Norman D. Landing

[Johan Willaert]

1 hour ago, General Apathy said:

well done another piece of history being kept for future generations . . . . . a very unusual trailer. 

 

Thx Ken... still a few details to finish... We're waiting for some new inner tubes and flaps to mount WW2 style Good Year tires on Split (combat) rims and once I get the right rivets I need to attach these newly made dataplates... (the old ones were long gone)
Excellent quality from Robert de Ruijter in Holland ( dataplates4u.com )

 

 

[cutiger83]

3 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

Another project nearly finished...
Yesterday we took the Converto Dump Trailer for a testride after a full nut&bolt restoration which took a couple of months.

 

These trailers were mainly used by Aviation Engineer units for the construction of airfields and landing grounds.
The nomenclature of this type of trailer includes the term 'AIRBORNE' although it is not indicative of general use by paratroops.
However there is a photo which shows this type in use by the 101st AB Division's 326th Engineer Battalion during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

 

With minor variations there were several contracts of these made in 1943 and 1944, the main difference being the early (1943) models have no rear lights while the later models do...

 

I agree with Ken. Very nice restoration!

 

...Kat

[cutiger83]

2 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Another Then & Now . . . . . . 

 

Take note that there is an American half-track in front of the damaged building. 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 26  2022.

 

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Great then and now picture. It really shows the devastation from bombings. That train track is really blown up!

 

...Kat

[Escht]

3 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Another Then & Now . . . . . . 

 

Take note that there is an American half-track in front of the damaged building. 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 26  2022.

 

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Is that a Whites Scout Car with a halftrack behind it, that's what I'm seeing. Definately looks like 2 vehicles back to back with the furthest one having a taller back than the nearest .

[Escht]

[mikie]

It's amazing for me to see what good eyes all you folks have. 

Mikie 

[earlymb]

Front one is a halftrack (straight top of rear fender), rear one is a wheeled truck but not a Scout Car I think?

[Powerhouse]

Hello,

If I'm right, those vehicles were from the 2nd armored division. I'm not sure that scout cars were still used in normandy by the division. The division was totally refitted with new equipments at his arrival in Tidworth at the end of 1943. I think that scout cars were replaced by M8.

 

[General Apathy]

17 hours ago, Escht said:

Is that a Whites Scout Car with a halftrack behind it, that's what I'm seeing. Definately looks like 2 vehicles back to back with the furthest one having a taller back than the nearest .

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Hi Kevin,  no they were all half-tracks looking at other images I have from the set that was shot that day.  Unfortunately for the two following images I couldn't get into the same spot to capture it more closely as a wall had been built post war that would have obscured the front of the building on the left.  Post war the frontage was converted to a garage door, I will add these photos and leave everyone to pick over them.  

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 27  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

On 1/23/2022 at 1:54 AM, mikie said:

Out in my little half-garage and decided to take a pic of my footlocker/shoebox for you. Nothing terribly exciting compared to the collections many of you probably have. But with a small budget and even smaller display/storage area, this is about half by volume of my war stuff, not counting books. Enjoy! 

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Hi Mikie,

 

Thanks for a look into your ' Shoebox ', it looks like you have plastic storage boxes as well with ' stuff ' in there . . . . . . . .

 

I think I may well have bought one of those battery operated tanks some years ago, reminds me to check whether I took the batteries out of it hopefully . . .. . 

 

Well happy days collecting, from myself and fellow forum friends.  

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 27  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

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Friends find today . . . . . .

 

A local friend found one of these ' Trico ' windscreen wiper motors in one of his fields today and unable to identify it sent me the photos asking me what it was he had found.  They were used on US military vehicles in WWII, as they were vacuum operated they worked ok on flat roads but often stalled when driving up grades and inclines . . . . . . . . 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 27  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

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Lunch today . . . . . . . . 

 

Nine of use went out for lunch today, six in a friends half-ton Carryall and three in the Jeep we have rebuilt over the past year, I forgot to take any photos so the Jeep is one I took last week, and a generic shot of a half-ton Carryall.  After lunch at the Victory museum restaurant we had a run along the Utah coast and into Ste Mere Eglise for an afternoon coffee. 

 

The Jeep still needs a wing light, a shovel and axe and canvas seat cushions . . . . . . . . .

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 27  2022.

 

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[cutiger83]

4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Lunch today . . . . . . . . 

 

Nine of use went out for lunch today, six in a friends half-ton Carryall and three in the Jeep we have rebuilt over the past year, I forgot to take any photos so the Jeep is one I took last week, and a generic shot of a half-ton Carryall.  After lunch at the Victory museum restaurant we had a run along the Utah coast and into Ste Mere Eglise for an afternoon coffee. 

 

The Jeep still needs a wing light, a shovel and axe and canvas seat cushions . . . . . . . . .

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 27  2022.

 

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I live vicariously thru your posts! I am so jealous you drive to lunch in jeeps!!!

 

...Kat

 

[mikie]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:11 AM, General Apathy said:

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Another Then & Now . . . . . . 

 

Take note that there is an American half-track in front of the damaged building. 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 26  2022.

 

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Interesting that the track is curved and bent like that.

[mikie]

5 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Hi Kevin,  no they were all half-tracks looking at other images I have from the set that was shot that day.  Unfortunately for the two following images I couldn't get into the same spot to capture it more closely as a wall had been built post war that would have obscured the front of the building on the left.  Post war the frontage was converted to a garage door, I will add these photos and leave everyone to pick over them.  

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 27  2022.

 

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Anyone have info on those motorcycles?  And what is on the front fenders? 

Mikie

[earlymb]

7 hours ago, mikie said:

Anyone have info on those motorcycles?  And what is on the front fenders? 

Mikie

 

Johan is warming up his fingers to type a detailed reply as we speak :)))

[mikie]

5 hours ago, earlymb said:

 

Johan is warming up his fingers to type a detailed reply as we speak :)))

Ha!!  And he would be most welcome as far as I'm concerned.  In pictures, I'm used to seeing the bikes from a side angle. Seeing them  front-on is a bit different. And I've only seen them much in museum displays where they haven't been shown with much regard to getting a good look at them.  

 

Mikie 

[mikie]

And now for something completely different... I have my car radio tuned to a local college station that plays an amazing variety of different music.  When I turned on the car this morning, this song was coming out of my speakers:

It's about the passage of the Selective Service Act of 1940 that restarted the draft here in the states.  The song gives me the feeling it was't the most loved thing FDR did at the time, but it's scary to think of what the war would have been like without it.  

Here are they lyrics:

 

It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining
bright,
They passed the conscription bill,
And the people they did say for many miles away
'Was the president and his boys on Capitol Hill.

Cho: Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt.
We damn near believed what he said,
He said "I hate war, and so does Eleanor
But we won't be safe 'till everybody's dead."

When my poor old mother died, I was sitting by her side
A-promising to war I'd never go,
But now I'm wearing khaki jeans and eating army beans

And I'm told that JP Morgan loves me so.

I have wandered over this land, a roaming working man,
No clothes to wear and not much food to eat,
But now the government foots the bill,
gives me clothes and feeds me swill,
Gets me shot and puts me underground six feet.

Why, nothing can be wrong if it makes our country strong.
We gotta get tough to save democracy,
And though it may mean war we must defend Singapore,
This don't hurt you half as much as it hurts me.

 

[Johan Willaert]

MC in the photos are Harley Davidson model 42WLA

 

ALL info about them is on my website: http://www.theliberator.be

 

here’s mine

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

On 1/28/2022 at 4:41 AM, mikie said:

Anyone have info on those motorcycles?  And what is on the front fenders? 

Mikie

 

On the right side of the fender is a bracket to hold a scabbard for the rider's weapon... either a rifle or submachinegun
Different models from my collection

 

[Johan Willaert]

And on the left side of the MC is a bracket with an ammunition box

 

More info near the bottom of this page of my website: http://www.theliberator.be/liberator2.htm

 

 

 

[General Apathy]

On 1/28/2022 at 4:41 AM, mikie said:

Anyone have info on those motorcycles?  And what is on the front fenders? 

Mikie

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Hi Johan,

 

Mikie might well be asking what are the painted markings on the front fenders of the Harleys . . . . . .

 

Otherwise some nice images of Harleys and accoutrements . . . . . . . . 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

On 1/28/2022 at 4:27 AM, cutiger83 said:

I live vicariously thru your posts! I am so jealous you drive to lunch in jeeps!!!

 

...Kat

 

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Hi Kat.

 

Thank you, always been pleased that you enjoy the thread and its contents . . . . . spent a good part of my life in Jeeps

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

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My tenuous and convoluted connection to forum friend ' Mikie '  . . . . .  Six degrees of separation .

 

Swopping emails with a friend in London about when we first met through military vehicles in the mid 70's he made mention of his brother Donald who was in a re-enactment group re-enacting the British civil war ' The Sealed Knot ' ( often nick-named the Congealed-Snot ).

During the exchanges the name of Phil Stern an American photographer was mentioned.  

 

" That was before my time in MVs and during Donald's time with the Sealed Knot. Philip Stern was his C/O and Brigadier Peter Young was the Main Man.  Donald was a Pikeman and his unit used to do pike drill in Philip's flat - it had a high ceiling !   Super place, in Curzon Place - now called Curzon Square - just behind the London Hilton, off Park Lane.  Interesting days ! "

 

 

Hi Finlay,  funny you should raise the name of Philip Stern, he came on the first Normandy military vehicle trip in 74 and travelled in Pete’s Dodge command car at the head of the convoy and my Jeep was the second vehicle. Stern took many photographs looking backwards along the large convoy from the Dodge and many of them were of my Jeep, he wrote an article in a 1974 issue of the ‘ KNAVE ‘ porn magazine I think including three or four shots of my Jeep, ( my mother was quite tickled pink with photos of her son in a porn mag. )

 

Further connection,  I own a copy of Jeeps & Jests signed by the commanding officer Major General Russell Hartle, one of his aide d’Camps was General William O Darby, Major General Hartle put Darby forward to train a new elite force of  ‘ Rangers ‘ based on the British Commando’s who they trained with.  During WWII Stern served with ' Darby's Rangers ' and is credited with many of the photographs taken of the Rangers during WWII.

 

The next connection whilst looking at photo's of General William Darby I noted he was wearing a braided leather lanyard possibly connected to a whistle during this training period of the Rangers.  I have never seen such a braided leather lanyard in other US photos but recall mention of one in a 1942 supply catalog featuring equipment that could be purchased by service personnel.  Below this mention of a braided lanyard are photos of two camp moccasins and Mikie had previously shown a photograph of his father wearing a pair of Moccasins during bayonet training in the States. 

 

a mild amusement for me and hopefully Mikie, that old saying of everyone in the world is within six degrees of separation . . . . . . . .

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30  2022.

 

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[Johan Willaert]

2 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Hi Johan,

 

Mikie might well be asking what are the painted markings on the front fenders of the Harleys . . . . . .

 

Otherwise some nice images of Harleys and accoutrements . . . . . . . . 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30  2022.

 

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oh, those would be POM markings

 

https://www.med-dept.com/pom/about.php