing the Historic Military Vehicle Forum (HMVF) I came across this old (but interesting) news about an ex Iraqi tank that caused some chaos at Bovington. Link
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RAF airman blogging from Afghanistan's front line

There is an interesting article about an RAF man on tour in Afgan who has set up a Blog that has had over 80,000 hits thus far.
Link to the article.
Link to his Blog.
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Military & Flying Machines Show - 7 Aug 2011

Yesterday I went to the Military & Flying Machines Show near Upminster organised by the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT). With flying displays, 200 military vehicles and 30 plus groups of Re-enactors, plus Militaria stalls, it felt like a scaled down version of the War And Peace Show. Personally that suited me fine, as War And Peace is such a big event, to do it justice you need to be there a couple of days. The Upminster event was large enough to show a bit of everything without wearing you out in the process. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and will certainly consider going back next year, probably with my GMC 352. Here is a short video I took of the armour in attendance. The video does not do justice to the condition of the M18 Hellcat which was simply stunning.
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Talking of the 352, when it rained here last week the cab roof leaked as did one of the doors. I plan to sort the door out in the short term, but in the interim I bought an old army tent for £15 at the show, and have draped it over the cab.
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GMC Purchase Completed !!

Well guys, after a couple of weeks delay whilst the previous owner sorted a few things out I finally got my WW2 truck. GMC CCKW 352B1 Registration Number WSU147 all 5.1 tons of her is parked up occupying a large part of my drive.
The adventure started last Friday evening when I caught the train from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire up to Knaresborough and stayed with my old school friend Chris Jenkins. Up early on the Saturday morning his long suffering wife Diane took the pair of us over to the little village of Hunmanby (near Filey) for 08:00 where we met with the owner David and his brother-in-law Stuart Kinroy (also a 352 owner). The truck had been moved from when I first saw it into a open barn. My first thought was 'Holly shit I am never going to fit this on my drive and be able to get into the garage. Julie is gonna kill me!' more on this later however... After a final look round the truck David and I shook hands on the deal, cash was exchanged, and we went an organised a Tax disc in the local post office. Due to it being classed as a historic vehicle it is tax and MOT exempt, but notwithstanding that, a Tax disc still has to be obtained and displayed. Stuart then took me out for a driving lesson during which I dropped a £ 100 worth of fuel into the trucks 40 gallon tank. On the narrow bumpy roads around Hunmanby driving the truck for the first time was quite an alien experience. To start with I'm on the wrong side of the cab (left hand drive), a lot higher than normal; the steering wheel is huge and due to the size of the tyre side wall there is lots of play in the steering; as there is no sound proofing there is lots of noise, the gearbox is crash one, so I'm having to double-de-clutch which I've never done before and furthermore the layout of the gears is not like a conventional car. Put all this together plus the sheer size of the vehicle and the large turning circle required to manoeuvre and I'm starting to think 'What the hell have I done here !' Anyway, at 10:15 we were ready to set off, and in the photo below shows Chris, David and I just before Chris and I left his house.
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To get home we had decided upon a route which took us south across country towards Driffield, where we could get on the main roads, and cross the Humber Bridge. What a total nightmare we had for those 15 miles across country! Dodging traffic, and trying to get to grips with the gearbox made for an exciting time to say the least. Getting into top gear was a real problem until we worked out the ideal speed at which to change. All I can say is, its a good thing they made those gearboxes tough, for it got some real abuse.
Eventually we made it to the main road, and things became easier, and we could maintain a higher top speed, although it quickly became apparent that the most comfortable cruising speed was between 35 and 37mph. In theory you can go up to 45mph with an engine governor limiting you at that point, but in practice there is so much suspension shake 41mph was the most we touched.
Now the truck was thoroughly warmed up we could start to appreciate the heating system in the cab, however this system is different to modern ones, in that you can't turn it off ! LOL Heat radiated through the floor, and was blown up though various openings for levers, an especially by your right leg, which over a period of time gets slowly cooked ! LOL
Anyway, after collecting several big queues of traffic behind us and stopping a couple of times to left people pass we made it to the Humber bridge where we stopped for a quick change over.
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And then we crossed it...

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Heading towards Lincoln we stopped for a quick break and to grab an sandwich. A further check round the truck revealed that the we had a slight leak of brake fluid from the front n/s wheel. We tracked this down to the flexible brake hose that needed tightening. Without a manual at this stage I couldn't find the brake reservoir to check the level, no sign of anything remotely resembling such a thing in the engine compartment. A quick call to Stuart remedied this puzzle. You access it from a small cover plate in the cab floor, obvious really eh ? (not).
We then pushed on opting to take the long route round Lincoln rather than fight our way through it, and joined the A1 near Newark. A stop for some extra fuel was required (another £ 50), then we cruised home arriving in Warboys at 17:15.
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Safety parked up on the drive, it was a relief to find that I hadn't miscalculated and I can get to my garage! :)
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Here's a couple of photos of the family by it for the first time.
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In the evening we all went down to see my parents and my brother Bruce and his family who were over visiting. My little nephew Toby was quite impressed.
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My mother and father were pretty non-plussed it had to be said ! LOL Bruce who has recently fully restored his Triumph Stag took great delight in a supportative brotherly kind of way, by crawling over it and pointing out lots of stuff that needs attention ! LOL
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My thanks to Chris for his support and encouragement during what was to say the least, quite a memorable day.
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Now to have some fun with it... :)
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War and Peace Show 2011

The 2011 'War and Peace Show' (sometimes simply referred to as 'Beltring')is being held in southern England. I've been before but couldn't make it this year. Looking at their photo gallery I wish I had able to, for there is some astonishing hardware on display. Their gallery is well worth a look. Link
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The time when the British army was really stretched

There is an interesting article by Chris Summers on the BBC News web site. The British army is due to be reduced to 82,000 by 2020, prompting claims it will be the smallest it has been since the 19th Century. But if Britain had a small army then, how did it control an empire? Link
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Treadmill shows medieval armour influenced battles

Medieval suits of armour were so exhausting to wear that they could have affected the outcomes of famous battles, a study suggests. This is quite an interesting article on the BBC web site. Link
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Save HMS Caroline: the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland

This is worth a read. Dr Dominic Tweedle, Director-General of the National Museum of the Royal Navy explains why our (UK) nautical heritage (in shape of HMS Caroline) must be preserved. Link
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Conqueror Tank

One of my favourite tanks from the cold war era is the Conqueror tank. Here's an excellent little (propaganda) movie on U-Tube. Link
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Berlin's abandoned WWII bunkers

Beneath the city of Berlin lies a network of bunkers that haven't been seen since World War II. Now tourists can access this underground world of bomb shelters and railway lines. Al Moloney went below the city to explore its hidden history. See BBC web site Link.
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GMC 352 Purchase - Progress Report - No 2

Yesterday I drove up to Yorkshire and met up with my pal Steve to have a look at the vehicle. Its' history seems a little unclear, however what I do know is (looking at the chassis number) that it was built around Dec43/Jan44, and the log book shows that it was first registered in the UK 1989.

Overall the vehicle is really really sound with just a small amount of corrosion on the cab floor (about 6" sq) and along the bottom of the doors. The paintwork is pretty tatty, as is the canvas (the main piece on the back is totally knackered actually), but that can be sorted. The exhaust down-pipe needs a new casket, and two of the brake cylinders are leaking, but the current owner will fix those as part of the condition of sale, so........ I left the owner with a deposit, and will pick the vehicle up when the work is complete, sometime in the next 10 to 14 days :)

Going back to the subject of paint, it is currently painted in a light grey as if it were used by the United States Navy for moving ammo around in Port Chicago at the time of the disastrous explosion there. In fact this vehicle was only ever used in Europe, and used to be painted green, so as soon as I can, I plan to restore to its original colour, with a huge allied star on the bonnet :)
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 ! :)
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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
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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
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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
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