General Apathy Posted April 26, 2016 Share #9176 Posted April 26, 2016 Thanks for posting that 70s picture, Ken . Thanks Johan, sure wish I had been more of a photographer back in the mid 70's there was so much stuff laying around in Normandy . . . . . . . A friend named Warwick who also came over on those early trips to France, thought of an idea that no one else had considered, he wrote to all the surviving American automotive factories for information or photographs. His letters were met with varying levels of success, some there was no reply, some wrote back and said we don't have any archival references, some sent general advertisement blurbs, others emptied their archives and said that were happy for the stuff to go to someone that was interested, some sent photo's and military manuals for their products. ( Warwick passed away in 2008 aged 57 ) Here a shot from the White Auto Co., across the bottom it's written some of their vehicles attending an ' Army War Show 1942 ' these shows were done throughout the war to boost morale and recruitment. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 26 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
American Graffiti Posted April 26, 2016 Share #9177 Posted April 26, 2016 Great shots, tanks and babes and all. The mind boggles what was left lying around in Normandy, back then in the early days of your Normandy adventures. Great anecdotes, think I've said before, i would read in awe the After the Battle magazines in the 70s and 80s, probably first got me into militaria, history and archaeology. Someone (hint, hint) should do an After the Battle Re-visited, see what those place look like now! AG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9178 Posted April 27, 2016 Great shots, tanks and babes and all. The mind boggles what was left lying around in Normandy, back then in the early days of your Normandy adventures. Great anecdotes, think I've said before, i would read in awe the After the Battle magazines in the 70s and 80s, probably first got me into militaria, history and archaeology. Someone (hint, hint) should do an After the Battle Re-visited, see what those place look like now! AG Hi AG, as I related about the days with Zeppelin, we didn't have digital or camera-phones in outer pockets in the 70s, cameras hanging around our necks were large and an encumbrance for moving about. So many good photo opportunities were missed I suspect. You might have a good idea about then and now shots of shots that were taken in the the 70s of what remained of WWII sites, I will get in touch with Winston Ramsey the editor of After the Battle and pass on your idea to him. I did have a laugh when vehicle owners were talking of visiting Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day for some of the younger owners it was something completely new that they thought had never been done before. It was fun to josh with them a little and say ' of course you realize that it's a double anniversary that year ', they questioned what I meant, I replied with ' yes it's the 60th anniversary of D-Day, but it's also the 30th anniversary of the first 30th anniversary trip. Nothing's new in this world . . . . . . Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 27 2016. ( mentioning anniversaries, my mothers 98 birthday today, if she were alive, time for reflection ) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9179 Posted April 27, 2016 . More old photos . . . . . . . . . A couple of posts above I made mention of photos I have of Brooklands airfield, it was also a pre-war race track, and home of the Vickers aircraft company. Attached is one of my photos showing two of these elements together, cars racing in 1938 and the Vickers factory in the background, . . . . . war just six months away . . . Take a look at the link below and it talks of the underground factory and shelters below the buildings > http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/v/vickers_shelter/index.shtml Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 27 2016. . ( another malfunction, my iPad won't allow me to attach the photo I intended for this post ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9180 Posted April 27, 2016 . Missing 1938 Brooklands photo . . . . . . Hopefully the missing photo from the previous post. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 27 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9181 Posted April 27, 2016 I did have a laugh when vehicle owners were talking of visiting Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day for some of the younger owners it was something completely new that they thought had never been done before. It was fun to josh with them a little and say ' of course you realize that it's a double anniversary that year ', they questioned what I meant, I replied with ' yes it's the 60th anniversary of D-Day, but it's also the 30th anniversary of the first 30th anniversary trip. Nothing's new in this world . . . . . . Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 27 2016. Haven't missed any since the 40th back in 1984... and even then not much had changed since WW2 My dad driving my GPW with Creuilly Castle (Monty's HQ) in the background, June 1984 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9182 Posted April 27, 2016 Haven't missed any since the 40th back in 1984... and even then not much had changed since WW2 My dad driving my GPW with Creuilly Castle (Monty's HQ) in the background, June 1984 Hi Johan, nice shot of your Jeep and the castle. A mixed bunch of us camped at Creuilly in 1984, Dutch, Belgians and British, sadly still no photo's to show for it. two nights we had the funniest of nights in a cafe'-restaurant in the town, instigated by the woman owner, on the first night she had listened to our banter and laughter and judged that we would be up for a trick that she played upon us. It was all so funny and the food so good that we booked the room again for a second night, this time we sat a Dutch vehicle owner ( with little sense of humour ) in the ' hot seat ', and the trick was played on him, he was furious that everyone was laughing at him at the end of the trick, which made people laugh even more. That year I travelled in my GMC 353, 6 x 6, sad part to report about the trip, was finding out that someone had been draining fuel out my tank during the night, became a costly trip, think it was a guy that never came into town at night. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 27 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9183 Posted April 27, 2016 Hi Johan, nice shot of your Jeep and the castle. A mixed bunch of us camped at Creuilly in 1984, Dutch, Belgians and British, sadly still no photo's to show for it. We stayed at the Creuilly camp site in 1984... I have some color slides laying around from that event... By 1989 we had moved to the Bayeux city sports stadium and after the 1994 mud experience near Arromanches we started staying at the B&B we still use to this day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted April 27, 2016 Share #9184 Posted April 27, 2016 Thanks for the links to the Brooklands Airfield page. Fascinating history all around. Looks like it would be neat to explore those tunnels. A couple of years ago, they built the new Avaya MLS soccer stadium not far from my house. It's on the site of the old defunct FMC armored vehicle factory. During construction they were quite surprised to find several underground bunkers and facilities not shown on any of the old factory plans. They were even more surprised to dig up piles of old munitions. I'm guessing a few people had some unpleasant laundry issues that day. Fortunately, all the munitions turned out to be inert. Beautiful stadium, by the way. Swords into plowshares. I never paid much attention to soccer before a friend treated me to a couple of games there. Great fun. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted April 28, 2016 Share #9185 Posted April 28, 2016 I stayed in Creuilly together with two friends back in 1994. Putting up tent in the pouring rain and eating dust at the end of our stay. We had our tent at the entrance of the re-enactor car park so every few minutes a jeep or GMC passed by kicking dust in our tent. But we loved it! Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbtcoveralls Posted April 28, 2016 Share #9186 Posted April 28, 2016 I stayed in Creuilly together with two friends back in 1994. Putting up tent in the pouring rain and eating dust at the end of our stay. We had our tent at the entrance of the re-enactor car park so every few minutes a jeep or GMC passed by kicking dust in our tent. But we loved it! Erwin I had friends who went to Normandy for the 45th anniversary and they stayed outside Arromanches about half way up a hill on the way out of town. They said it was great because they were right at the spot where WWII trucks had to downshift and the sound was great! they forever called it "gear change hill" Tom Bowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted April 28, 2016 Share #9187 Posted April 28, 2016 I had friends who went to Normandy for the 45th anniversary and they stayed outside Arromanches about half way up a hill on the way out of town. They said it was great because they were right at the spot where WWII trucks had to downshift and the sound was great! they forever called it "gear change hill" Tom Bowers Towards the right of the picture going up the hill towards the cliffs above Arromanches passing the church of St Come de Fresné... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted April 28, 2016 Share #9188 Posted April 28, 2016 I stayed in Creuilly together with two friends back in 1994. Putting up tent in the pouring rain and eating dust at the end of our stay. We had our tent at the entrance of the re-enactor car park so every few minutes a jeep or GMC passed by kicking dust in our tent. But we loved it! Erwin There is dust kicked into your tent, then there is Nromandy dust kicked into your tent by vintage WW11 vehicles...totally different things! Sounds like great fun, especially as a 20 year old memory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbtcoveralls Posted April 28, 2016 Share #9189 Posted April 28, 2016 Towards the right of the picture going up the hill towards the cliffs above Arromanches passing the church of St Come de Fresné... Somehow I thought you might know where that was. I went that way in 1999 but haven't been back there since Tom Bowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9190 Posted April 29, 2016 . Normandy Then & Now . . . . Ste Mere Eglise This is the crossroads just outside the town square in Ste Mere Eglise, straight ahead is the road to Cherbourg, to the right the road to Utah beach, and the town square is behind the photographer. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9191 Posted April 29, 2016 . Normandy Then & Now . . . Ste Mere Eglise comparison shot of the crossroads, the building with the chimney in the centre of the photograph is a restaurant named post war ' The John Steele ' after the paratrooper who landed on the church tower. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2016 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9192 Posted April 29, 2016 . posting photographs . . . . . . .comparisons # 9190 & # 9191. Wish I was bright enough with computers to understand why my comparison photographs have such an inconsistency between them when I post them. Post # 9191 the photograph is three times the size of the photo in post # 9190 even though there is very little in the file size Post # 9190 - 227.82K Post # 9191 - 231.92K Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9193 Posted April 29, 2016 Thanks for the links to the Brooklands Airfield page. Fascinating history all around. Looks like it would be neat to explore those tunnels. A couple of years ago, they built the new Avaya MLS soccer stadium not far from my house. It's on the site of the old defunct FMC armored vehicle factory. During construction they were quite surprised to find several underground bunkers and facilities not shown on any of the old factory plans. They were even more surprised to dig up piles of old munitions. I'm guessing a few people had some unpleasant laundry issues that day. Fortunately, all the munitions turned out to be inert. Beautiful stadium, by the way. Swords into plowshares. I never paid much attention to soccer before a friend treated me to a couple of games there. Great fun. Mikie Hi Mikie, see there is WWII history everywhere, even on your doorstep or close to it. Would have been nice to see the bunkers and the finds, I suppose for safety's sake the ' Inert ' ammunition was blown up. If you manage to trace any images please post them on here for members to see . . . . . . . . Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2106. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9194 Posted April 29, 2016 I stayed in Creuilly together with two friends back in 1994. Putting up tent in the pouring rain and eating dust at the end of our stay. We had our tent at the entrance of the re-enactor car park so every few minutes a jeep or GMC passed by kicking dust in our tent. But we loved it! Erwin Hi Erwin, I was back to the Jeep in 1994, a friend Tom Gordon from Georgia came over and rode with me, we had our own four wheel group and camped wherever we felt we liked the look of. There was a solitary shelled church along a dirt track lane, no houses just the church or what was left of it, appears like it was never rebuilt, can't recall the spot where it was, should have kept daily notes. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9195 Posted April 29, 2016 I had friends who went to Normandy for the 45th anniversary and they stayed outside Arromanches about half way up a hill on the way out of town. They said it was great because they were right at the spot where WWII trucks had to downshift and the sound was great! they forever called it "gear change hill" Tom Bowers Hi Tom, those hills around Arromanches are all gear crunching double-dip changes, love the sound of a jimmy on hills or flat out on a straight road, the exhaust sings . . . The other really torturous climb is in a slow convoy out of the docks at Cherbourg up onto the flat plain for the run to Ste Mere Eglise which we did in 84, with my Jimmy at the time. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9196 Posted April 29, 2016 I bet these dogs enjoy the GMC sound from their own Ben Hur trailer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted April 29, 2016 Share #9197 Posted April 29, 2016 http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Underground-Vaults-Bomb-Shelters-Delay-Soccer-Stadium-Opening-218172841.html Hi Mikie, see there is WWII history everywhere, even on your doorstep or close to it. Would have been nice to see the bunkers and the finds, I suppose for safety's sake the ' Inert ' ammunition was blown up. If you manage to trace any images please post them on here for members to see . . . . . . . . Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 29 2106. . Here is a link to a news report from a couple of years ago when the story broke. Not much has been released since then. Urban legends have already been going around that there was a lot more discovered than shown here. This is my first attempt to post a link here, so hope it works. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted May 1, 2016 Share #9198 Posted May 1, 2016 I bet these dogs enjoy the GMC sound from their own Ben Hur trailer... Hi Johan, thanks for the video clip, enjoyed it on two levels for myself the trucks, and I sent the link on to my daughter as she likes the trucks but loves the dogs . . . . . . . . . Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, May 1 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted May 1, 2016 Share #9199 Posted May 1, 2016 http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Underground-Vaults-Bomb-Shelters-Delay-Soccer-Stadium-Opening-218172841.html Here is a link to a news report from a couple of years ago when the story broke. Not much has been released since then. Urban legends have already been going around that there was a lot more discovered than shown here. This is my first attempt to post a link here, so hope it works. Mikie Hi mikie, well thank you, yes the link worked well, I got to see bunkers on the ' other ' side of the world . . . . . . interesting story for the old manufacturing plant.. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, May 1 2016. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted May 1, 2016 Share #9200 Posted May 1, 2016 Hi Ken, Went to a local MV show in Geert's September 1943 Willys MB yesterday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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