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Norman D. Landing


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1 hour ago, General Apathy said:

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More WWII manuals . . . . . . . 

 

Hi Johan,  thanks for adding more detail to the Jeep manual posts, and your generous comment ' great manuals ' 

 

It was always one of my ambitions to own one of these ugly looking trucks a Ford GTB model 4 x 4,  very uncommon here in Europe,  in anticipation that I might one day own one I bought this fantastic set of three unused manuals relating to the GTB, someone had bolted the three manuals together as a set. 

 

well I never managed to get one, sometimes other stuff gets in the way, as it did . . . . . . . . . . . . . we make plans, God laughs 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 23  2020.

 

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That's a new vehicle for me to see. Sorry you never ended up with one of these trucks. But thank you for preserving all these manuals and contributing them to my never ending edumacation.

Mikie

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General Apathy
11 minutes ago, earlymb said:

And if you're looking for the correct fender blackout light bracket for a GTB you'll have to fight the early MB guys for it :)

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Hi David,  the lamp bracket is clearly shown in the July 1942 GTB manual, but only the lamp and not the bracket is shown in the 1943 GPW manual, I don't know if this early version is ' F ' stamped but the second model bracket on my GPW is ' F ' marked. 

 

Funnily enough my early MB slat grille ( chassis 18,299 ) appeared for sale on Milweb this week, I bought it late 70's from a car garage that had owned it since 1947.  I sold it to a friend JJ in 2006 who did a complete restore on it and later 2014 sold it to another friend Doug who I suggested it to on the Isle of Jersey, Doug has now put it for sale on Milweb since he bought a Dodge Command car.

 

Funny story that goes with the early slat grille and my GPW.  I had arranged a trip to Normandy in my GPW in the 70's,  two weeks before the trip a valve and valve seat burnt out. I came up with the idea of swopping the untested MB engine for my GPW for the trip.  I had asked the garage if they had ever had problems with the MB engine and the owner replied ' only the head-gaskets ' I asked which gaskets they were using and they were using original NOS gaskets from a pack that came with the Jeep.  Wartime gaskets were only a sheet of asbestos which were prone to breakdown I preferred using a post-war replacement of asbestos covered in copper sheet both sides, the copper prevented water from tracking through the old wartime asbestos gaskets. 

So upon exchanging the engines I fitted a new copper head gasket to the MB engine, we got to Normandy and on a bright sunny day my passenger said that his feet were wet but there was no rain on the road ??.  We pulled over and lifted the hood and saw steam escaping from the rear of the head onto the bulkhead where it condensed back into water and ran in through screw holes in the bulkhead onto his feet. We retightened down the head, I had failed to tighten sufficiently the back three studs, topped up the radiator and continued on. A few days later we felt we had covered what there was to see around Normandy ( much more to see nowadays ) we laid out a map and I spotted the town of Bastogne just 650 kilometres away, so we gassed the Jeep and headed for Bastogne.

We did a week around the Bastogne area and finally left for a ferry in Antwerp all the way from Bastogne to Antwerp we travelled in an horrendous thunderstorm and rain, anyway adventure over we got home.  I ran the MB engine for a couple more years before rebuilding and refitting my GPW engine. It's always fun in a Jeep.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020.

 

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General Apathy
13 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

That's quite a library. I like the Lend Lease edition.

 

Rene

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Hi Rene,  when I bought a slat grille MB in the 1970's I got a heavily used and greasy marked Russian edition manual with the Jeep, not really good enough to sit alongside my other manuals. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020. 

 

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General Apathy
13 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

There's also a Bomb Truck version of the GTB... Here's a Belgian registered one in Navy livery

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Hi Johan,  when I was actively looking for a GTB  ( mid 90's ) a friend Tom Gordon in Georgia USA found the remains of four or five abandoned in a forest in Georgia having been used as forestry trucks.  Due to the very poor condition and the possibility that it might only be able to build one from all the parts I abandoned that idea.  Somewhere I have some very sad  photos. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020.

 

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General Apathy

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Last surviving D-Day Landing Craft . . . . . . .

 

It is thought that LCT-7074 is the last surviving version of this particular model of tank landing craft used on D-Day from 800 built for the Normandy invasion. It could carry ten tanks, or tons of equipment and supplies for the continuation of the invasion. Post-war it was used as a riverside night-club between the 1960's and 1980's, before it sank in 2010. Work on raising and restoring it commenced in 2015 at a cost of £4.7 million pounds. The restoration has now been completed and this week LCT-7074 was delivered to the D-Day museum at Southsea near Portsmouth, with viewing possible from October.

There is some form of WWII LCT Landing craft under the water in Poole harbour, visible when sailing on the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg, France, it was abandoned and above water for many years until it sank about fifteen years ago, at night it is marked with red warning lamps on poles in the water.  

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020.

 

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General Apathy

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More about LCT's this time the concrete training ones . . . . . . . .

 

In 1943 the US Army established the US Assault Training Centre at Braunton Burrows on the North Devon coast away from the prying eyes of German aircraft . . . . .  This area was used from 1943 up until the actual invasion of 1944.

 

If the link doesn't go live when posted please ' copy-cut-paste ' into a browser.     https://www.normandywarguide.com/.  

 

Several concrete pads and doorways were constructed to the measurements of LCT's the sides were originally fenced in with corrugated steel panels

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020.

 

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General Apathy

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What did you do in the war dad . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

before we leave behind talk and mention of the invasion, then I would to relate that my father was in a reserved occupation during WWII, he worked on the design, build and operation of the Pluto pipeline, everyone did their bit for the war effort . . . . . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020.

 

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Johan Willaert

I will be putting one of the tombstone black out light brackets on the GPW after restoration... being an August 42 production, it would have had one retrofitted since not yet mounted from the factory.

the bracket I have is not F marked and has a Guide marked lamp unit and plain head mounting bolts.

 

In the spare parts bin I have an F marked second type factory style bracket with Hall Lamp made bucket and Ford marked light unit with F marked mounting bolts, and a plain unmarked bracket with Corcoran Brown marked light and EC marked mounting bolts which would have been fitted to Willys MB models

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Johan Willaert
7 hours ago, General Apathy said:

 

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I dont understand why people remain so vague in their selling ads... For a jeep like this, priced as it is, I would expect info on the details that matter such as original frame tag or not, photo of the dataplates, body number, engine number, photo and details of gauges, does it have early seats, etc, etc...

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Johan Willaert
1 hour ago, General Apathy said:

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More about LCT's this time the concrete training ones . . . . . . . .

 

In 1943 the US Army established the US Assault Training Centre at Braunton Burrows on the North Devon coast away from the prying eyes of German aircraft . . . . .  This area was used from 1943 up until the actual invasion of 1944.


Richard T Bass has authored some great books on the Assault Center..

 

titled Spirits of the Sand, it is available from amazon..

 

or check this out

 

https://assaulttrainingcenterfriends.co.uk/what-we-do

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General Apathy
8 minutes ago, Johan Willaert said:


I dont understand why people remain so vague in their selling ads... For a jeep like this, priced as it is, I would expect info on the details that matter such as original frame tag or not, photo of the dataplates, body number, engine number, photo and details of gauges, does it have early seats, etc, etc...

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Hi Johan,  the current owner / seller Doug on the isle of Jersey is not that knowledgeable  or concerned on all the small intricacies of the various models, he could afford a decent Jeep so he bought this one, it has a few set-backs it is now 12 volt I believe, a postwar water pump, and a later manifold with take-off plugs, but nothing insurmountable, it has many good features correct non-split rims, early flat air filter and many other good points, the others can be dealt with.  

 

But it's not mine any longer and it's not really up to me to highlight all the good and possibly poorer details, If I were in need of another Jeep I would buy it back, in fact if were already French registered I would . . . . . . . . . . .:lol: 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 24  2020.

 

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Ken,

 

You should buy the jeep back anyway! You can fix her up as she should be!

 

I really love the jeep and other vehicle posts. But the LCT restoration is amazing! 

 

That is wonderful what your Dad did during the war. There were so many different important things done during the war. 

 

...Kat

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General Apathy
On 8/24/2020 at 10:12 PM, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

You should buy the jeep back anyway! You can fix her up as she should be!

 

I really love the jeep and other vehicle posts. But the LCT restoration is amazing! 

 

That is wonderful what your Dad did during the war. There were so many different important things done during the war. 

 

...Kat

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Hi Kat,  pleased to say that the Slat grille is a step closer to me again, a local friend has bought it and it will be living about twenty miles of so from my house.  I look forward to seeing it again, the new owner has bought it on my suggestion that it is in nice condition and suitable for a first jeep ownership. While it was on the Isle of Jersey it was converted to 12 volts, I will wait to see if Bernie will leave it at 12 volts or want to restore back to the original 6 volts, I will offer assistance whatever he decides. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 27  2020.

 

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General Apathy

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Then and now of a different sort . . . . . . . . . 

 

Tuesday I called into the museum at Deadman's Corner, Manu the co-owner showed me around the museum to see the latest arrivals. More and more uniforms and equipment have been donated from the children or families of wartime Normandy servicemen, all very interesting.

 

Normally my Then & Now shots show the same buildings or locations 75 years apart, these two photos show a restaurant building that was prominent in wartime photos of Carentan and demolished at wars end for road-widening, and the copy of the same building constructed within the Deadman's corner museum.  

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 27  2020.

 

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35 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

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Then and now of a different sort . . . . . . . . . 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 27  2020.

 

 

Ken,

 

This is a great then and now shot. Amazing that they reconstructed this in the museum. That looks like a museum you could spend hours walking around!

 

Also, it is great your friend bought the jeep! Take a picture when you get to ride in it!

 

...Kat

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6 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Then and now of a different sort . . . . . . . . . 

 

Tuesday I called into the museum at Deadman's Corner, Manu the co-owner showed me around the museum to see the latest arrivals. More and more uniforms and equipment have been donated from the children or families of wartime Normandy servicemen, all very interesting.

 

Normally my Then & Now shots show the same buildings or locations 75 years apart, these two photos show a restaurant building that was prominent in wartime photos of Carentan and demolished at wars end for road-widening, and the copy of the same building constructed within the Deadman's corner museum.  

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 27  2020.

 

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Reminds me of The Venetian Casino in Vegas.  Being outside while inside.  It can get a bit disorienting wandering around there for a while.  But then Vegas does that to a person.  

 

Mikie

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General Apathy
On 8/27/2020 at 4:27 PM, cutiger83 said:

 

Ken,

 

This is a great then and now shot. Amazing that they reconstructed this in the museum. That looks like a museum you could spend hours walking around!

 

Also, it is great your friend bought the jeep! Take a picture when you get to ride in it!

 

...Kat

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Hi Kat,  thanks it is a must see museum see if visiting Normandy . . . . . 

 

In the shot below notice the two British Marine Commandos with green beret, representing part of the British 30 Commando Assault Unit the brainchild of Commander Ian Flemming ( some of their exploits and deeds he used in his Bond books ), they were often at the front or in-front of attacks to find German headquarters buildings blow open safes and capture maps, codes, and designs for impending German secret weapons.  They were first into Cherbourg with US forces, their brief to capture information and intelligence before it could be destroyed. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._30_Commando

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 28  2020.

 

 

 

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General Apathy

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Todays UK radio . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

The output on BBC radio 2 today is totally ' DIRE ', so for the last four hours whilst working on my computer I have been playing the back catalog of Led Zeppelin tunes through Youtube, just reached ' Kashmir ' and still blown away with it even after so many years . . . . . . . . . .  :love:

 

Emailed my daughter earlier with one of our favourite songs with the message ' love you, always ' 

 

Bob, Carak, Carmen and Stryder the dog, at the Bron-y-aur farm near Machynlleth, North Wales, the dog was such a calm creature.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 28  2020.

 

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General Apathy

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More of the memory shoebox was opened up this week . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Earlier this week a friend was passing nearby an old country pub close to the WWII American airbase at Molesworth, he stopped to grab a shot of the pub ( poor overcast rainy day ).  

 

The same pub back in 1944 with American servicemen from the airbase.

 

A reconstruction of the wartime shot featuring friends and myself taken in 1990.

 

On the day that we visited in 1990 the landlord and his wife were very kind and helpful in our setting up of the scene, we carried a table outdoors, and dressed the table as seen in the wartime shot, an ash tray ( note both ashtrays have the same writing on the side ) a vase of flowers, a circular serving tray etc. The Landlady went and changed her dress to a darker one similar in shade to the wartime Landlady, the Landlord served us our beers.  

 

Note on the wartime shot that to the side of the Landlady's head there is an electric bell-push, in 1990 the same bell-push was still there but painted  completely over, wish we had taken two folding deck-chairs to complete the scene. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, August 28  2020.

 

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