Wakefield firm restores WWII Sherman tank

A tank which fought in one of the biggest battles of the Second World War has been restored in Wakefield.  Link
-

-

Why are adults still launching tabletop war?

Warhammer 40,000 - set in a science fantasy universe - has just turned 25. Why are grown men still launching tabletop war? Article by Samira Ahmed on the BBC Web site. Link
-

-
Comment:  Worth a read I felt.  Touches on the thorny question with GW of value for money....   A topic I've written on in this blog before...

Humour - Men Are Just Happier People

Men Are Just Happier People

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman ..

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

M1 Abrams Tank - Stuck In the Mud

Came across this great little video of a US M1 Abrams tank stuck in the mud. The M1s gas-turbine engine certainly has a distinctive whine to it. - -

Wargaming.co

If you are into collecting Wargaming books, this is without doubt the place to visit. It supplies classic Wargaming and landmark sets of wargaming rules that have been key in the development of the hobby. Must confess I have most of the books already in my collection that I've built up over the years, but there are a couple I don't....yet.... :) Link
-

MechWarrior Online Official Teaser Trailer

Hummmmmm, this game looks good :)
-

-

Battlefront - Flames Of War

Battlefront the publishers of the well know 15mm WW2 rule set Flames of War (FoW), are about issue the latest version of the rules, Edition 3.  They have made the offer that anyone who bought a Hard copy of Edition 2 will be supplied with small A5 copy of Edition 3 if they contact them.  I took them up on this offer and E-Mail ed them a copy of me holding the last edition, and low and behold last Thursday the new little rulebook appeared in the post !  When I say little, at almost 300 pages, its actually quite chunky !  The mind boggles at how much it must be costing Battlefront to give all these books away.  Can you imagine Games Workshop doing anything like this ?  Maximum kudos to Battlefront is what I say !

MechWarrior Tactics

It's the year 3025. Hostile enemy lances are closing in all around you. As Commander of an elite mercenary company, it's up to you to ensure swift victory and make your enemies pay dearly. Your Mech Bay hosts a vast array of custom Mechs, each configured for a specific combat role. Choose wisely which Mechs to take into battle: your future as the leader of your lances depends on it.  Link
-

-
PC Gamer has done a short review (Link) on this game which is due our sometime this year.  For Battletech enthusiasts (such as myself) this looks a much buy !  Can't wait !  :)
-

Film - 'White Tiger'

This looks totally awesome ! Have no idea when its going to be released though. - -

The Scale Of The Universe

Zoom from the edge of the universe to the quantum foam of spacetime and learn the scale of things along the way! Learn the size of the Pillars of Creation and marvel at the minuscule scale of a neutrino! Link Comment: Nothing connected with the subject of this blog at all, but very interesting nonetheless.

Edwards AFB Show

Absolutely incredible photos from United States Edwards AFB with some sounds clips as well.  Certainly worth a look.  Link
-

-

Near Miss In Russia

This is one close call for the occupants of (what I assume is) a police car in Russia...
-

-

In pictures: Auschwitz-Birkenau, then and now

A new publication by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland shows photographs taken in the extermination camp during World War II alongside pictures of the same locations today. More than a million people - most of them Jewish - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau during World War II. Link to BBC
-

148th MVA Ordnance - WWII -

Historic home made film of the 148th Ordnance Motor Vehicle Assembly Company that was a part of in WWII. They assembled GMC trucks for the Redball Express. - -

First F-35C flight for the United Kingdom

Nice looking aircraft, no doubt about it. -

Darwin, 1942: Remembering Australia's 'Pearl Harbor'

It's 70 years since Japanese bombers swooped on Darwin, in northern Australia, sinking Allied ships in the harbour and killing hundreds of people. For years the attack was rarely mentioned, but now the story is finally being told. Link to BBC. - Comment: This is an event I had never read about before.

Michael Yon - Online Magazine

This is very thought provoking blog about Afghanistan written by an embedded journalist Michael Yon.  Well worth a look.  Link

Luckiest Cameraman In The History Of Time

You know those times when you see something which just leaves you open mouthed....
-

-

Napoleon's failure: For the want of a winter horseshoe

Of all the challenges faced by generals through history, moving armies has been one of the greatest - and Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Russia 200 years ago illustrates just how badly things can go wrong when it is underestimated. Link to BBC.
-

-

Townsend Griffiss, forgotten hero of World War II

It's 70 years this week since the first US air force officer was killed in Europe, following America's entry into World War II. By heading the list of 30,000 USAAF men to lose their lives in the European theatre, Lt Col Townsend Griffiss became a footnote in the history of the war. But who was he and how did he die?  BBC  Link
-

Life on the front lines: Extremely rare colour photos of U.S. troops before and after D-Day show World War II in brand new light

Extremely rare and striking photos of the days leading up to and after the historic D-Day invasion have been put on display, nearly 70 years after World War II's dramatic turning point.

The full-colour images, taken by photographer Frank Scherschel, display anxious American soldiers as they prepared for Operation Overlord, the code name for the Battle of Normandy.

The photos also capture the celebratory tone upon the June 6 invasion’s success

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100326/Stunning-rare-colour-images-World-War-II.html#ixzz1mLRjJWgr

Convair B-36

This was one massive aircraft !  So big it could carry the weight of a B17 !  Link
-

Table Top Miniatures Games

Followed a link to Table Top Miniatures Games which is a site with 'Quick, Easy Miniatures Rules for Parents and other Busy People' to download.  Had a quick look round myself, and there are a couple of sets that look perfect for my 9 year old son :)

Classified Ads - Friday Humour Late

These are classified ads, which were actually placed in U.K. Newspapers:

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old,
Hateful little bastard.
Bites!

FREE PUPPIES
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.

FREE PUPPIES.
Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd.
Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

COWS, CALVES: NEVER JOINED.
Also 1 gay bull for sale.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer £100.

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE .
Worn once by mistake.
Call Stephanie.

**** And the WINNER is... ****

FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition, £200 or best offer. No longer needed, got married, wife knows everything.

German soldiers found entombed in a perfectly preserved World War One shelter

Twenty-one German soldiers entombed in a perfectly preserved World War One shelter have been discovered 94 years after they were killed. The men were part of a larger group of 34 who were buried alive when a huge Allied shell exploded above the tunnel, near the small town of Carspach in the Alsace region in France, in 1918 causing it to cave in.  (The Telegraph)  Link & Link
-

-

Truck Update

A bit of snow at this end last weekend...
-

-

-
Initially it got in the way of me sorting out my Thermostat issue (lack of) that I posted about on 22nd Jan.  In the end I dispensed with the paper gasket altogether and used a flexy-sealant instead.  It seemed to do the job and when the engine was fired up, the engine warmed up as it should, and there were no leaks.
-

-
During the engine run I was amazed to see that ice had formed around around the base of the carb.  You can see it on this video (just behind the horn on the right side of the engine).
-

-

RIP Joe Ekins

Gentlemen, can I refer you to one of my favourite Blogs (BLMA) that has an article about Joe Ekins, who has sadly passed away.  Link
-

Journey of the Fellowship 2011

Its amazing what they build out of Lego !  Link

-

HUMOUR and GOOD LINKS

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me today, and we all could probably use more calm in our lives.
Some doctor on television this morning said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.
So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Chardonnay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of wum, a pockage of Prunglies, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke an a box a choclits.
Yu haf no idr how bludy guod I feel rite now.
______________
______________

Police in Liverpool last night announced the discovery of an arms cache of 200 semi-automatic rifles with 25,000 rounds of ammunition, 20 tonnes of heroin, £5 million in forged UK banknotes and 25 trafficked Ukrainian prostitutes, all in a semi-detached house behind the Public Library in Toxteth.

Local residents were stunned and a community spokesman said:

"We're all shocked, we never knew we had a library."
______________

19 Pakistanis died in Bradford this morning

when a bunk bed collapsed.

Police are attributing blame to Al' IKEA.
_____________

Speaking of which, I've heard that Apple have scrapped their plans for the new children’s' iPod after realising that iTouchKids is not a good product name.
______________

Also up north a man decided to wash his sports shirt. He opens the washing machine then stops, thinking for a minute.

He shouts to his missus,

"What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," she replies. "What does it say on your shirt?"

He yells back, "Manchester United.”
______________

My small grandson got lost in the new Liverpool One shopping centre.

He approached a security guard and said, "I've lost my Granddad."

The guard asked, "What's his name?"

The child replied, "Granddad."

The guard smiled asked: "But what's he like?"

The little angel thought for a moment and then replied, "cans of lager and women with big tits."
______________

River Dance with Army Boots and Rifles  Link

They Walk Among Us...

One day I was walking down the beach with Some friends when someone shouted.....
'Look at that dead bird!'
Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?'

They walk among us!

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

While looking at a house, my brother asked the Estate agent which direction was north because he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning.
She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'
My brother explained that the sun rises in the east and has for sometime.
She shook her head and said,'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff......'

They Walk Among Us!

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

My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard an admin girl talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach.
She drove down in a convertible, but said she 'didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving'.

They Walk Among Us!

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

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car which is designed to cut through a seat belt
if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the  trunk

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

I was going out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain.
My friend said, 'Ouch! The chain must rip out every time she turns her head!"
I had to explain that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned...

They Walk Among Us !

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

I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area and went to the lost luggage office and reported the loss.
The woman there smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and said I was in good hands.
'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived yet?'...
(I work with professionals like this.)

They Walk Among Us!

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

While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6.
He thought about it for some time then said 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.

They Walk Among Us!

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

TRUE STORY:

A noted psychiatrist was a guest speaker at an academic function where Rick Perry happened to appear. Gov. Perry took the opportunity to schmooze the good doctor a bit and asked him a question with which he was most at ease.

'Would you mind telling me, Doctor,' he asked, 'how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?'

'Nothing is easier,' he replied. 'You ask a simple question which anyone should answer with no trouble. If the person hesitates, that puts you on the track..'

'What sort of question?' asked Perry.

Well, you might ask, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?''

Perry thought a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, 'You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history.'

Sadly, they walk among us!
------------------------------------------------

Traffic Camera
A man was driving when he saw the flash of a trafficcamera. He figured that his picture had been taken for exceeding the limit, even though he knew that he was not speeding... Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now he began to think that this was quite funny, so he drove even slower as he passed the area again, but the traffic camera again flashed. He tried a fourth time with the same result. He did this a fifth time and was now laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past, this time at a snail's pace... Two weeks later, he got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt..

You can't fix stupid.

WWII glider found in a Cumbrian field is to be restored

A World War II glider that lay undiscovered in a field in Cumbria is now being restored at the Regimental Museum in Carlisle Castle.

It is thought the Waco glider was used to carry Border Regiment troops into Sicily and was then crated up and shipped back to Britain.  Link
-

WW II Beer Flights

In the lighter moments of World War II, the Spitfire was used in an unorthodox role: bringing beer kegs to the men in Normandy .
During the war, the Heneger and Constable brewery donated free beer to the troops. After D-Day, supplying the invasion troops in Normandy with vital supplies was already a challenge. Obviously, there was no room in the logistics chain for such luxuries as beer or other types of refreshments. Some men, often called "sourcers", were able to get wine or other niceties "from the land" or rather from the locals. RAF Spitfire pilots came up with an even better idea. The Spitfire Mk IX was an evolved version of the Spitfire, with pylons under the wings for bombs or tanks. It was discovered that the bomb pylons could also be modified to carry beer kegs. According to pictures that can be found, various sizes of kegs were used. Whether the kegs could be jettisoned in case of emergency is unknown. If the Spitfire flew high enough, the cold air at altitude would even refresh the beer, making it ready for consumption upon arrival. A variation of this was a long range fuel tank modified to carry beer instead of fuel.
The modification even received the official designation Mod. XXX. Propaganda services were quick to pick up on this, which probably explains the "official" designation.

Mod. XXX tank being filled.
As a result, Spitfires equipped with Mod XXX or keg-carrying pylons were often sent back to Great-Britain for "maintenance" or "liaison" duties. They would then return to Normandy with full beer kegs fitted under the wings. Typically, the British Revenue of Ministry and Excise stepped in, notifying the brewery that they were in violation of the law by exporting beer without paying the relevant taxes. It seems that Mod. XXX was terminated then, but various squadrons found different ways to refurbish their stocks. Most often, this was done with the unofficial approval of higher echelons. In his book "Dancing in the Skies", Tony Jonsson, the only Icelander pilot in the RAF, recalled beer runs while he was flying with 65 Squadron. Every week a pilot was sent back to the UK to fill some cleaned-up drop tanks with beer and return to the squadron. Jonsson hated the beer runs as every man on the squadron would be watching you upon arrival. Anyone who made a rough landing and dropped the tanks would be the most hated man on the squadron for an entire week.

The Spitfire had very little ground clearance with the larger beer kegs. In his book "Typhoon Pilot", Desmond Scott also recalls Typhoon drop tanks filled with beer but regretted that it acquired a metallic taste. Less imaginative techniques involved stashing bottles wherever space could be found on the aircraft, which included the ammunition boxes, luggage compartment or even in parts of the wing, with varying results. Champagne bottles in particular did not react well to the vibrations they were submitted to during such bootlegging trips.

King Tiger Video

Stumbled across some more video of the only working King Tiger (or Tiger II) taken at the French museum 'Musée des Blindésat' at Saumur. Never been there myself, but it's definitely a place I'd like to visit.
-
 
-

Raymond Aubrac: How I tricked the Gestapo

The capture of French Resistance hero Jean Moulin is one of the country's darkest chapters of the war. The last surviving Resistance leader, Raymond Aubrac, recalls that night and the audacious escape that followed. Link -

Broadband Speed Test

Nothing to do with gaming or the main subject of this blog, but I thought I'd share this link with you to a good Broadband Speed Test site that I use to monitor what speeds I'm getting.

HMS Victory 'set to be recovered' from seabed

The remains of a 300-year-old warship are to be raised from the sea bed, according to reports. The wreck of HMS Victory, a predecessor of Nelson's famous flagship, was found near the Channel Islands in 2008. Link to BBC web site.

MVT Area Meeting + Truck Problem

The MVT Area meeting I wrote about on the 12th Jan went ahead, and was quite a success I feel with 26 (including myself) turning up. Ratified a constitution and talked about forthcoming events (shows and the like) along with ideas for a 'Spring Run' out in our vehicles. Talking of which the group owns a real mix, with a varied range of Jeeps, CCKWs, Motorbikes, Landrovers, FV432s, and some ex Warsaw Pact Russian stuff. On a personal note when I last took the truck out it didn't warm up at all, so, suspecting a problem with the Thermostat, I bought a replacement one this last week along with a new top hose.
-

-
Attempting to fit it this weekend, I discovered why the truck has been running cold in this cold weather.... there was no Thermostat fitted !!! :(
-

-
The question gentlemen, is why....? Currently seeking advise from those in the know on the HMV Forum, as the new thermostat doesn't seem to fit very well, and I don't want to bolt the Thermostat Bell Housing down until I've sussed things out.

Inside story of the UK's secret mission to beat Gaddafi

British efforts to help topple Colonel Gaddafi were not limited to air strikes. On the ground - and on the quiet - special forces soldiers were blending in with rebel fighters. This is the previously untold account of the crucial part they played.  Link

Take Your Daughter to Work Day

This is brilliant !

-

Church Ladies With Typewriters

These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:
 --------------------------
 The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals..
 --------------------------
 The sermon this morning: Jesus Walks on the Water.
 The sermon tonight: Searching for Jesus.
 --------------------------
 Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
 --------------------------
 Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you .
 --------------------------
 Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help .
 --------------------------
 Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. 
--------------------------
 For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs . 
--------------------------
 Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. 
--------------------------
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church.
So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
--------------------------
 A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.. 
--------------------------
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?'
Come early and listen to our choir practice.
 --------------------------
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
 --------------------------
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.
Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
 --------------------------
 The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
 --------------------------
 Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
 --------------------------
 The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
--------------------------
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church.
Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
 --------------------------
 Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM .
All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
--------------------------
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
 --------------------------
 Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM . Please use the back door. 
--------------------------
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM.
The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
 --------------------------
 Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
 --------------------------
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday:"I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours." ___________________________________

Ship Launches - Good & Bad

Some of these are great fun ! Especially the first one ! (if you like getting wet that is)

Falklands veteran meets Argentine 'enemy' 30 years on

Thirty years after the Falklands War, a British veteran prepares to travel across the world to meet the Argentine pilot who he shot out of the sky. Link to the BBC.

Tiger Tank - Replica

The replica Tiger I tank made made by a (Hungarian ?) company called ​​Rondo-S is quite an astonishing piece of work. This is no conversion of an existing vehicle such as the T34 used in the film Saving Private Ryan, but a bottom-up build of a vehicle to look externally just like the real thing. Awesome ! The company have their own U-Tube channel which is well worth a look. http://www.youtube.com/user/rondos63#g/u - -

F16 Low & Fast

We like low fast passes, and this is a good one :) - -

Inaugural Meeting Of The Huntingdon & District Area of the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT)

Regular follows of my ramblings will know I purchased my WW2 CCKW 352 in the end of July last year. At the time I joined the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT), which is as the name suggests, is a club for military vehicle owners/enthusiasts. The Trust has a network of area groups dotted all over the country, however where I live seems to be somewhat of a black spot without a group within easy travelling distance. Anyway, I've stuck my head up above the parapet and started a local group. Our inaugural meeting is 19:30 tonight at the Montague Club in Huntingdon. I sent out 57 letters to people within a 40 mile radius just before X-Mas, and thus far about 20 have responded to say they will be along tonight. It will be interesting to see how many actually turn up...

RAF veteran who flew secret mission told it’s too dangerous to sit in Spitfire

A 91-year-old former RAF pilot who flew Spitfires in the Second World War was told he could not sit in one of the fighters at a museum because it was too dangerous. Link -

Battlemech Drawing

Back in the early 1990s I used to play a huge amount of Battletech, and one of my gaming circle at that time was a talented artist. As a favour he did this drawing for me of my favourite 3025 era Mech from House Steiner, the Banshee 3S standing triumphant over an Atlas of one my friends, from House Kurita.
-

-

For rent: One WWII U-boat bunker

Two government authorities are in conflict over a huge World War II submarine bunker near the northern German city-state of Bremen, which is to be rented out for commercial use. Link -

-

Prometheus - Official Trailer [TRUE HD]

Oh my... - -

German Tank Factory Vids

It never ceases to amaze me what just pops up on U-Tube. The first vid shows PIII and StugIII production, the second shows stills of Tiger Tank assembly. There are some simply massive jigs and fixtures in use. - - -