Simon Tasker is the first winner of the MVTSEM Top
Traveller Trophy, a magnificent edifice made by outgoing secretary Ian
Gardiner from gear cogs off a
Jordan F1 car. It was awarded at the February, 2018, meeting to the affiliated
SEM member who had travelled the most miles during 2017 to and
from events in an MV of any age. Fourth was Steve Smith with 604
miles, third
Peter Clarke with 936 miles, second Brian Rive with 1,203 miles and the
winner
was Simon Tasker with 2,096 miles in his ex-USAF Dodge Ram. Simon's year
included a trip to the Netherlands. He is pictured (left) with Ian. Fancy
a shot a the TT Trophy? Just keep a record of your travels this year.
Journeys to and from any event where your vehicle is on display count.
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Nick Thomas has produced a booklet on British Army
Jeeps and he's keen to come up with a definitive list of British Army
Jeep survivors. Please check out his website (www. britishjeep.com) and
the BAJR Facebook group (https://www. facebook.com/ groups/4245616 44379118/). If you have an ex-British Army Jeep, please let him know via the contacts page of his website or via Facebook.
SEM Area Secretary Ian Gardiner said he was surprised at the MVT AGM to be awarded the Warwick Affredi Shield for
area secretary of the year. He said it was in recognition of the area’s efforts
with Wicksteed at War and leading the way in safety training and was earned by
all the SEM members. Tim Cross took this picture of members with the shield at April's meeting.
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Our May, 2017, monthly meeting was held at the Carpet- baggers Museum, Harrington, where we were shown around and learned of the history of the airfield. We were made most
welcome by Fred West and Keith Taylor of the museum. They gave us a very
detailed presentation of the workings of the airfield and really brought it to
life. With over 70 aircraft and some 5,000 men, it must have been a hive of
activity supplying the French Resistance and agents, all done in total secrecy.
The visit was much appreciated by all. Picture by Tim Hawkes
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Arthur Jones was guest of honour at our Christmas
meeting. He is pictured below pointing to the beach where he landed in
Normandy. Neill Elliott is operating the laptop.
SHERMAN tank driver and war veteran Arthur Jones entertained at the December meeting with two love
stories, one his mother’s love for her son and the other the love of a family
in France who took him in when his Sherman tank broke down. Arthur joined the
army in 1944, aged 18, and, after just a few weeks learning to drive a tank,
landed at Gold Beach on D+7. His was an observation post tank and had a dummy
gun! He ended the war in Bremen, aged 19, but was not demobbed until 1947. He
and a friend traced the family who had looked after him in 1944 and 62 years
later there was a reunion, filmed by Central News TV.
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The Royal British Legion
asked for a few vehicles for Armed Forces Day on North- ampton Market Square on
June 25 and, as in other years, we were happy to oblige. Jim Poole’s 1944
Bedford MW radio truck was joined by Tim Cross’s 1945 Ford GPW and Peter Clarke’s
1996 Harley-Davidson MT350E. All were much admired by a sizeable crowd who
watched a march past by Reservists and Cadets and were addressed by the Lord
Lieutenant of Northamptonshire and the Northampton Mayor.
Mayor and Mayoress with Jim Poole's MW
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Congratulations to area member Tim Hawkes who received
the chairman’s award for the person who has contributed most to the MVT
during the year. It was awarded by chairman Terry Till at the club's
AGM on Sunday, April 24. The award was in recognition for his work in
his new role of Organised Events Co-ordinator. Former area member,
treasurer and Wicksteed at War co-organiser Peter Hamblin, who has moved
to Somerset, was elected vice-chairman of the MVT. Tim is pictured by Neill Elliott receiving his cup from Terry (right)
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It is sad to report the death in
February of Brian Shoebridge, one of the earliest members of our area and its
former secretary. Peter Clarke, MVTSEM webmaster, said: "Brian owned a fabrication business, so was well placed to
restore old MVs. He was a former Airborne REME soldier and proudly displayed
the REME badge on his Champ. He also restored and showed a Bedford MW, Fordson
WOT 1/1A and Morris Quad, complete with limber and 25 pounder gun. Brian was
always ready to help out other members and was particularly helpful to me when
I was restoring my first Jeep." Steve Gascoigne, MVT vice-president and founder of the SEM
Area added: “I’d not seen Brian for
a while, but knew him well as he and I worked opposite each other in St James
Mill Road, Northampton, for about 10years. I remember moving his 25
pounder on the back of my plant transporter on several occasions, once to
Mereway Police Station to be inspected by Northants finest!” Brian's funeral, with an escort of military vehicles, was on Thursday, February 25, 2016, at Weston Favell Church, Northampton.
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It is with great sadness that we hear that Ken Haverson died on October 8, 2015, after an illness. The area members send their con- dolences to his wife Lorna and family. He is pictured at the 2013 Poppy Day event in Northampton. Ken's funeral was on November 3, at St Mary's Church, Rushden town centre.
At the request of the Royal British Legion, Tim Cross
arranged for a handful of MVs to display some vehicles on North- ampton
Market Square on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, June 27, 2015. A march around the
town centre by Regulars, Reservists and Cadets culminated with the Lord
Lieutenant of Northamptonshire taking the salute. A sizeable crowd
showed their appreciation and support for the Armed Services and MV
owners were kept busy throughout the day answering questions about our
vehicles.
Jim Poole leans against his 1944 Bedford MW,
talking to Mike York, who brought his 1946 Willys M38 Jeep. The other
MVs were Tim Cross's 1945 Ford GPW and Peter Clarke's 1993 Land Rover 90
Army cadets try a vintage Clansman radio
The Lord Lieutenant takes the salute as the Air Cadets band leads the parade
Torrential rain was a feature of the open day at the unique Weedon Garrison,
near Daventry, on Sunday, August 10, 2014. This depot, built in Napoleonic
times, is not open to the public very often. Fortunately, the rain
cleared later and members were able to explore the fascinating depot.
Millway School,
Duston, Northampton, had a WW1 commemoration day on Saturday, July 12, 2014,
and one of the stars was Roy Sharman in Gordon Beale's First World War
uniform. Roy also brought his Jeep, Jim and John Poole a Bedford 15cwt
and Morris 8 and a nice display of memorabilia and Mike York and Tim
Cross a Jeep each. The teachers were delighted with our support and the
children were all over the vehicles!
The Royal British Legion's Honour Walk 2014,
took place on The Racecourse, Northampton, on June 29. A small but
select collection of MVs added to the attractions and Tim Cross, who
co-ordinated our participation in the event, also took part in the walk. Among
the VIPs was Michael Ellis, MP for Northampton North, who took a
special interest in the vehicles and said he was ready to help the club
if we had an event which needed its profile increasing. Pictures by Tim Cross.
Michael Ellis MP takes a shine to Peter Clarke's Land Rover
Sywell
Air Show on August 17, 2014, was a sell-out, which will mean a record
amount raised for the local air ambulance. High winds meant that the
much-anticipated two Lancasters did not make it but other aircraft made
up for them. Our vehicles in the car park were much admired by the
record crowds. Pictures: Two seat Spitfire owned and flown by Carolyn Grace Picture by Harry Measures
Jim Poole and his Bedford MW
Tim Webster's newly-restored shiny red "Green Goddess"
On display were a variety of WW2 Jeeps, plus an M38, M38A1 and a Champ
The MVT was out in force for the opening of Sywell Aviation Museum on Easter Saturday. This report is from the excellent website www.airshows.org.uk: (first picture: Northants Telegraph, second picture Stuart King)
Easter
Saturday marked the Grand Opening of the Sywell Aviation Museum for the
2014 season. Each year the Museum marks its opening with in great style
with visiting military vehicles and a flying display. This year was a
particularly special year for the museum which officially unveiled and
re-dedicated the refurbished airfield memorial and also celebrated the
60th Birthday of its resident Hawker Hunter F.Mk.2 ‘Heidi.’ Sywell
Aviation Museum, like so many other aviation heritage endeavours, is a
purely voluntary organisation. Based in three Nissan Huts carefully
transported from RAF Bentwaters and a further two from the Prisoner of
War Camp at Snape Farm in Derbyshire, the Museum is home to a
fascinating collection of relics and artefacts not only covering the
history of Sywell Aerodrome, but also that of Northamptonshire as a
whole. The Museum has won several local heritage awards too including
for 2013. The Museum’s season traditionally starts on the long Easter
Holiday weekend with a flying display and ground event. Returning to
open the event this year was Peter Teichman in his wonderful Hawker
Hurricane IIb BE505 ‘Pegs.’ The Hurricane is just one of five
fighter that Peter’s Hangar 11 Collection owns. Also airworthy are
examples of the North American P-51D Mustang, Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk
and the sole airworthy Supermarine Spitfire PRXI. Also nearing the end
of restoration is a Supermarine Spitfire IX found in the Russian tundra
which will be an exciting addition to the display circuit, particularly
as it will be finished in its authentic markings from the Russian Front. As
ever, Peter’s display was a smooth flowing sequence of loops, rolls and
low passes for the crowd under some lovely blue skies. Following his
display, Peter taxied right up to the main event area taking some
well-deserved applause for the crowd. Following Peter’s display,
there was a rededication of the Airfield Memorial. Opening in 1928,
Sywell has remaining in private ownership ever since. However, the
1930’s saw Brooklands Aviation Limited set up a large flying school to
support the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. The outbreak of the
Second World War saw training expanded even more plus a maintenance base
set up to support the RAF’s Wellington plus completion and flight
testing of 260 Avro Lancaster B.Mk2s. It is estimated that 2,500 RAF,
Commonwealth, Allied and Free-French pilots went through flying
training at Sywell. The end of the war saw basic and reserve training
for the RAF continued at Sywell plus maintenance of some of the RAF’s
bombers and transport aircraft.However, by the 1960's Sywell had
returned to entirely civilian operation. Mainly the Aerodrome has been a
general aviation base, though on occasion it has operated scheduled
services to the Channel Islands. Today, many private owners base their
aircraft at Sywell alongside flying clubs and businesses. The airfield
is home to 2Excel Aviation and The Blades Aerobatic Team plus the
Aviator Hotel. The memorial has just been refurbished and reset in
place just outside the airfield perimeter fence. It was good see the
local community and Royal Air Force very much involved with the
ceremony. The ceremony also saw the museum receive a US Army Air Force
Cap recovered from the crash site of a B-17 which had collided with
radio masts in poor weather returning from a raid in December 1944. The
Cap was recovered from the crash site soon after the crash by a School
Boy who kept it all his life until he died recently. His son inherited
the hat and has passed it to the museum. Peter Teichman was also
honoured for his efforts supporting the museum and received an honorary
lifetime membership from the Museum and some cannon shells for his
Spitfire! The Museum also marked the 60th Birthday of its Hawker
Hunter F.Mk.2 ‘Heidi.’ The Mk.2 Hunter is unusual as it was powered by
the Rolls Royce Sapphire engine rather than the Avon. Sywell’s Hunter,
WV904, arrived from the former Waterbeach Barracks in July 2012
following the closure of the base. Since arriving at Sywell, the Hunter
has enjoyed some much needed TLC and the Museum have reunited with
airframe with many of the parts that went missing over the years
including the Sapphire engine and one of her 30mm Aden Cannons. Also,
for protection against the elements the Museum have even invested in
vinyl covers! WN904 currently retains the joint 1 and 56 Squadron
markings she wore as a gate guardian, but the Museum aim to restore her
to her full 257 Squadron markings worn when she entered service at RAF
Wattisham in 1954/55.
Twelve members attended the vehicle marshalling and fire safety course
on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at the VOSA Testing Station, Cavalry
Hill, Weedon, Northants. Kevin Lamberth, our RBL friend, conducted the
marshalling course and Tim Webster, Wicksteed at War safety officer,
instructed on fire safety. The lessons learnt and experience gained were
put into practice at Wicksteed Park in June.
Several area members took part in the British Military Festival
at Earls Court on December 7-8, 2013, in front of VIPs such as Prince William.
Four Ferrets displayed with the Royal Signals White Helmets
motorcyclists and they included those belonging to George Jackson and
Mike Lusada. Mike
drove his Ferret down the M1 to London with Gordon Beale but suffered a
failure of a front wheel drive station. Gordon phoned the recovery
service and said he needed a Daimler taken to London . . . Once
at Earls Court, the failed drive was disconnected, turning the 4x4
armoured car into a 4x3 but this didn't stop it performing in the show.
See ? The White Helmets-British Military Tournament 2013 - YouTube The Ferrets come in about 8.30 in to the film.
Restored military vehicles escorted hearses at two funerals on Friday, November 22, 2013.
The service for Tony Robinson, long-standing MVT member, was at
Kettering Crematorium and the service for Reg Spittles, an honorary
member and friend of the South East Midlands Area, was at the Counties
Crematorium, Milton Malsor.
The
following obituary and the first two pictures are reproduced from the
Northampton Chronicle & Echo by kind permission of the editor: A World War Two tank commander from Northampton will have a parade of military vehicles to mark his funeral procession. Born
in 1918, in Kingsthorpe Hollow, Reg Spittles went to work in the
clicking room of the Crockett and Jones shoe factory as soon as he left
school. During the war years, he served with the Territorial Army’s
2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry, and he travelled to Normandy in 1944 as a
Troop Corporal Tank Commander. His experiences, including being
twice injured in action, led him in his retirement to give numerous
historical talks to schools and community groups and he gave several
interviews to the Chron. In one he talked about how he
responded to pupils who asked if he had killed people: “I explained
that, as a tank commander, I had four other men in my tank, so I
explained that my job was to look for suitable targets and tell my
operator what type of shell I needed and then I gave a fire order to the
gunner. Although I was responsible for having a lot of people killed, I
hadn’t killed anyone personally.” Mr Spittles, of Henry Street, The
Mounts, began to collect his war stories in 1988 after his father,
Walter, died and he decided his own memories should be recorded for
posterity. He has since recorded many tapes of his experiences, some
of which are held by Northampton’s Central Library and some by London’s
Imperial War Museum. He has also written more than 30 accounts for
students at Northamptonshire’s Huxlow Science College in a study which
formed part of a BBC history project. He and wife, Florence, now deceased, had one daughter, Elaine and a grandson. Reg died on November 6, aged 95.
Peter Hamblin’s got one. Peter Clarke’s got one. They
are jackets painted by Suffolk artist Jane Tebbutt. Peter C admired
Peter H’s nose art painting and asked who did it. He got in touch with
Jane and together they came up with a design paying tribute to war
cartoonist Bill Mauldin. The painting features Mauldin as he was on the
Italian Front in 1944 and his famous cartoon of a heartbroken cavalry
man shooting his broken Jeep. Jane is taking commissions for jacket art
and you can contact her via her website www.janesjackets.com
Peter Hamblin's jacket
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Webmaster Peter Clarke was reunited with one of his old
projects at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome, near
Bedford. The 1938 Hillman Minx was owned by Peter from 1995-97. He
obtained it from South East Midlands Area member Terry Feltham in a swop
involving Peter’s 1942 Ford GPW Jeep, the one with the Cortina engine,
mentioned elsewhere on mvtsem.com Peter sold the Minx to build a kit car and a later owner sold it to the Shuttleworth Collection. The
pictures show the Minx in 1996 as an RAF staff car, complete with
mannequin in uniform, and as it is now, in RAF Bomb Disposal markings.
The number plate has changed but Peter was delighted to see that the
Minx still had a plastic radiator fan. The original metal fan lost a
blade due to a stress fracture – a common complaint on the Minx – and
Peter sourced a more modern one from a scrapyard.