Jump to content

Norman D. Landing


bilko1
 Share

Recommended Posts

Johan Willaert
9 hours ago, Simon Lerenfort said:

Do you think the absence of the "warning left hand drive" notice on the Overloon jeep canvas might imply it was not driven in UK during the war and perhaps got shipped straight into the ETO or has it just worn off? How standard was the practice of using this notice?

 

Simon, the marking on the rear of left had drive vehicles was pretty standard in the British Isles, but was generally not found on vehicles which were shipped directly to France to be unloaded or assembled there.
In February 1943 the US Army in England issued orders for the marking ot be painted on all vehicles, see below

 

 

ETO-Circ15-VehicleMarkings-Feb1943.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/20/2021 at 12:05 PM, manayunkman said:

In late May 1944 my father was 15 and lived in The Hague, Netherlands.

 

One night he was caught after curfew with a radio tube in his pocket by the Nazi police.


The nazis suspected him of working for the underground.

 

They were actually making radios to listen to the BBC instead of the Nazi fake news.

 

Well they beat him up and an submerged him in the park duck pond in an attempt to drown him.

 

They left him for dead but he had been holding his breath and made it home.

 

His mother (father was in prison after his nazi brother snitched on him) realized that he had no place at home and since they already had trouble enough she sent him to an uncle who had property in the Son Best area and provided more secluded environment to hide.

 
On September 17, 1944 elements of the 501 PIR liberated him.

That is a remarkable story.  Especially so since it is so personal.  Your father must have been very brave.  And very lucky and must have had an angel looking over him. 

Mikie 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/22/2021 at 6:08 AM, General Apathy said:

.

Two Then & Now shots of the tank outside the Quineville museum . . . . . . . .

 

Here's a shot of the the tank when it first arrived maybe two years ago, rusty and original markings. Plus a shot of took of it again on the 19th of September. Some prefer the original look and maybe so as it has battle damage, others prefer the ' preservation ' coating of fresh paint 

 

.fullsizeoutput_d31f.jpeg.cd24c7aa8c8e9868603f22d83f5ee2b3.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_d210.jpeg.172b173ca7adec7168832f3a3fbe4805.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 22  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

 

I'm a bit split on this. But the history buff in me would prefer they had stabilized and preserved the actual condition rather than do the restoration as they did on this one. 

Mikie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Apathy
On 9/22/2021 at 8:21 PM, Johan Willaert said:

 

Simon, the marking on the rear of left had drive vehicles was pretty standard in the British Isles, but was generally not found on vehicles which were shipped directly to France to be unloaded or assembled there.
In February 1943 the US Army in England issued orders for the marking ot be painted on all vehicles, see below

 

 

ETO-Circ15-VehicleMarkings-Feb1943.jpg

.

Hi Johan,

 

Heres a further order dated August 1945 for changing vehicle registration numbers from blue to white, from photo evidence it would appear that a vast majority of vehicles had already had this done by post -D-Day and also increased the size of the numbers used. In fact I would think it was even rarer to see any vehicles still with the blue drab numbering by 1945.

 

.fullsizeoutput_d370.jpeg.6ae2242d32a55c6e086c78d43c53c4ea.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 24  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Apathy
On 9/22/2021 at 10:03 PM, mikie said:

Nice picture of the 2 of you.  Bon appetit!  

.

Hi Mikie,

 

Hahhaaaa Thanks,  I will let you know when we are next in the restaurant so you could join us . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 24  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Apathy
1 hour ago, mikie said:

I'm a bit split on this. But the history buff in me would prefer they had stabilized and preserved the actual condition rather than do the restoration as they did on this one. 

Mikie

.

Hi Mikie,

 

yes there is a split on this one ' to restore or not to restore ' , it's outdoor location now just a hundred yards from the sea would mean in it's unpainted condition it would have rusted far quicker with the sea salt in the atmosphere. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 24  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,

 

Hahhaaaa Thanks,  I will let you know when we are next in the restaurant so you could join us . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 24  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

If I could ever get over there, I would be honored to treat you to a meal. If it is the place you showed once before with the mountains of seafood, my dear wife would insist on joining us.  I love seafood, but she insane for crab, lobster, etc.  

Mikie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Apathy

.

Yesterdays Jeep work . . . . 

 

Yesterday I went over and did an afternoon helping on the Jeep body, the chassis, engine, brakes etc are all ready for the body to be finished, painted and lifted on.

Two of us spent about two hours working on the body yesterday, it's been stood for a while on the drivers side panels so that work can be done inside, underside, rear panels and bulkhead without keep flipping it around.  I was using an air operated needle gun these are extremely noisy beating the paint off the metal inside the Jeep. Peter was using standing discs and flattening off the exterior body panels, both of us using industrial ear defenders as the Jeep body work sounding like an echo chamber.  

So two hours after this crescendo of noise I decided to vacuum up the flaked paint particles everywhere, as I lifted the rear tool locker lid which had been laying open I found this little chappie hiding under the lid, resting on the Jeep rear quarter panel the vibrations and noise must have been horrendous.  I put him back outside in the garden, he had obviously come indoors to find some peaceful winter hibernation, instead he must have been shell-shocked 

 

.IMG_0401.jpg.0a98d59fc3dfcd82a383973cddcfc4af.jpg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 25  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Apathy
17 hours ago, mikie said:

If I could ever get over there, I would be honored to treat you to a meal. If it is the place you showed once before with the mountains of seafood, my dear wife would insist on joining us.  I love seafood, but she insane for crab, lobster, etc.  

Mikie

.

Hi Mikie,

 

I appreciate that you would like to join us ' Jeepsters ' for a meal if you were in the area, but being ' honoured ' is a pretty strong word to be using unnecessarily.  

 

This particular restaurant is not the seafood one that one is over on the sea front at Grandcamp Maisey some miles away. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 25  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/22/2021 at 9:08 AM, General Apathy said:

.

Two Then & Now shots of the tank outside the Quineville museum . . . . . . . .

 

Here's a shot of the the tank when it first arrived maybe two years ago, rusty and original markings. Plus a shot of took of it again on the 19th of September. Some prefer the original look and maybe so as it has battle damage, others prefer the ' preservation ' coating of fresh paint 

 

.fullsizeoutput_d31f.jpeg.cd24c7aa8c8e9868603f22d83f5ee2b3.jpeg

 

.fullsizeoutput_d210.jpeg.172b173ca7adec7168832f3a3fbe4805.jpeg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 22  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

 

Ken,

 

I love all of the jeep trivia about the jeep tops! I love the little things we learn in this thread. 

 

I am one who likes the restoration of this tank. To me, it is saving it from rusting away. I like the restoration. 

 

...Kat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/22/2021 at 3:09 PM, Johan Willaert said:

Ken and I the other day in our favorite Normandy Diner....

 

 

Ken&Johan-A10Canteen-18Sep2021 (1).JPG

Great picture of the two of you! Looks like you had fun.

 

...Kat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Yesterdays Jeep work . . . . 

 

Yesterday I went over and did an afternoon helping on the Jeep body, the chassis, engine, brakes etc are all ready for the body to be finished, painted and lifted on.

Two of us spent about two hours working on the body yesterday, it's been stood for a while on the drivers side panels so that work can be done inside, underside, rear panels and bulkhead without keep flipping it around.  I was using an air operated needle gun these are extremely noisy beating the paint off the metal inside the Jeep. Peter was using standing discs and flattening off the exterior body panels, both of us using industrial ear defenders as the Jeep body work sounding like an echo chamber.  

So two hours after this crescendo of noise I decided to vacuum up the flaked paint particles everywhere, as I lifted the rear tool locker lid which had been laying open I found this little chappie hiding under the lid, resting on the Jeep rear quarter panel the vibrations and noise must have been horrendous.  I put him back outside in the garden, he had obviously come indoors to find some peaceful winter hibernation, instead he must have been shell-shocked 

 

.IMG_0401.jpg.0a98d59fc3dfcd82a383973cddcfc4af.jpg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 25  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Ken,

 

Glad you saved the frog! Yesterday, I was helping a friend dig up her mailbox post that was hit by a drunk driver. As we were digging she all of the sudden said, hold on while I rescue that worm.  The things we do for God's creatures.

 

...Kat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Yesterdays Jeep work . . . . 

 

Yesterday I went over and did an afternoon helping on the Jeep body, the chassis, engine, brakes etc are all ready for the body to be finished, painted and lifted on.

Two of us spent about two hours working on the body yesterday, it's been stood for a while on the drivers side panels so that work can be done inside, underside, rear panels and bulkhead without keep flipping it around.  I was using an air operated needle gun these are extremely noisy beating the paint off the metal inside the Jeep. Peter was using standing discs and flattening off the exterior body panels, both of us using industrial ear defenders as the Jeep body work sounding like an echo chamber.  

So two hours after this crescendo of noise I decided to vacuum up the flaked paint particles everywhere, as I lifted the rear tool locker lid which had been laying open I found this little chappie hiding under the lid, resting on the Jeep rear quarter panel the vibrations and noise must have been horrendous.  I put him back outside in the garden, he had obviously come indoors to find some peaceful winter hibernation, instead he must have been shell-shocked 

 

.IMG_0401.jpg.0a98d59fc3dfcd82a383973cddcfc4af.jpg

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 25  2021.

 

" Life's too short for reproductions "

 

"  Life is like a tank of gas, the closer you get to a quarter tank, the faster it goes "

 

.

 

Maybe he is a heavy metal fan and thought he was at a concert. 

Mikie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

Glad you saved the frog! Yesterday, I was helping a friend dig up her mailbox post that was hit by a drunk driver. As we were digging she all of the sudden said, hold on while I rescue that worm.  The things we do for God's creatures.

 

...Kat

Ha! Lucky worm! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johan Willaert
On 9/24/2021 at 8:13 AM, General Apathy said:

Heres a further order dated August 1945 for changing vehicle registration numbers from blue to white, from photo evidence it would appear that a vast majority of vehicles had already had this done by post -D-Day and also increased the size of the numbers used. In fact I would think it was even rarer to see any vehicles still with the blue drab numbering by 1945.

 

 

In fact it wasnt at all rare to see vehicles with blue drab hood numbers coming off the assembly line in the US based factories in the Summer of 1945!
Blue drab US Army registration numbers were applied at the factory throughout WW2 and only changed to white at the end of near the very end of the war.

Prior to massive vehicle production starting in 1942, US Army vehicles were registered with hood numbers applied in white paint on the sides and back of the vehicle.
The 1942 Army Regulations (AR)850-5 changed this to smaller numbers applied in lusterless blue drab paint to make the numbers less conspicious and from then on (and even the contracts that just proceeded the issue of the AR) vehicles were painted in flat olive drab color with blue drab numbers.
This was continued until the end of production (or cancelling of remaining orders) near the end of the war in the Summer of 1945.

 

For some reason ( to date I have not yet found officially WHY), in Europe in 1943, the US Army issued an order for all USA registration numbers to be (over)painted in white. This was confirmed in early 1944 as shown on two official documents from HQ ETOUSA ( Headquarters European Theater of Operations US Army) attached below.
One can only assume this was done to make identification of vehicles by Military Police and others easier, and as stars with yellow or white circles were also introduced the 'camouflage' aspect of the blue drab numbers was no longer required.
Painting of white numbers was done over the blue drab numbers, or after a repaint of the hood (bonnet) or entire vehicle. Period photos show both variations.

The February 1945 edition of AR850-5 precribed white hood numbers to be applied by the manufacturer, but orders/contracts already issued seem to have kept to blue drab and white hood numbers appear from the factory on post WW2 manufactured vehicles only. The well known photo of a 1945 Willys MB with hard top in the Willys factory was taken in December 1945, hence the white markings.
What remained were the thousands of vehicles in the field on which the hood numbers had not yet been repainted (especially in the PTO (Pacific Theater of Operations) and therefore the order you show above was issued stating all numbers had to be re-applied in white by August 15th, 1945!

So basically, a vehicle with white numbers during WW2 has had its numbers repainted in depot or the field.... 

 

Below the 1943 and 1944 orders issued in Europe regarding white hood numbers

 

 

ETO-Circ27-VehicleMarkings-Mar1943.jpg

 

1944-IKEOrder-USARegNumber (3).jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

A friend's all original non-restored 1945 Willys MB showing its original factory applied blue drab hood number

 

 

 

MB435101 (17).jpg

Nice one. It could be the lighting in the picture (or my ignorance or eyes) but the hood and fenders look darker than the rest of the vehicle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

My August 1942 Ford GPW with blue drab hood number in the font (style) it would have been applied in the Dallas, Texas Ford factory

 

 

04-Rit-GPW56685-12Sep21 (10).JPG

More jeep trivia AND pictures of your restored jeep and an original un-restored jeep. I love it!!!

 

...Kat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johan Willaert
18 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

Nice one. It could be the lighting in the picture (or my ignorance or eyes) but the hood and fenders look darker than the rest of the vehicle.


The horizontal surfaces of the jeep (hood/bonnet & fenders) have seen a lot more exposure to the elements than the other (vertical) parts such as the body sides etc… hence the difference in wear and finish

Plus occasionally it gets a protective and preservation coating…

This Willys MB was imported from the US roughly two years ago and has never been apart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...