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Norman D. Landing


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12 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken and Johan,

 

I have a question for my vehicle friends.  I love to read books especially reference books. Every since y'all posted the pictures of the long caravan of military vehicles, I have become very interested in learning more about them.  Especially the one that was the fully restored repair shop.  Is there a reference book showing pictures of the various vehicles used in WWII?

 

Thanks a bunch, Kat

Hi Kat, if you want a period correct reference book this may be something to keep a look out for. It lists everything from tanks, half tracks, trucks, tractors to trailers.SAM_2248.JPG.fdce19f34a231d6d8cb4472cc06496bf.JPGSAM_2250.JPG.2a912ed02a0d0bac17d42599478e43ae.JPG

 

 

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General Apathy
12 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken and Johan,

 

I have a question for my vehicle friends.  I love to read books especially reference books. Every since y'all posted the pictures of the long caravan of military vehicles, I have become very interested in learning more about them.  Especially the one that was the fully restored repair shop.  Is there a reference book showing pictures of the various vehicles used in WWII?

 

Thanks a bunch, Kat

.

Hi Kat.  earlymb has made some vehicle book suggestions for you, here's an encyclopaedic book on US vehicles I bought when it came out in 1983, 470 pages and the list of vehicles shown in photo two, the little 1917 scooter in photo three looks similar to today's examples, bottom of the left page in photo four it's possible to see that trials were made with plywood bodied Jeep, until plywood became as critical material as steel .

 

.fullsizeoutput_143ac.jpeg.2732ae0c1540f102065bfd45dc55a3a9.jpeg

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

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General Apathy
4 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

Is that the gatekeeper of your shoebox on transport to the next auction?

.

Hi Rene,

 

If you're in need of a gate-keeper let me suggest the wife of a local friend here . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

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General Apathy
11 hours ago, mikie said:

We've gotta wait all the way till tomorrow?

 

Auctioning that should free up a little space in your shoebox.

 

Mikie

.

Hi Mikie,

 

it had been a long day yesterday and I think it sometime past midnight, so . . . . 

 

Yesterday afternoon a guy turned up at a local friends to buy a pair of artillery wheels off him, l he had found them in his village, the village scrap-dealer had them on his truck, my friend took a wild risk and bought them for a bit of fun displayed in the garden. He put them on an

Artillery website asking if anyone recognised them, turns out they were Russian, possibly captured along with the gun and shipped to Normandy for defence of the coast. Anyway this guy was touring round Normandy hoovering up all the things that he had bought on-line.

In his van he had a complete British Vickers with tripod and mount, a lovely condition Lewis gun, a bloody large bolt action anti-tank rifle and various other artillery and weaponry related pieces. Although not a British artillery piece he had on the trailer note the tyres were WD 

marked, it had several cuts making it unfire-able.

 

.IMG_2711.jpg.f47c78eb2983eba45bcf51956d5dd363.jpg 

 

IMG_2713.jpg.4ee2676496a744d49e15de4c48644a20.jpg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

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On 8/29/2022 at 3:46 AM, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Peter,

 

Well yes I do still eat but I am back on a fitness regime, unthinkingly I dropped my cycling routine during the last two years of Covid lockdown and the muscle tone slacked off so it's reduced rations and violent cycling to recover what level of fitness and mental attitude I would like to have again.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 29  2022.

 

...

I guess I should have asked if you bought any of it.

 

These Normandy finds should be worth their weight in gold.

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On 8/29/2022 at 2:28 PM, General Apathy said:

.

One story brings another . . . . . .

 

Sharing the above details on the concrete hard-standing for tanks practising river crossings brought forth the following story from a friend in London . . . . 

 

Yes Ken, that is different and fascinating....   There are concrete 'pads' and similar concrete constructions all over the place which go unnoticed and unappreciated unless pointed out to the next generation..

 

As a child in post-war Oxford I was regularly taken for walks along the riverside below our house.  There was a concrete slope down into the water which was used for launching boats.  What people don't know is that it was built during the war to test the Nuffield amphibious vehicles.  (see attached - a Tank Track runs parallel to Donnington Bridge Road and is wrongly marked Meadow Lane and is all original except at the right end it now curves upwards - to the north. Originally it was straight on to meet Donnington Bridge Road at the junction with Meadow Lane).  My elder sisters were given a ride in one of the test vehicles at some time from here, then down stream to Iffley lock and back.  They remembered it as a tank, because it had tracks but it transpired that it had a tailgate so was most probably a Nuffield Neptune, later tested on Blenheim Palace lake, 9 miles up the road..   Why was I born so late ?

 

.fullsizeoutput_14372.jpeg.8f7e813d939801f2e55a596026995fe1.jpeg

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 29  2022.

 

...

 


 

I had no idea what a Nuffield Neptune is, so hit good old Google for a quick search. It's only 8:24 AM and I already learned my new thing for the day.  Can I go back to bed now?  Not much there, but did find these photos of one being tested.  I don't know what the other vehicle is but it's noted as being tested on Blenheim Lake so included it here.  Enjoy!

Mikie  

Blenheim lake Test.jpg

Neptune_craft_The_estate_s_relative_-a-38_1588686911506.jpg

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53 minutes ago, Dogsbody said:

Hi Kat, if you want a period correct reference book this may be something to keep a look out for. It lists everything from tanks, half tracks, trucks, tractors to trailers.SAM_2248.JPG.fdce19f34a231d6d8cb4472cc06496bf.JPGSAM_2250.JPG.2a912ed02a0d0bac17d42599478e43ae.JPG

 

 

This looks very interesting! I will definitely keep an eye out for this one. 

 

..Kat

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5 hours ago, earlymb said:

 

Actually, there are many, going in many directions. There are a large number of books that show pictures taken during events like the ones posted by Ken and Johan that come with some text that tell what the vehicles are and sometimes some general history of the type, other books list almost every single vehicle with info and a few photos like an encyclopedia (like 'Historic Military Vehicle Directory' by Bart Vanderveen) and there are many books that specialize on the history and development of a single vehicle.

 

Here are some examples. I think the 'general' books would be a good place to start:

 

20220831_112616.jpg.55150f977a5b508f7dedd3a3de8713e1.jpg

 

54 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Kat.  earlymb has made some vehicle book suggestions for you, here's an encyclopaedic book on US vehicles I bought when it came out in 1983, 470 pages and the list of vehicles shown in photo two, the little 1917 scooter in photo three looks similar to today's examples, bottom of the left page in photo four it's possible to see that trials were made with plywood bodied Jeep, until plywood became as critical material as steel .

 

.fullsizeoutput_143ac.jpeg.2732ae0c1540f102065bfd45dc55a3a9.jpeg

 

fullsizeoutput_143af.jpeg.7379c54ba7debc013f3caa03edec0aa4.jpeg

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

Thanks to both of you for these great suggestions.  I am heading to a used book store this weekend! 

 

I really appreciate your help...Kat

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44 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,

 

it had been a long day yesterday and I think it sometime past midnight, so . . . . 

 

Yesterday afternoon a guy turned up at a local friends to buy a pair of artillery wheels off him, l he had found them in his village, the village scrap-dealer had them on his truck, my friend took a wild risk and bought them for a bit of fun displayed in the garden. He put them on an

Artillery website asking if anyone recognised them, turns out they were Russian, possibly captured along with the gun and shipped to Normandy for defence of the coast. Anyway this guy was touring round Normandy hoovering up all the things that he had bought on-line.

In his van he had a complete British Vickers with tripod and mount, a lovely condition Lewis gun, a bloody large bolt action anti-tank rifle and various other artillery and weaponry related pieces. Although not a British artillery piece he had on the trailer note the tyres were WD 

marked, it had several cuts making it unfire-able.

 

.IMG_2711.jpg.f47c78eb2983eba45bcf51956d5dd363.jpg 

 

IMG_2713.jpg.4ee2676496a744d49e15de4c48644a20.jpg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

Very interesting! The things you see every day are amazing.

 

..Kat

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On 8/25/2022 at 7:36 PM, General Apathy said:

.

Sorting things . . . . . . 

 

So I pulled these two M-1941 tent heaters out yesterday, one going to a friend and keeping one for our Jeepers Christmas week picnic run to the beach,  ( you can see it’s cold ) parka’s, hats, gloves, red noses etc.  The stoves disassemble and inverted one half fit inside the other half so they are very transportable and should be fun ( once I have burnt off all the bitumen protective coating before Christmas )

 

.fullsizeoutput_14259.jpeg.e06445168c23ef5a323162562846215a.jpeg

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 25  2022.

 

...

10 out of 10 for the hat Ken! You could be in Iceland....!

 

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19 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Johan,

 

Didn't particularly get any further on identifying headline cover users, Willys or Ford as two of the three pairs were not in wrappers, the one pair that was in a wrapper was dated 1952.   The two below came a pair, also they were the only pair out the three pair that had labels stitched into them, not identical shaped labels though, the other interesting detail is that the face of the only is a lighter colour canvas than it's partner.  which once again proves that manufacturers used any shade of webbing to get items made.

 

Well that's it for tonight it's been a long day and I'm off to bed.

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

Wow, thanks for this Ken. I was always sceptical about these covers. Superb to see them with the labels!

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Hi Ken

The highlight of a Military show this weekend was meeting up with a 2nd Parachute Battalion Arnhem veteran again. We met him last year and corresponded.

This year he presented one of his own Cap badges to my son. They had a close bond from day one. A very emotional and proud moment all round. What a truly remarkable man. We are in awe of this lovely gentle man.

He enjoyed the banter around the Arnhem re-enactors, and signed one of the para modified Jeeps.

Ted "little legs" Hickman a Bren gunner was wounded on day 6 and was subsequently taken prisoner.

What a generation!

Cheers Graham

 

 

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3 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

 

Thanks to both of you for these great suggestions.  I am heading to a used book store this weekend! 

 

I really appreciate your help...Kat

Hi Kat,

With all these suggested books to buy, a new bookcase may be next up on your shopping list.

 

But you HAD to mention going to a used book store this weekend.  This is The Recycle Bookstore, just about the last and always was one of the best of the once-many used book shops around here.  It's one of my favorite places on the planet to spend a couple of spare hours wandering around.  I can walk there in a very pleasant half-hour from home, but walking back with 500 lbs of books is a bit of a challenge.  I hope you find what you are looking for.  

Mikie

 

 

 

Recycle Books 1.jpg

Recycle Books 3.jpg

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General Apathy
1 hour ago, MCDUFF said:

Wow, thanks for this Ken. I was always sceptical about these covers. Superb to see them with the labels!

.

Hi Graham.

 

I have seen headlight covers in a Jeep parts layout display but can't recall where, however here are three mentions of headlight covers.

 

#1... TM-10-1186, Master Parts List, Willys Trucks MA & MB, JULY 1943.

#2...TM9-803, WILLYS MODEL MB & FORD GPW, FEBRUARY 1944

#3...ORD9-SNL G-503, SUPPLY CATALOG, WILLYS MB & FORD GPW, FEBRUARY 1945

 

Also note in the third photo the mention of two different windshield covers changing at chassis number 103545, prior is the cover for the earlier short windshield frame and after the cover for the taller windshield frame.  Also the top canvas referred to here as the Paulin, again one for use with the shorter windshield and one for the later taller windshield.

The earlier Windshields were too low for taller soldiers and their heads continuously touched the top Paulin cover.  

.fullsizeoutput_143c7.jpeg.18c7166cfac4ebc3a1aaf9e03ef3a236.jpeg

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

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4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,

 

it had been a long day yesterday and I think it sometime past midnight, so . . . . 

 

Yesterday afternoon a guy turned up at a local friends to buy a pair of artillery wheels off him, l he had found them in his village, the village scrap-dealer had them on his truck, my friend took a wild risk and bought them for a bit of fun displayed in the garden. He put them on an

Artillery website asking if anyone recognised them, turns out they were Russian, possibly captured along with the gun and shipped to Normandy for defence of the coast. Anyway this guy was touring round Normandy hoovering up all the things that he had bought on-line.

In his van he had a complete British Vickers with tripod and mount, a lovely condition Lewis gun, a bloody large bolt action anti-tank rifle and various other artillery and weaponry related pieces. Although not a British artillery piece he had on the trailer note the tyres were WD 

marked, it had several cuts making it unfire-able.

 

.IMG_2711.jpg.f47c78eb2983eba45bcf51956d5dd363.jpg 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

Oh that would look wonderful on my front lawn!  

Mikie

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Johan Willaert
4 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

This looks very interesting! I will definitely keep an eye out for this one. 

 

..Kat

 

Although original 1943 TM9-2800 are on ebay just about every day, they may turn out to be expensive....
Next to my original copy, I have this 1979 reprint from Gresham Books which I use as reference.

The 1953 edition of the manual may be more interesting as it also lists the post 1943 vehicles ( so the late WW2 ones) along with the vehicles used in the Korean War
 

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15E3AE40-88B1-4DDB-868E-A5DF4E14DE59.jpeg

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19 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Rene,

 

If you're in need of a gate-keeper let me suggest the wife of a local friend here . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  August 31  2022.

 

...

 

Sounds intriguing (as well as worrisome,,,,,)

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25 minutes ago, mikie said:

I just saw this article while having lunch.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/wwii-bunker-used-fake-air-202525286.html

 

It's poorly written and has very few details.  But it mentions bunkers and Normandy, so what the heck, I'll pass it on here.  

 

Mikie

 

 

That’s cool as heck, I never knew about that trick and I’ve studied German bunkers before.

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On 8/31/2022 at 4:25 PM, mikie said:

I had no idea what a Nuffield Neptune is, so hit good old Google for a quick search. It's only 8:24 AM and I already learned my new thing for the day.  Can I go back to bed now?  Not much there, but did find these photos of one being tested.  I don't know what the other vehicle is but it's noted as being tested on Blenheim Lake so included it here.  Enjoy!

Mikie  

Blenheim lake Test.jpg

Neptune_craft_The_estate_s_relative_-a-38_1588686911506.jpg

Hi Ken

Back in the late 70's early 80's just before I got into Jeeps etc. one of the guys that I worked with used to mention a lake near Redditch that had a couple of Sherman tanks in it. He reckoned to have seen them as he used to fish this lake. At that time I had no real interest and never followed it up. I think from very poor memory that it was the one by the prison at Hewell Grange.

Did you ever hear anything about them ?

Kevin

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General Apathy
13 hours ago, mikie said:

I just saw this article while having lunch.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/wwii-bunker-used-fake-air-202525286.html

 

It's poorly written and has very few details.  But it mentions bunkers and Normandy, so what the heck, I'll pass it on here.  

 

Mikie

 

 

.

Hi Mikie,

 

speaking of Bunkers, someone took this image of an old abandoned bunker and compared it to Rod Stewart, apparently he re-tweeted it to his fan-base  . . . . . . .

 

.fullsizeoutput_143e7.jpeg.dd42dd4aa9601aa2f3e9950e932d1723.jpeg

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  September 02  2022.

 

...

 

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General Apathy
52 minutes ago, Escht said:

Hi Ken

Back in the late 70's early 80's just before I got into Jeeps etc. one of the guys that I worked with used to mention a lake near Redditch that had a couple of Sherman tanks in it. He reckoned to have seen them as he used to fish this lake. At that time I had no real interest and never followed it up. I think from very poor memory that it was the one by the prison at Hewell Grange.

Did you ever hear anything about them ?

Kevin

.

Hi Kevin.

 

I heard SO MANY stories over the years, too many to relate today, never heard of that one.  I have related before that in the late 1970's one of the London boroughs wanted to close down a vehicle scrap-yard that had been there since the end of the war and it was filled with wartime US vehicles mainly half-ton Dodges.  At the rear of the yard was a working Sherman I could have bought for £1,200, I had the money at that time but no storage facilities.  Another one I can relate ( again I have mentioned before ) someone saw my parked Jeep and told me that he knew to two Jeep bodies on a farm at the side of Castle Bromwich airfield, one evening I visited the farm and the owner said that he had had two bodies that he had sold a few weeks prior.  As I turned to walk away he said would I be interested in all the other vehicle spares that were still littered around the barns.  I piled up and bought everything I recognised as Jeep, and left the rest.  Appears that his farm was used for un-crating Jeeps and Dodges during the war, and the wood from the crates had been used around the farm, his chicken shed was built from Willys crates and the stencilled details were still legible, no camera phones in those days . . . . . . . . .

 

Lastly I was told where Easy Co.  506th buried all their non-military pieces when they departed for D-Day, unfortunately it's now a commercial property and I doubt open to a suggestion to dig up their land.   Relating back to Castle Bromwich airfield it has often been said that there were crated Spitfire engines buried on the airfield, which is now a housing estate . . . . . . .  So many stories, and of course there is the Council estate in London and the fences of the houses are metal framed ARP stretchers from WWII.   

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  September 02  2022.

 

...

 

 

 

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General Apathy
On 8/31/2022 at 7:44 PM, MCDUFF said:

Wow, thanks for this Ken. I was always sceptical about these covers. Superb to see them with the labels!

.

Hi Graham,

 

Jeeping friend Len has turned up this photo, unusual that the Jeep had a spot-lamp in front of the grill but it's covered with one of the headlight covers.  Note it's quite an early production, no wing blackout lamp.

 

.fullsizeoutput_143f2.jpeg.1552147471f9fed863ea3c21421cb90e.jpeg

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  September 02  2022.

 

...

 

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8 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,

 

speaking of Bunkers, someone took this image of an old abandoned bunker and compared it to Rod Stewart, apparently he re-tweeted it to his fan-base  . . . . . . .

 

.fullsizeoutput_143e7.jpeg.dd42dd4aa9601aa2f3e9950e932d1723.jpeg

 

fullsizeoutput_143f0.jpeg.8eb59f54056d5ddcb0707352ccece674.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  September 02  2022.

 

...

 

Posts like this are when I wish the forum had laughing buttons instead of just like buttons. 

 

...Kat

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8 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Graham,

 

Jeeping friend Len has turned up this photo, unusual that the Jeep had a spot-lamp in front of the grill but it's covered with one of the headlight covers.  Note it's quite an early production, no wing blackout lamp.

 

.fullsizeoutput_143f2.jpeg.1552147471f9fed863ea3c21421cb90e.jpeg

 

fullsizeoutput_143f3.jpeg.a71910ded989d9f46ca3ed09c55a176a.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  September 02  2022.

 

...

 

That is really cool Ken, thank you! Again, I have never seen a spot light like that! Did you see the canvas cover over the spare wheel?! Another first!!! Cheers Graham

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