This engine strip and rebuild for an old Triumph (Spitfire ?) is quite fun to watch :)
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Saturday, 30 June 2012
Twisted Brake Pipe
You know what its like, you set your stall out to tackle one job, and give yourself another unwelcome one when you make a start. Attempting to change the passenger side rear brake hose on the truck
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resulted in this, in spite of the liberal application of penetrating oil over several days :( (Deep Sigh)
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I've arranged to pick up two new pipes on Thursday, as the one on the other side will probably do the same...
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resulted in this, in spite of the liberal application of penetrating oil over several days :( (Deep Sigh)
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I've arranged to pick up two new pipes on Thursday, as the one on the other side will probably do the same...
Friday, 29 June 2012
Picture Of The Week - No 7 - Schwimmwagen
In 2008 I went to the War and Peace Show. Forget your tanks and your half-tracks etc, without doubt the vehicles that impressed me the most was this WW2 Volkswagen Schwimmwagen (which literally means Floating / Swimming Car). What a fantastic little vehicle which these photos just don't do justice to. If they weren't so expensive I would so love to own one.
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Thursday, 28 June 2012
Anti-tank Ammunition – what do all those letters mean?
There is an interesting article on the Battlefront - Flames Of War website about the different types of anti-tank ammo used during WW2. Certainly Worth a read. Link
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Wednesday, 27 June 2012
UK Military Rules
UK Military Rules
Royal Marine Rules:
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet, even your friends
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose calibre does not start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & Diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose. In ten years nobody will remember the details of calibre, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
12. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.
SBS Rules:
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Adjust speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.
SAS Rules:
1. Walk 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
Army Rules:
1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.
2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3. Curse bitterly.
4. Curse bitterly.
5. Do not listen to 2nd Lt's; it can get you killed.
6. Curse bitterly.
RAF Rules:
1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on Sky.
4. Ask "what is a gunfight?"
5. Request more funding from Government with a "killer" Power Point presentation.
6. Wine & dine 'key' MPs; invite MOD & defence industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally.
9. Hurry to make 13:45 tea-time.
10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict but close enough to have tax exemption.
RN Rules:
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink rum
3. Deploy Marines
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1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet, even your friends
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose calibre does not start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & Diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose. In ten years nobody will remember the details of calibre, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
12. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.
SBS Rules:
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Adjust speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.
SAS Rules:
1. Walk 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
Army Rules:
1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.
2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3. Curse bitterly.
4. Curse bitterly.
5. Do not listen to 2nd Lt's; it can get you killed.
6. Curse bitterly.
RAF Rules:
1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on Sky.
4. Ask "what is a gunfight?"
5. Request more funding from Government with a "killer" Power Point presentation.
6. Wine & dine 'key' MPs; invite MOD & defence industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally.
9. Hurry to make 13:45 tea-time.
10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict but close enough to have tax exemption.
RN Rules:
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink rum
3. Deploy Marines
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Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Blade Runner: Which predictions have come true?
It's been 30 years since the release of Blade Runner and 10 years since Minority Report. Both are rich sources of predictions about the future. But what has actually come to pass? Link to BBC.
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Saturday, 23 June 2012
Friday Humour - Cultural Differences!!!
On a chain of beautiful deserted islands in the middle of South Pacific, the following people are stranded:
Two Italian men and one Italian woman.
Two French men and one French woman.
Two German men and one German woman.
Two Greek men and one Greek woman.
Two British men and one British woman.
Two Bulgarian men and one Bulgarian woman.
Two Japanese men and one Japanese woman.
Two Chinese men and one Chinese woman.
Two Irish men and one Irish woman.
Two American men and one American woman.
One month later, on these absolutely stunning deserted islands in the middle of nowhere, the following things have occurred:
One Italian man killed the other Italian man for the Italian woman.
The two French men and the French woman are living happily together in a menage a trois.
The two German men have a strict weekly schedule of alternating visits with the German woman.
The two Greek men are sleeping together and the Greek woman is cooking and cleaning for them.
The two British men are waiting for someone to introduce them to the British woman.
The two Bulgarian men took one look at the Bulgarian woman and started swimming to another island..
The two Japanese have faxed Tokyo and are awaiting instructions.
The two Chinese men have set up a pharmacy, liquor store, restaurant, and laundry, and have gotten the woman pregnant in order to supply more employees for their stores.
The two Irish men divided the island into north and south and set up a distillery. They do not remember if sex is in the picture because it gets somewhat foggy after a few pints of coconut whisky. However, they are satisfied because the British are not having any fun..
The two American men are contemplating suicide, because the American woman will not shut up and complains relentlessly about her body, the true nature of feminism, what the sun is doing to her skin, how she can do anything they can do, the necessity of fulfillment, the equal division of household chores, how sand and palm trees make her look fat, how her last boyfriend respected her opinion and treated her nicer than they do, and how her relationship with her mother is the root cause of all her problems, and why didn't they bring a damn cell phone so they could call 911 and get them all rescued off this god forsaken deserted island in the middle of freaking nowhere so she can get her nails done and go shopping.
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Two French men and one French woman.
Two German men and one German woman.
Two Greek men and one Greek woman.
Two British men and one British woman.
Two Bulgarian men and one Bulgarian woman.
Two Japanese men and one Japanese woman.
Two Chinese men and one Chinese woman.
Two Irish men and one Irish woman.
Two American men and one American woman.
One month later, on these absolutely stunning deserted islands in the middle of nowhere, the following things have occurred:
One Italian man killed the other Italian man for the Italian woman.
The two French men and the French woman are living happily together in a menage a trois.
The two German men have a strict weekly schedule of alternating visits with the German woman.
The two Greek men are sleeping together and the Greek woman is cooking and cleaning for them.
The two British men are waiting for someone to introduce them to the British woman.
The two Bulgarian men took one look at the Bulgarian woman and started swimming to another island..
The two Japanese have faxed Tokyo and are awaiting instructions.
The two Chinese men have set up a pharmacy, liquor store, restaurant, and laundry, and have gotten the woman pregnant in order to supply more employees for their stores.
The two Irish men divided the island into north and south and set up a distillery. They do not remember if sex is in the picture because it gets somewhat foggy after a few pints of coconut whisky. However, they are satisfied because the British are not having any fun..
The two American men are contemplating suicide, because the American woman will not shut up and complains relentlessly about her body, the true nature of feminism, what the sun is doing to her skin, how she can do anything they can do, the necessity of fulfillment, the equal division of household chores, how sand and palm trees make her look fat, how her last boyfriend respected her opinion and treated her nicer than they do, and how her relationship with her mother is the root cause of all her problems, and why didn't they bring a damn cell phone so they could call 911 and get them all rescued off this god forsaken deserted island in the middle of freaking nowhere so she can get her nails done and go shopping.
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TANK FAILS
There are some interesting positions that tanks have got themselves into on this U-Tube clip of tank fails. I can imagine recovery action on some of these will have been interesting to say the least...
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Friday, 22 June 2012
Picture Of The Week - No 6 - Orc Warlord
This weeks picture of the week is of one of my favourite fantasy figures from my 25-28mm Orc army. Here we have my Orc General made by the now defunct Grenadier Miniatures, designed by Nick Lund. There is nothing showy about the figure, but that's what I like. He's there, arms crossed glowering from under the rim of his helmet.
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Thursday, 21 June 2012
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Military Vehicle Day at Duxford
On Sunday, as well being Fathers Day it was also the Military Vehicle Day at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. For those not familiar with this event, in a nutshell owners of military vehicles are welcome to bring their vehicles along to display them to the public and take part in a cavalcade display driving around a taxi track and along the main runway. The Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association (MAFVA) have a large tent with all sorts of competitions running and a large selection of trade stands. In addition there's a couple of dozen general trade and military charity stands. The museum digs out a selection of its running vehicles and puts them through their paces in a small arena for an hour. Generally there are a few thousand visitors and the whole event is a quite relaxed un-crowded affair.
I’ve been numerous time before as visitor, in fact we went as a family last year, and the also in 2009 year as I reported on this blog.
The event this year took on a different slant for the Vulture household as this year we have our GMC 352 truck, and had booked it in some months back. After returning from a weeks holiday in (a rather cold) Kent on the Friday, I spent most of Saturday preparing the vehicle for its longest journey since bringing it back from Yorkshire last July. I topped up the oil and water, lubricated most of the 33 grease points (before running out of grease), lubricated the accelerator linkage, and then titivated the paintwork here and there. After starting it up to make sure everything was good engine wise, I stuck the battery on charge for good measure and retired for the night.
Sunday morning saw the Gods smiling upon our endeavours as unlike the recent weather, we had warmth and sunshine ! :) After a quick wash down to get the weather grime off, and an unusually easy engine start I set off with son (Alex) and brother-in-law (Mike) crewing with me in the cab. An hour later and with 30 miles showing in the trip-meter we pulled onto the Duxford airfield to be met by a small army of smiling marshals who directed us to the open grass area between the American hangar and the Land Warfare hall where we joined some 30 vehicles who were already there.
(Picture taken by Ken Clay)
Over the coming hours the area filled up considerably as a further 130+ vehicles joined us. Stand-out vehicle for me this year was a Humber Pig which looked just brilliant,
closely followed by a simply massive Zil (Russian) truck.
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After browsing the stands Mrs Vulture and son presented me with a fathers day present in the form of a book on the Red Ball Express, which I shall enjoy reading over the coming weeks.
An old friend of mine John Elwen was visiting with his father and they swung by for a chat late morning and then returned at 13:50 to join us as I had offered them seats in the truck for the Cavalcade.
John, Mike and Alex opted to go in the back whilst John's Dad decided to crew with me in the less windy surroundings of the cab. We pulled out and queued up with almost 100 vehicles and then slowly eased out onto the Taxiway which runs down parallel with the crowd-line. Initially most drivers kept to a pedestrian 20mph, but as we neared the bottom of the airfield everyone got their foot down (well as much as most of us could) and after that people were belting around, it was chaos at times !
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After 3 circuits we all pulled off and parked back up.
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Around 17:00 we left and gently cruised back home at a steady 35-37 mph with the sun still shinning. A top day all in all :)
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The event this year took on a different slant for the Vulture household as this year we have our GMC 352 truck, and had booked it in some months back. After returning from a weeks holiday in (a rather cold) Kent on the Friday, I spent most of Saturday preparing the vehicle for its longest journey since bringing it back from Yorkshire last July. I topped up the oil and water, lubricated most of the 33 grease points (before running out of grease), lubricated the accelerator linkage, and then titivated the paintwork here and there. After starting it up to make sure everything was good engine wise, I stuck the battery on charge for good measure and retired for the night.
Sunday morning saw the Gods smiling upon our endeavours as unlike the recent weather, we had warmth and sunshine ! :) After a quick wash down to get the weather grime off, and an unusually easy engine start I set off with son (Alex) and brother-in-law (Mike) crewing with me in the cab. An hour later and with 30 miles showing in the trip-meter we pulled onto the Duxford airfield to be met by a small army of smiling marshals who directed us to the open grass area between the American hangar and the Land Warfare hall where we joined some 30 vehicles who were already there.
(Picture taken by Ken Clay)Over the coming hours the area filled up considerably as a further 130+ vehicles joined us. Stand-out vehicle for me this year was a Humber Pig which looked just brilliant,
After browsing the stands Mrs Vulture and son presented me with a fathers day present in the form of a book on the Red Ball Express, which I shall enjoy reading over the coming weeks.
An old friend of mine John Elwen was visiting with his father and they swung by for a chat late morning and then returned at 13:50 to join us as I had offered them seats in the truck for the Cavalcade.
John, Mike and Alex opted to go in the back whilst John's Dad decided to crew with me in the less windy surroundings of the cab. We pulled out and queued up with almost 100 vehicles and then slowly eased out onto the Taxiway which runs down parallel with the crowd-line. Initially most drivers kept to a pedestrian 20mph, but as we neared the bottom of the airfield everyone got their foot down (well as much as most of us could) and after that people were belting around, it was chaos at times !
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After 3 circuits we all pulled off and parked back up.
I I left the truck at that point and queued with Alex for him to have a look around one of the armies newest vehicles the Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle which is based on a 6x6 derivative of the Jackal 2.
The soldier from the Parachute Regt showing the kids around the vehicle was a top guy, and spent quite a time with each of them answering their questions. According to his colleagues he’d been hard at it since the doors opened at 10:00 and hadn’t even had opportunity to eat his lunch ! -
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Around 17:00 we left and gently cruised back home at a steady 35-37 mph with the sun still shinning. A top day all in all :)
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Friday, 15 June 2012
Picture Of The Week - No 5 - Lords Of Midnight
My picture of the week is the front cover art of an old ZX Spectrum computer game called 'The Lords Of Midnight'. This was a very very early graphical adventure wargame which I recall spending hours and hours and hours playing with some friends in the early 80s. We mapped out the entire world and where the character's and their armies could be found. Happy days when the world seemed less complicated :)
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Here's a screen shot from the game itself:
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Here's a screen shot from the game itself:
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Sunday, 10 June 2012
Afghanistan's 'graveyard of foreigners'
Few countries in the world have been invaded as often, and by so many other nations, as Afghanistan, where many soldiers and civilians of various nationalities are buried in Kabul's Kabre Gora, or "graveyard of foreigners". Link
to BBC.
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Saturday, 9 June 2012
Forthcoming Event - 2012 Duxford Military Vehicle Show - 17 June
A quick reminder to everyone that it is the Duxford Military Vehicle Show next Sunday, the 17 June 2012. Put it in your diary :) Weather and vehicle serviceability permitting, I'll be there with my truck, so if you see me, stop by and say Hi :)
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Friday, 8 June 2012
Picture Of The Week - No 4 - Jeep To Normandy
Back in 1977 when I was still at school, I used to sit next to a lad called Chris Jenkins in my O Level History lesson. Chris and I have have been friends ever since, and have shared may adventures over the years, including going to Normandy in his Jeep for the 60th D-Day celebrations in Jun 2004. Boy did we do some mileage in that Jeep! In the space of 4 days we drove south and caught the Chunnel across to France and then drove to Normandy all in one day. For two days we toured the sites, and then drove back home on the fourth day. The weather wasn't great and most of the time it was pretty cold, but we still had a great time. Here's a (rather grainy) photo of the two of us setting off on our adventure.
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Thursday, 7 June 2012
Prometheus Viral Videos
Just discovered these on U-Tube. They are worth watching whether of not you have seen the movie yet.
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Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Monday, 4 June 2012
WWII veteran recalls fighting at Cassino, Anzio
When Kansas weather turns cold, Bing Powell still wears three pairs of socks to warm his feet that suffered trench foot during the bitterly cold fighting at the Battle of Cassino in Italy 68 years earlier. Link
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Prometheus - Short Film Review
Last night a small posse of us saddled up and dropped-shipped into the latest of the Alien film franchise Prometheus. Myself I have deliberately not watched any of the trailers (even the one on this blog) or read any of the reviews, so that I could see the movie unencumbered by pre-conceptions.
The first thing to say is that, if you are a fan of the Aliens movies, this IMHO is a MUST see film.
On the up-side it is real visual treat; the sets are gorgeous and the way the script answers some outstanding questions from previous films is very well done. Camera work is good, and so are the special effects. The lead actress provides quite a gritty (Ripley like) performance.
This is the point I now say, don't read any further further if you think my criticism might spoil your enjoyment if you haven't yet seen it.. Plus there is some plot spoilers...
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On the down-side the script is such a disappointment :( Character development is poor, in fact really poor in some areas, plus some of the characters are rubbish along with big chunks of the story. For instance one of the guys starts feeling unwell and spots a tiny creature in his eye. Does he mention to anyone, his partner for example ? NO, he just presses on. Why the Android decides to experiment with contaminating the crew is simply not explained. And so it goes on...
I have seen many of Ridley Scott's films, and consider this to be the worst scripted one I have seen.
Overall ratings out of 5:
Value For Money (for sheer entertainment): 4.5
Linkage Into Existing Alien Movies: 4.9
Overall Quality Of Script: 2.5
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The first thing to say is that, if you are a fan of the Aliens movies, this IMHO is a MUST see film.
On the up-side it is real visual treat; the sets are gorgeous and the way the script answers some outstanding questions from previous films is very well done. Camera work is good, and so are the special effects. The lead actress provides quite a gritty (Ripley like) performance.
This is the point I now say, don't read any further further if you think my criticism might spoil your enjoyment if you haven't yet seen it.. Plus there is some plot spoilers...
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On the down-side the script is such a disappointment :( Character development is poor, in fact really poor in some areas, plus some of the characters are rubbish along with big chunks of the story. For instance one of the guys starts feeling unwell and spots a tiny creature in his eye. Does he mention to anyone, his partner for example ? NO, he just presses on. Why the Android decides to experiment with contaminating the crew is simply not explained. And so it goes on...
I have seen many of Ridley Scott's films, and consider this to be the worst scripted one I have seen.
Overall ratings out of 5:
Value For Money (for sheer entertainment): 4.5
Linkage Into Existing Alien Movies: 4.9
Overall Quality Of Script: 2.5
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Friday, 1 June 2012
Picture Of The Week - No 3 - BattleMaster Mech
One of my favourite pieces of Battletech artwork is the picture of this BattleMaster taken from the front cover of the Rolling Thunder supplement.
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Thursday, 31 May 2012
Panzerjäger Borgward B IVc Ausf m RPzB 54
Over the years I thought I'd read about every vehicle the Germans operated, so I was surprised when I saw mention of the Panzerjäger Borgward B IVc Ausf m RPzB 54.
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There's a bit about it here. Link.
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Comment: I wouldn't have like to be on the receiving end of multiple Panzerschreck strikes from that. It could definitely spoil the paintwork on your T34 !
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There's a bit about it here. Link.
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Comment: I wouldn't have like to be on the receiving end of multiple Panzerschreck strikes from that. It could definitely spoil the paintwork on your T34 !
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Company Of Heroes 2
Spotted that THQ have started talking about the next game in the Company of Heroes franchise (imaginatively) called Company Of Heroes 2. As followers of this blog will know I'm huge fan of CoH, so I'm looking forward to how this new game plays.
This what they say:
"In the world’s darkest hour you are a commander of the Soviet Red Army, entrenched in brutal frontline warfare to free Mother Russia from the Nazi invaders. It is 1941 and the beginning of what will become the bloodiest conflict of World War II resulting in over 14 million military casualties. Witness the struggles of the Red Army from near defeat through their incredible triumph over Germany in the most challenging and costly theatre of the war, the Eastern Front. Your military tactics hold the power to tip the very balance of this conflict. Engage in tactical combat that will define you as a military leader and wield the might of the Soviet Empire as you smash your way to Berlin." Link
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This what they say:
"In the world’s darkest hour you are a commander of the Soviet Red Army, entrenched in brutal frontline warfare to free Mother Russia from the Nazi invaders. It is 1941 and the beginning of what will become the bloodiest conflict of World War II resulting in over 14 million military casualties. Witness the struggles of the Red Army from near defeat through their incredible triumph over Germany in the most challenging and costly theatre of the war, the Eastern Front. Your military tactics hold the power to tip the very balance of this conflict. Engage in tactical combat that will define you as a military leader and wield the might of the Soviet Empire as you smash your way to Berlin." Link
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Sunday, 27 May 2012
Tank Tank Web Site - By Alan Hamby
For Tiger Tank fans this is fantastic site to visit. Myself, I've never seen most of the factory assembly photos. Link. Highly recommended.
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Picture Of The Week - No 2 - Sea Harrier FRS2
The weeks photo of the week, is of a Sea Harrier FRS2 that was on static display at the 2004 Fairford Airshow.
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I selected this photo for a number of reasons:
1. I just think the Harrier was such an incredible aircraft, and the FRS2 although a bit underpowered (in hot climates) with its Pegasus Mk106 engine, was well equipped with 4 AMRAAM missiles. As ever it seems we fail to develop our aircraft sufficiently. Re-engineing the aircraft with the more powerful Mk107 would have given it a new lease of life.
2. The variety of aircraft you see at Airshows nowadays (both static and in the air) is but a pale pale shadow of what we used to see.
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I selected this photo for a number of reasons:
1. I just think the Harrier was such an incredible aircraft, and the FRS2 although a bit underpowered (in hot climates) with its Pegasus Mk106 engine, was well equipped with 4 AMRAAM missiles. As ever it seems we fail to develop our aircraft sufficiently. Re-engineing the aircraft with the more powerful Mk107 would have given it a new lease of life.
2. The variety of aircraft you see at Airshows nowadays (both static and in the air) is but a pale pale shadow of what we used to see.
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Photos Spark Mystery Over Bismarck's Sinking
A collection of photographs from a young sailor in World War II has sparked mystery about the events leading to the sinking of the formidable German battleship Bismarck. See Sky News: Link
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Friday, 25 May 2012
Warhammer Historical Closes
Just heard today that Warhammer Historical (part of Games Workshop) has closed down, which presumably means that Warhammer Ancient Battles (WAB) as a rule set is no longer supported :(
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Thursday, 24 May 2012
Prometheus - Official Trailer
No doubt, this is 'must see' film for all fans of the franchise :)
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Huntingdon Area MVT - Spring Road Run
Our MVT area group conducted its first road-run on Sunday 20th May. We had initially planned to stage the run on the 28 Apr, but due to bad weather we postponed, hoping for better in May. Well, it was better in as much as it wasn’t freezing cold and hammering it down, but it was heavily overcast, and pretty cold it has to be said.
The initial plans had 11 vehicles in the run, but then 2 dropped out due to conflicting commitments, and on the day another 2 suffered mechanical problems and so were unable to make it to the start location near Kings Ripton. The ‘magnificent seven’ for the run comprised of 2 x Jeeps, 1 x CCKW 353, 1 x CCKW 352, 2 x Landrover FFRs, and last but not least, a rare Dodge WC63. In addition to the 7 drivers, 4 friends and family crewed along with 1 one hound (Albert). Two support vehicles carried another 5 people including the official trip photographer.
Setting off at 13:00 a series of back roads over a course of 10 miles brought the convoy to its first halt at ‘The George’ pub in Spaldwick.
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A 40 minute refreshment break allowed those souls in the more exposed vehicles to regain a semblance of blood supply to their extremities.
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The second and last part of the journey over a further 10 miles involved some challenging narrow and twisty lanes (especially for the larger vehicles) for about 8 miles before we broke out into more open terrain for the final run into RAF Little Staughton, arriving around 15:15. Following an undercover barbecue tea, people headed off home around 16:30.
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A good day overall, and we will be definitely doing another, perhaps in September.
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The initial plans had 11 vehicles in the run, but then 2 dropped out due to conflicting commitments, and on the day another 2 suffered mechanical problems and so were unable to make it to the start location near Kings Ripton. The ‘magnificent seven’ for the run comprised of 2 x Jeeps, 1 x CCKW 353, 1 x CCKW 352, 2 x Landrover FFRs, and last but not least, a rare Dodge WC63. In addition to the 7 drivers, 4 friends and family crewed along with 1 one hound (Albert). Two support vehicles carried another 5 people including the official trip photographer.
Setting off at 13:00 a series of back roads over a course of 10 miles brought the convoy to its first halt at ‘The George’ pub in Spaldwick.
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A 40 minute refreshment break allowed those souls in the more exposed vehicles to regain a semblance of blood supply to their extremities.
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The second and last part of the journey over a further 10 miles involved some challenging narrow and twisty lanes (especially for the larger vehicles) for about 8 miles before we broke out into more open terrain for the final run into RAF Little Staughton, arriving around 15:15. Following an undercover barbecue tea, people headed off home around 16:30.
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A good day overall, and we will be definitely doing another, perhaps in September.
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Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Remembering the M2 submarine disaster 80 years on
The submarine sits silently on the seabed.
Inside, the bodies of 58 sailors still rest, 80 years after the vessel sank in the English Channel off Dorset.
Now some of their family members hope to sail out to the wreck to mark the anniversary of the tragedy.
HMS M2 was the world's first underwater aircraft carrier, but it went down with the loss of all 60 hands - including two airmen - in 1932.
See the BBC web site for more on this story. Link
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Saturday, 19 May 2012
Picture Of The Week - No 1 - Swedish S Tank
I've decided to introduce a new feature to my blog, a 'Picture Of The Week'. This first one is of a Swedish S Tank I photographed at the UK Defence Acedemy at Shriveham. The S-Tank is one of my all-time favourite vehicles. Back in the 1980s I used to do lots of Modern Micro-Tank (1/300th) gaming. I had several armies I used to use, but favourite was my Swedish army (which I still have incidentally). I just think this is such a brilliant vehicle.
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Looking round the vehicle it is larger, certainly wider than I had expected. The thing that surprised me however was how thin the armour was on the hull glacis plate (approximately 27mm) and this is because, as you can see they are in fact the engine access panels.
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Looking round the vehicle it is larger, certainly wider than I had expected. The thing that surprised me however was how thin the armour was on the hull glacis plate (approximately 27mm) and this is because, as you can see they are in fact the engine access panels.
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Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Monday, 14 May 2012
'Somewhere In England' - Bassingbourn Show - Review
I took time out from revising for a (Purchasing) exam on Saturday morning, and went down to Bassingbourn Airfield to attend a local 1940s show called 'Somewhere in England'. The aim of the show this year is to raise money to restore the WW2 Control Tower.
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Lots of lots of space at the show, with if I'm honest, not a huge amount there. The entrance price of £10 per adult seemed on the expensive side given what was there, £5 would have been more reasonable. There were perhaps 20 vehicles, a few displays, 1 hot dog stall, about 16 trade stands, plus a band. The layout seemed poor to me, as the band were out on a limb somewhat, furthermore I'm reliably informed that the Tower and Museum were shut due to lack of staff, which seems nothing short of astonishing as you would have thought that these were the days when you really wanted it open ! Given the rubbish weather here in the UK recently (wettest April since records began in 1910), they were very fortunate as both Sat and Sun were clear and sunny. I've decided to get myself some period gear to wear from time-to-time when I take my own CCKW truck to shows and I managed pick up a jacket for a quite a reasonable price.
Stand out vehicle for me was CCKW 353 with a .50cal mg and extra ammo boxes round the ring, although a black limo looked amazing, and the photo I took doesn't do it justice. It will pop up in the slideshow below.
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2012-05-12 Bassingbourn Show
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Lots of lots of space at the show, with if I'm honest, not a huge amount there. The entrance price of £10 per adult seemed on the expensive side given what was there, £5 would have been more reasonable. There were perhaps 20 vehicles, a few displays, 1 hot dog stall, about 16 trade stands, plus a band. The layout seemed poor to me, as the band were out on a limb somewhat, furthermore I'm reliably informed that the Tower and Museum were shut due to lack of staff, which seems nothing short of astonishing as you would have thought that these were the days when you really wanted it open ! Given the rubbish weather here in the UK recently (wettest April since records began in 1910), they were very fortunate as both Sat and Sun were clear and sunny. I've decided to get myself some period gear to wear from time-to-time when I take my own CCKW truck to shows and I managed pick up a jacket for a quite a reasonable price.
Stand out vehicle for me was CCKW 353 with a .50cal mg and extra ammo boxes round the ring, although a black limo looked amazing, and the photo I took doesn't do it justice. It will pop up in the slideshow below.
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2012-05-12 Bassingbourn Show
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Saturday, 12 May 2012
World War II fighter found in Egyptian desert
A World War II RAF American-made P40 Kittyhawk single-engine fighter, which crash-landed in a remote part of the Egyptian desert in 1942, has been discovered almost intact. Link
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Comment: What an amazing find !
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FAD 5 Out !
The latest version of these free Sci-Fi rules 'Fast And Dirty' is out, with all sorts of extra bits added. Well worth checking out, the author Ivan Sorensen has done a great job. Link
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Monday, 7 May 2012
The original air aces
The Royal Flying Corps came into being 100 years ago and played a key role in World War I - but who were its heroic pilots and why was the corps so special? Link to BBC
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Sunday, 6 May 2012
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Slow Engine Cranking
The truck engine cranks over really slowly when cold. I need to get to the bottom of why this is...
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Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Bovington Tank Museum Podcasts
Guys
I came across a bunch of podcasts on the Bovington Tank Museum web site. Done by tank veterans (one of whom is the well known wargamer Donald Featherstone), some of them are fascinating. Highly recommended. Link
I came across a bunch of podcasts on the Bovington Tank Museum web site. Done by tank veterans (one of whom is the well known wargamer Donald Featherstone), some of them are fascinating. Highly recommended. Link
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Luftwaffe nightfighter Heinkel 219 salvaged from the sea
A compass shows the direction the plane (Heinkel 219) was when it crashed. The guns are corroded by many years on the ocean floor. Metal rods reveals that the pilot’s ejection seat was never released. But what else is hiding the story behind the German plane on the ocean floor, the museum staff and aircraft enthusiasts see if they can uncover. Link
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Friday, 27 April 2012
PIPPINGFORD PARK BATTLE 2012
I followed a link to this this quick film about various Allied Living History groups taking part in a WW2 private battle in Apr 2012. The M10 looks fantastic.
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Monday, 23 April 2012
British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma
A Lincolnshire farmer has told how he spent 15 years trying to find a lost squadron of Spitfires that was buried in Burma at the end of the Second World War. Link
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Sunday, 22 April 2012
'Drive It Day 2012'
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) try to encourage everyone with a historic vehicle to get out and about in it on a particular day in the year. This what their web site says: "Drive It Day is always held on the nearest Sunday to 23 April. This date was chosen in 2005 to commemorate the 64 cars that set off from London on 23 April 1900 on the first day of the Thousand Mile Trial. An incredible undertaking and one which we believe deserves an annual celebration."
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As we seem to have a break in the rainy weather here Cambridgeshire, after checking the fluid levels, we decided to take the truck out for a spin. After a very reluctant start where a couple of squirts of 'Easy Start' (an Ether based aerosol) were required to get the engine to fire up, we had quite a pleasant ride out. We were looking out for other historic vehicles on our 18 mile round trip, but sadly didn't see any !
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Last weekend I picked up a set of replacement leather straps for the wooden bows that go over the cargo bed. The straps are used to fasten then canvas up. Anyway, these straps are New Old Stock (NOS) ex French army. No idea how old the (vacuum sealed) pack is, but it almost seems a shame to open it up.
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As we seem to have a break in the rainy weather here Cambridgeshire, after checking the fluid levels, we decided to take the truck out for a spin. After a very reluctant start where a couple of squirts of 'Easy Start' (an Ether based aerosol) were required to get the engine to fire up, we had quite a pleasant ride out. We were looking out for other historic vehicles on our 18 mile round trip, but sadly didn't see any !
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Last weekend I picked up a set of replacement leather straps for the wooden bows that go over the cargo bed. The straps are used to fasten then canvas up. Anyway, these straps are New Old Stock (NOS) ex French army. No idea how old the (vacuum sealed) pack is, but it almost seems a shame to open it up.
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Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Recognition finally for a warrior priest's heroics
US Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun stole, suffered and sacrificed his life for his fellow soldiers in a Korean prison camp. Six decades after his death, he is being considered for the Congressional Medal of Honor - and sainthood. Link
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Thursday, 12 April 2012
German Firm Uses Aerial Photos to Find Bombs
A small German firm offers a unique service to the country’s construction industry: It uses historical British and American aerial photography from World War II air strikes to determine the location of unexploded bombs. Thousands of tons of bombs still lie in the soil and the duds are becoming more dangerous. Link
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