Norman D. Landing

[General Apathy]

20 minutes ago, mikie said:

I never had a good handle on what Boxing Day is about, but hope you folks who do, have a good one. 
mikie

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Hi Mikie,  

 

Boxing Day started as a UK tradition from years past . . . . . . . .  

 

The staff / Servants that had attended their rich employers needs and served food on Christmas Day were given a box the following day with all the left-overs from Christmas Day. 

 

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

 

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[manayunkman]

55 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,  

 

Boxing Day started as a UK tradition from years past . . . . . . . .  

 

The staff / Servants that had attended their rich employers needs and served food on Christmas Day were given a box the following day with all the left-overs from Christmas Day. 

 

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

 

...

Didn’t they also give material things as well?

 

My Dutch family who had a deep love of all things British would celebrate it.

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

3 hours ago, General Apathy said:

Also today came the news of the death on Christmas Eve of the oldest longtime member of the original Military Vehicle Conservation Group John Marchant who joined in 1972. When John served in the army he was driving the marques of WWII vehicles that he would later collect for his personal collection.   

 

Wow, he must have been old...
First met him at the MVCG camp in Bayeux, Normandy in June 1989...
As always he was there with his Canadian Chevrolet CMP HUW (Heavy Utility Wireless)... It still had mostly original paint and markings...
Found this 1980s photo of him on the www

Back then I bought a US wooden .30Cal Ammo Box from him for 5!!! Pounds Sterling... What a deal and I still have it...

 

Edit: seems he was 95! http://mvtsem.com/168701.html

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

From the Maple Leaf Up Facebook page, 26th December 2022

"It is with great sadness to let you know that John Marchent passed away on Christmas eve. John was a great ambassador for anything Canadian, starting the first Register of Canadian ex- military vehicles. The first vehicle he bought was in 1947 from a local farmer, for £15, being a Loyd Bren Carrier. Many older members may have had the opportunity to visit 'Furtho Pit' and see what opportunities lurked there, or remember his Ford F60S LAAT, Chevrolet 15A or C8A HUW to mention but a few. His real love was however tracked vehicles having had an Allis- Chalmers HD-7W, Centaur dozer various Bren Carriers and even a Diamond T recovery. He was a true gentleman and will be sadly missed. Thoughts are with his family at this sad time. RIP John."

 

 

[General Apathy]

3 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Didn’t they also give material things as well?

 

My Dutch family who had a deep love of all things British would celebrate it.

 

 

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Hi Peter,

 

I think the tradition started way back when there was no concept of refrigeration and so the food was given away to be eaten the following day before it became rancid.  The material things that you mention came along some time later as the tradition expanded throughout the population.

 

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

 

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[General Apathy]

3 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

From the Maple Leaf Up Facebook page, 26th December 2022

"It is with great sadness to let you know that John Marchent passed away on Christmas eve. John was a great ambassador for anything Canadian, starting the first Register of Canadian ex- military vehicles. The first vehicle he bought was in 1947 from a local farmer, for £15, being a Loyd Bren Carrier. Many older members may have had the opportunity to visit 'Furtho Pit' and see what opportunities lurked there, or remember his Ford F60S LAAT, Chevrolet 15A or C8A HUW to mention but a few. His real love was however tracked vehicles having had an Allis- Chalmers HD-7W, Centaur dozer various Bren Carriers and even a Diamond T recovery. He was a true gentleman and will be sadly missed. Thoughts are with his family at this sad time. RIP John."

 

 

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Hi johan,

 

Thanks for adding additional details about John, He loaned us unusual vehicles for our Stoneliegh shows that you attended in the 1980's,  such as his bull-dozer and Earth-scraper which we used in both our Marine, Sea-Bee's and airfield displays,  sadly no photos to hand to show the vehicles he loaned us.

 

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

 

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[LtRGFRANK]

On 12/23/2022 at 4:50 AM, Johan Willaert said:

For quite a while now I've had this unusual brass (Jeep type) shovel in my collection and although I always expected it to be a shovel used in demining or explosive related issues (because brass is spark free), I could never find any reference for it.
This morning one of my FB friends and forum member zepher11 posted this WW2 photo of a group of Navy men graduating from Bomb Disposal School in 1943 and said shovels are in the photo...

 

 

Copper 172 (Beryllium Copper).  Non-sparking/non-magnetic.  Still used today for ammo handlers and EOD.

[manayunkman]

1 hour ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Peter,

 

I think the tradition started way back when there was no concept of refrigeration and so the food was given away to be eaten the following day before it became rancid.  The material things that you mention came along some time later as the tradition expanded throughout the population.

 

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

 

...

 

Thanks Ken, that makes sense.

 

Hope you’re enjoying the holidays.

[General Apathy]

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The stuff dreams are made of . . . . . . . . . . Indiana Jones eat your heart out !!!!

 

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

 

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[General Apathy]

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17 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

 

 

Wow, he must have been old...
First met John Marchant at the MVCG camp in Bayeux, Normandy in June 1989...

 

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hahhaaa Johan, if you were at the MVCG camp in Bayeux, Normandy in June 1989... then you aren't so young !!!!!! just joking my friend you're still younger than me . . . . . . . . . .

 

This is a photo taken in 1974 on the occasion of the first MVCG trip to Normandy, a visit was made to Southwick House to see the D-Day maps still in place on the walls of the wartime HQ.  That's John Marchants young daughter Janet on the right probably about fourteen or so, next to her Steve holds the wartime M1 US helmet his father was issued with when he was a British Navy flier on a lend-lease US aircraft carrier. 

 

The people on the first MVCG trip resembled something like Popski's Private Army in all sorts of ex military clothing but more effort was made to improve the attire of participants on subsequent trips. 

 

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

 

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[Salvage Sailor]

"resembled something like Popski's Private Army "

 

 

great reference, members, take the time to look up Popski when you have your curiosity piqued 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 12/26/2022 at 2:58 AM, General Apathy said:

.

back in 2008 I inherited photographs and paper materials from a long-time military vehicle friend Warwick Offord who died that year.

 

back in the mid / late 70's Woff wrote to most American vehicle companies enquiring what they manufactured during WWII & WWII,

Here's a letter he received back from the FWD company along with an original photograph they included.

 

There are other letters and other photographs from different companies.

 

.

 

 

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

 

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From my Pineapple Slippers box

 

 

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

A couple of months ago, I helped a friend find a Harley-Davidson Model WLA motorcycle as used by the US Army in WW2.

He bought a superbly restored example from a well-known Dutch restorer/dealer and freshly restored no unit markings were applied on the bike so that the buyer could add some or not to his own taste.
Fast fwd to today when I marked the bike for the Reconnaissance Company of the 66th Armored Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division, which was very active in the liberation of Belgium in 1944... Markings were inspired by the original photo below

 

 

 

[General Apathy]

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Father Christmas failure again this year . . . . . . . . 

 

well the Christmas present I was hoping for this year would have been too large for the sock hanging above the fireplace so I left the garage doors wide open but once again there wasn't a Schwimmer in the garage when I came down Christmas morning . . . . . . . .

 

It would have been the ideal gift as we have had weeks of rain and most of the low laying fields are flooded just as they were in 1944. 

 

. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  December 28  2022.  

 

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[mikie]

1 hour ago, General Apathy said:

.

Father Christmas failure again this year . . . . . . . . 

 

well the Christmas present I was hoping for this year would have been too large for the sock hanging above the fireplace so I left the garage doors wide open but once again there wasn't a Schwimmer in the garage when I came down Christmas morning . . . . . . . .

 

It would have been the ideal gift as we have had weeks of rain and most of the low laying fields are flooded just as they were in 1944. 

 

. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  December 28  2022.  

 

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Was there a pile of coal in the garage instead? Be a good boy and try for it again next Christmas. 

mikie

[General Apathy]

23 hours ago, mikie said:

Was there a pile of coal in the garage instead? Be a good boy and try for it again next Christmas. 

mikie

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Hi Mikie,

 

well a sleigh and a team of reindeer would have been a blessing, that should be easier to use than trying to find a charging point for all these electric cars with flat batteries . . . . . . . . . . 🤣

 

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

 

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[General Apathy]

On 12/27/2022 at 11:24 AM, General Apathy said:

.

This is a photo taken in 1974 on the occasion of the first MVCG trip to Normandy, a visit was made to Southwick House to see the D-Day maps still in place on the walls of the wartime HQ.  That's John Marchants young daughter Janet on the right probably about fourteen or so, next to her Steve holds the wartime M1 US helmet his father was issued with when he was a British Navy flier on a lend-lease US aircraft carrier. 

 

The people on the first MVCG trip resembled something like Popski's Private Army in all sorts of ex military clothing but more effort was made to improve the attire of participants on subsequent trips. 

 

.

 

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

 

...

 

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Can’t believe I have never seen this before, click the first photo for a one hour video.

 

Eisenhower returns to France 1964 on the 20th anniversary of D-Day he was aged 74. 

 

This is 1964 and he makes mention of the loss of over 700 men in operation Tiger during the invasion training exercise on Slapton Sands in May 44.

 

A photo of Southwick House in 1964 and reports that the original D-Day maps had been preserved since 1944,  which we saw close up during our visit in 1974 on the 30th anniversary of D-Day

 

 

 

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

 

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[Johan Willaert]

Excerpts from this were included in the 1970s BBC series The World at War…

Seem to recall Ike was driving a post WW2 MUTT Jeep…

 

Thanks for the link, will watch it this weekend…

[General Apathy]

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From the Shoebox . . . . . . . . 

 

Spent a short time today sorting my wartime British coins, all Nationalities based in the UK during WWII would have used these coins in daily purchases.  British, Americans, Norwegians, Dutch, Belgians, French, Indians, Australians, Kiwi's and others, I have seen coins like these recovered from a lot of the European battle-sites, and in American footlocker groupings. 

 

I have other wartime British denominations to sort and collate yet, presently I am missing the 1941, 42 and 43 dates for the Penny pieces.

 

During WWII there were 240 pennies in a British pound, it was imperial not metric based.  

 

Four Farthings make one Penny

Two Half-Pennies make one Penny

Three Pennies make one Thrup-pence.

 

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

 

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[mikie]

Its not only helmets, jeeps and tanks that bring history alive. Sometimes its a common old coin. And a little imagination. 

Mikie

[Dogsbody]

On 12/26/2022 at 3:14 PM, manayunkman said:

What contrast between the luxurious tufted couch seat and the rest of the vehicle.

That was probably done so the driver had a place to crash............

[Johan Willaert]

The last day of 2022! May the 2023 be a good year for all here!

 

Happy New Year from the 29'rs aboard  the USS Lejeune en route to NYC on 31 December 1945!!

 

 

[General Apathy]

1 hour ago, Johan Willaert said:

The last day of 2022! May the 2023 be a good year for all here!

 

Happy New Year from the 29'rs aboard  the USS Lejeune en route to NYC on 31 December 1945!!

 

 

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Hi Johan,

 

Thanks for the New Year greetings,  I couldn't find one from WWII but thought this a good warning to forum members if handling fireworks this evening . . . . . . . . . . 

 

.

 

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

 

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[mikie]

In case I don’t get to it later, best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Years and a Happy New Year in 2023! 
 

As my 2022 goodbye treat to myself, I picked up this Navy M1. I found it at a nearby shop. Heat stamp dates it to early/mid 1943. Now I just need to figure out where to put it. Space is not plentiful in our house. 
 

Happy hunting in 2023! 
 

mikie

[MCDUFF]

Happy New Year Ken, and all the Norman D Landing followers!

I was given a super US Navy photo album with some modified Jeep photos.

They are from a Lt James Candler ii who was with the USS Alioth - Aviation supply issue ship - AVS4. These photos are dated August 14th 1945 and were taken near Tacloban, Leyte.

I love the use of Aviation materials and panel build skills!

Maybe not Normandy related, but US Navy and Jeep - lovely!!