disneydave Posted March 28, 2009 Share #551 Posted March 28, 2009 That's too funny Ken. Maybe one day the farmer down the road will invite you into his barn and tell you all the war stuff his grandfather picked-up off the battlefields and stored inside the wooden structure is now yours! Love reading your stories...carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 28, 2009 Share #552 Posted March 28, 2009 Ken, Do you think you have scratched the surface where you are?.And do you think you will head "south"?.. can't believe how time has flown since you signed my/your book...Your doing sterling work as Normandy "warco" .. Regards, Dave.. Hi Dave, if only you knew about over here it's like the SOE are still operating an underground, the stuff that is still around and hidden away ????? As for moving ' south' as you put it, I am south, south from England And that answers the other part of your question 'Time Flies ' that's why I moved here and did all this. Attached above is a photograph of my friends vehicle, it was Warwick's and we did several trips to the Continental battlefields in it during the mid to late 70's. Take a look at three post's below this one, to see Warwick's vehicle which he sadly sold some years ago it has just been found and recovered for rebuild by a military vehicle member of the Military Vehicle Trust. There are five people in the photo and two of them are now 'Brown Bread for English readers' ( dead for U.S. readers). Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 28 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 28, 2009 Share #553 Posted March 28, 2009 Hi Forum Readers, in the post above I made mention of the English club of Military Vehicle Enthusiasts the MVT as it is now called ( Military Vehicle Trust ), however when it was started by our founder Peter Gray in the early 1970's it was called the Military Vehicle Conservation Group ( MVCG 39-45 ). Well yesterday was our founders 81st birthday, he lived in the English Channel Islands off the coast of France during the war and at 16 was imprisoned for writing anti nazi slogans on walls, and was released when the islands were retaken. He started the group in England and led the first 200 vehicle trip to the beaches of Normandy in 1974, which was a huge success and reported worldwide. Many of the local inhabitants who remembered the 1944 events lined the streets in unbelievable numbers, you would see lines of them in roads without houses, they had travelled miles to come and see this convoy, they stood with flowers and wine and champagne and tears in their eyes. Also in the late 70's Peter was sought out by an American singer who had seen some of these events on television while in England and wanted a wartime Jeep, Peter did a ground up rebuild for him, Roy Orbison. Peter had many vehicles and he had the first privately owned tank in England an M-10 which he took to shows. Peter now lives near St. Lo in France and owns forty miles of railway track and station and his own American army quartermaster steam locomotive from WWII. I will try sometime soon to get down there and take photographs. The photograph above is of Peter years ago when he hired out some of his vehicles and friends to a wartime film made in England mid 80's So it was Happy Birthday yesterday to Peter Gray. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 28 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 28, 2009 Share #554 Posted March 28, 2009 That's too funny Ken. Maybe one day the farmer down the road will invite you into his barn and tell you all the war stuff his grandfather picked-up off the battlefields and stored inside the wooden structure is now yours! Love reading your stories...carry on! Well Dave, what is not too funny is the story I am about to relate here. There was a farm down near St.Lo and a lot of fighting went on back and forth across this land. When it was all finally finished the farmer gathered up all the debris and abandoned items on the farm and put them in one of his barns in case he found any use for the stuff sometime in the future. Well the stuff has sat there for years and the farmer and his wife had a son, and sometimes there was lots of conversation over the years as the son grew about the contents of the barn and the events on the farm. The farmer eventually passed away last year and his wife finally took the opportunity to get the metal scrap men in to empty the barn, the son was devastated when he visited and found it all gone which his father had said was his. You would not believe what was in that barn in terms of munitions. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 28 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 28, 2009 Share #555 Posted March 28, 2009 Hi Forum Readers, shown here is the vehicle mentioned in post # 552 my friend Warwick's vehicle, sadly after he sold it it was used once in a television film and was then left to deteriorate in the film supply companies compound. It has now been found and purchased by a military vehicle enthusiast and is going to be rebuilt, which I am really pleased to hear, as it holds many memories for myself and other friends. I think we went three times in this vehicle to the battlefields of Europe. The first year Warwick owned it, it still had original tyres ( tires ) on it and Warwick being Warwick thought they looked o.k. they were holding air so why not. Anyway we set off for Dover to meet up with the vehicle convoy we were joining and on the way we had three tire deflation's and had to do puncture repairs to the inner tubes, appears the tire held up but the tubes were shot, maybe if he had just kept the tire and put new tubes in. Anyway it was all a laugh and experience and one of those events that has become folk lore amongst friends of Warwick. Now Warwick was not the only stupid person on this trip, there were two of us in the truck and we both held the title. When we got to the port I discovered I had left my passport behind and so we came up with the idea that I hide in the back of the truck and got covered by a load of our friends luggage and sleeping bags. this had to done four times onto the ferry off the ferry, back onto the ferry and back home in blighty, more folk lore. Back to the truck, Warwick had set it up inside with working cookers and kettles etc, and I was the short order cook and Warwick mine host and customer raiser, on the camp site we used to do a breakfast and a supper for other convoy members, and it paid for our trip. Well there are endless stories connected with this vehicle and with the trips and it could go on and on but I have to stop. A quick one was when a Dutch vehicle owner on the trip enquired about the ' breakfast special' normal he understood was bacon, egg and sausage, what was the special, Warwick said he could have it free if he ate it without looking inside the sandwich, bravado set in as there were a number of other customers stood around and he went for it. During the day when we had picked up the bacon and sausage from the butchers we got a large piece of bacon back fat and cut it into a thin tapered strip and rolled it to look like a rats tail. A chocolate Mars bar was battered about a bit and rounded off, the 'rat tail' bacon fat stuck into one end and left hanging out of the sandwich when it was handed to him and Warwick pronouncing ' Here you are mate Rat sandwich' , the look on his face and the laughter of the crowd was great at the time seeing this dangling tail. The B & W photo seen in post # 552, Marinus our Dutch friend in the leather jacket died two years ago, Warwick with his back to the camera died last April. It will be good to see this vehicle back at the shows again , Warwick always wondered what had happened to it. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 28 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtRGFRANK Posted March 28, 2009 Share #556 Posted March 28, 2009 Its a shame when vehicles are treated like that. Can't wait to see it restored. A few miles away a farmer has a WWII jeep he drives around the farm. I've tried to buy it but couldn't afford it and couldn't afford to restore it. I'm trying to talk his son's into restoring it. I think you have hit the TOP. Your friend has a RAILROAD AND US WWII LOCOMOTIVE!!!! . Thats going to be tough to beat. Unless you find Gen Patton driving by someday Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 29, 2009 Share #557 Posted March 29, 2009 Its a shame when vehicles are treated like that. Can't wait to see it restored. Robert Hi Robert, I take on board your comment above about letting vehicles deteriorate, well here are a few more vehicles in a similar condition. Pleased to say that these U.S. WWII vehicles should be arriving in England shortly for sale and possible rebuilds. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 29 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
possum Posted March 30, 2009 Share #558 Posted March 30, 2009 Hi Forum Readers, we are back into St Mere Eglise with this post and over the next few evenings several more. In post # 514 I showed photographs of the church and the suspended paratrooper John Steele, I gave directions to turn your back onto the church and proceed across the square to the green metal fence with evidence of bullet marks. The third building to the right of this fence is possibly one of the largest residences in the square, in 1944 it was owned by Dr. Monnier a veterinarian. The following text is a short appraisal of the events at this house during the evening of 5 - 6th June, it is reported that Dr. Monniers daughter was told that evening by by her college professor that it was to be the night of the invasion. Billeted within their house was a German officer named Werner upon hearing low flying aircraft overhead he went out into the rear garden to investigate, shortly a U.S. paratrooper descended into the garden and was captured by Werner. The story goes that this paratrooper told Werner and Monnier that the village was to be captured by following elements of his unit, upon hearing a growing amount of aircraft and seeing the amount of descending paratroopers Werner surrendered to the paratrooper. Today the house is owned by an Englishman who runs a D-Day paratrooper themed cafe in a building to the right of the main house called the C-47 cafe. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 22 2009. Hi Ken, Next time you drop in, say Hi to Elwood from the FAAA in England. If you mention that you know Lee Bowden (I know you do), sure you'll get a free cup of tea. Might even get to see Elwoods AMAZING collection (and his Ferrari!). Cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lerenfort Posted March 30, 2009 Share #559 Posted March 30, 2009 Hi Forum Readers, well this is getting interesting, here is the third identification of the materials I found in the bunker a few days ago. Regarding the German butter dish, then forum member ' Mag' sent me a private message with a link ( shown below ) in order to identify the manufacturer and composition of the material used for the dish. It's worth having a look even if you have no interest in German equipment, and who knows may be worth book marking for any further reference work. Sadly the identification number I have is ' 12' and on the site it appears that the manufacturers numbers start at 21, it states that this is as far as they have got to presently in identification of manufacturers. The down side for me is, out of all the compositions listed I have composition ' K' which really is taking the P*%". http://wikingsbajonetcollection.ooz.dk/Bakelit%20codes.php Thanks Mag for your help here on this butters dish, pleased that you came in on the post with your information. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 12 2009 Hello Ken, I also found this thread of interest; The article on German bakelite markings is originally from my website, which the Danish fellow has decided to use without permission. The original article in full is here: http://www.lerenfort.fsnet.co.uk/page20.html Read on. Best of luck in France. Nigel is keeping me honest on what you're digging up!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 30, 2009 Share #560 Posted March 30, 2009 Hello Ken, I also found this thread of interest; The article on German bakelite markings is originally from my website, which the Danish fellow has decided to use without permission. The original article in full is here: http://www.lerenfort.fsnet.co.uk/page20.html Read on. Best of luck in France. Nigel is keeping me honest on what you're digging up!! Hello Simon, thank you for your wishes regarding my life here in France, and I do recommend members here to visit your site, through your link here, first class information and photographs on there. My apologies that information from your site has appeared on here without your permission or credit to your website. http://www.lerenfort.fsnet.co.uk/ Nigel only made mention of yourself a couple of days ago, as I have little knowledge now of what's happening at the shows and such in England, not returning or visiting there too often. Regards Ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, March 30 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lerenfort Posted March 31, 2009 Share #561 Posted March 31, 2009 Hi Ken, Not your job to apologise, just wish that people would be polite enough to ask before passing it off as their own work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 1, 2009 Share #562 Posted April 1, 2009 Hi Forum Readers, just to save you time checking the posts without anything new having been added, it will be the weekend possibly the 7th April before I do, when I will be adding more ' then and now' photographs of this area. Cheers Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 1 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
517th Posted April 1, 2009 Share #563 Posted April 1, 2009 Look forward to it Lewis. Missing you already!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dentino Posted April 4, 2009 Share #564 Posted April 4, 2009 Cant wait to see your latest posts, Lewis! I have been suffering from the Normandy withdrawl!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
517th Posted April 13, 2009 Share #565 Posted April 13, 2009 Hey Lewis , where are you?? Missing you loads.......517th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbarrel Posted April 20, 2009 Share #566 Posted April 20, 2009 Hey Lewis , where are you?? Missing you loads.......517th Ditto... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 20, 2009 Share #567 Posted April 20, 2009 Hi Brian, 517th and gunbarrel, sorry to say I have had to drop out for a while, so many projects to finish in the next two weeks, before the 65th D-day anniversary and my family and friends turn up. Last week I was laying garden paths using a stash of Victorian paving blocks and edgings I brought over with me from England. This week I am laying sixty square metres of the living room, dining room and kitchen in oak planks. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 20 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 20, 2009 Share #568 Posted April 20, 2009 Hi Brian, 517th and gunbarrel, This week I am laying sixty square metres of the living room, dining room and kitchen in oak planks. Will post some more stuff when I have the flooring done. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 20 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 20, 2009 Share #569 Posted April 20, 2009 Hi Forum Readers, Just got this yesterday the 19th recovered from the beach at Utah it is possibly the inspection plate off a ships boiler, it still has grains of sand that have embedded their-selves onto the surface of the bronze, it's oddly bent and scarred showing signs that whatever it came from suffered battle damage. It looks just fine as it is uncleaned, on the toilet wall. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 20 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtRGFRANK Posted April 20, 2009 Share #570 Posted April 20, 2009 Glad to see you back. I was going ask what her name was but that would have been too personal. Looks like you were woking hard. A house is never done. I've been in mine since 1971 and I still working on it. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted April 20, 2009 Share #571 Posted April 20, 2009 Glad to see you back. I was going ask what her name was but that would have been too personal. Looks like you were working hard. A house is never done. I've been in mine since 1971 and I still working on it. Robert Hi Robert, thanks for the welcome back, architecture is another passion of mine and I am indulging myself in it now as I was always too busy working before. Now however I do all and everything I can ' your a long time dead '. Lost a very good friend eleven months ago, a couple more in the intervening period and another one last week I made friends with back in the 1960's, we used to go off-roading together in our wartime Jeeps, he was the vehicle wrangler on Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Take care all, Lewis. Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, April 20 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneydave Posted April 20, 2009 Share #572 Posted April 20, 2009 Good to see you are still in the land of the living my friend. If you need help, let me know. I can be on a flight tomorrow (as long as the pregnant wife lets me). I'm a great gardener. I see you have an axe in the living room...I'm good at swinging those too! hahaha. Love your new p/u. In the loo no less huh? ...eeeeewwwwwww! hahahahaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbarrel Posted April 21, 2009 Share #573 Posted April 21, 2009 Lewis, Good to hear from you. We understand...and we feel your (back) pain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Meatcan Posted April 21, 2009 Share #574 Posted April 21, 2009 Lewis, your paver walkway is looking very nice! Show us some more photos when its done Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted April 21, 2009 Share #575 Posted April 21, 2009 Welcome back. We have missed seeing your posts but understand that sometimes personal life has to take over from this collecting world. I too would like to see the finished product of your labors. I could not imagine how much it cost to ship all of those Victorian blocks from England. They look great....Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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