Latest News
Back to school to see a hero
A Northampton school marked November Remembrance time, 2023, with a project called "A hero in the family" ... and what a hero they found! Eddie Habberley, from Duston, Northampton, is 100 years old and told children at St Luke's School. near his home, how he volunteered to join the RAF during the Second World War when he was just 17-and-a-half years old. He chose the RAF because of a hero of his was Royal Flying Corps fighter ace Albert Ball and by volunteering instead of waiting to be called up, he could choose which branch of the Armed Forces in which to serve.
Eddie learnt to fly on Tiger Moths in England and was then sent to America for further training on Stearman and Harvard aircraft. Then it was back to Britain for a course on the Miles Master before being sent to Egypt to fly Spitfires.
He was then posted to Burma to fight the Japanese invaders and while there crashed his Spitfire in the jungle. After recovering in hospital, he ended the war in Hong Kong . Even then, the action didn't stop, as he patrolled the South China Sea in his Spitfire hunting for pirates!
After his talk he joined the children in the playground to look at our MVs. Richard Hall brought his ex-USAAF Jeep, Norman Head his ex-Gulf War Land Rover 110 and Peter Clarke his Ex-Bosnia peacekeeper Land Rover 110 and his half-scale electric Jeep. The children were able to sit in the Jeep, Norman's Land Rover and the small Jeep and even tried on Peter's Clansman radio manpack. The Jeep's siren and horn were particular favourites!
Of course, we were not allowed to photograph the children, so you will have to imagine queues of them, just out of shot, waiting for their go...
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Neill is top Area Sec
MVT chairman Tim Hawkes (left) presents Neill Elliott with the Area Secretary of the Year Award, which was announced at the club AGM on October 29 but somehow kept secret from Neill until the November area meeting. A delighted Neill said the running of the area was not down just to him and he had a great team behind him. SEM now has the opportunity of hosting next year’s MVT AGM. Neill is the third SEM leader to win the shield. John Denney was awarded it in 2014 and Ian Gardener in 2017.
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Operation Poppy 2023
John Underwood (left) lays a wreath at the Weldon War Memorial on behalf of the South East Midlands Area. MVs were parked around the memorial and after the 11am service, compete with Last Post, we convoyed to Deenethorpe Aerodrome, once the home of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers of the United States Army Air Force.
We were treated to a remarkable flying display by two large-scale radio controlled models of a B-17 and Mustang fighter. The huge B-17 was one of three models made for the 1990 film Memphis Belle.
Peter Clarke was delighted to meet a veteran who served in Bosnia with the UN's Stabilisation Force (SFOR) at the same time as his Land Rover 110. Sapper Stu Cranage, of 29 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, was tasked with clearing land mines left behind after the civil war.
MVTSEM photographer Kevin Lamberth took the pictures.
Deenethorpe Aerodrome runway bash
Picture by Ashley Lowe. Here's a link to his video (cut and paste it into your browser): https://www.facebook.com/groups/708871319708565/?multi_permalinks=1380381752557515¬if_id=1699867380689778¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif
John Underwood's pictures of East Carlton, Spanhoe airfield, Gretton village memorial and veterans at the White Heart PH in Corby
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Gary Stock with his Jeep leading the parade at Deanshanger
Selling poppies at Dobbies Garden Centre, Harlestone Heath, Northampton, November 4
Selling poppies at Dobbies Garden Centre, Harlestone Heath, Northampton, October 28.
We raised a magnificent £1,367.55 selling poppies etc at Dobbies in Northampton. To this we must add other amounts from elsewhere in Northants and Bucks. Well done everybody!
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Tail gunner Henry returns
We were delighted and privileged to once more to provide period transport for a visit of the families of US airmen who flew from Grafton Underwood in their B-17s. In earlier years returning USAAF veterans were a common sight but inevitably they have now become fewer and fewer. This year just one vet made it and 98-year-old former B-17 tail gunner Henry Kolinek was driven around the crumbling perimeter track by Roy Sharman in his Jeep. Roy later presented a delighted Henry with a tea towel showing all the USAAF bases in the UK.
Pictures by Katie Brown
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Glimpse of once-powerful airbase
MVs visit the former RAF Upper Heyford - pictures by Peter Clarke
More pictures by Kevin Lamberth
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Getting steamy at Turvey
A few shots from Bedfordshire Steam Fayre, Turvey on September 16 by Peter Clarke. Here's a link to a short video: https://youtu.be/h1SCkfw6pfs?feature=shared
... and from Will Needham
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Ambulance sends pulses racing
Congratulations to Steve Myles, whose Land Rover Pulse Ambulance won Best Military Vehicle at the Rotary Club's Classic Car 100 rally at Chapel Brampton today. His award was presented by the Mayor and Mayoress of Northampton.
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Armed Forces Family Weekend at the NMA
... and from Will Needham
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Bletchley Park MV Day
Pre-war, wartime and post-war MVs featured at a Military Day at Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, on July 16. We were invited to the famous Codebreakers HQ after Neill Elliot and others attended a 1940s day last year. Our suggestion that an all-eras display would be popular was taken up by the Park and proved a hit with the public. Our vehicles included the Morris 8 Radio Car of MVT president Richard Beddall., pictured above. Here's a link to a short video. You have to cut and paste it in to your browser: https://www.facebook.com/100005750018373/videos/1009291103587673/
Timewarp at BP
More than 30 years separate these photos. The one above, taken In the early 1990s, shows the late Gordon Beale's two Bedford trucks and Peter Clarke's GPW outside Bletchley Park mansion. The below photo, taken in July, 2023, shows Chris Naylor's Austin Gantry, Sean Crompton's Bedford breakdown truck and Peter Clarke 's Land Rover 110 at the Military day at BP.
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Flying high at Shuttleworth
A Flying Fortress, Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang cavorting overhead and airshow crowds admiring our MVs – what a great day we had at the Shuttleworth Collection on Sunday, July 2!
SEM was invited to Old Warden Aerodrome for the Military Air Show by display organiser Debs Bobka, who was impressed with our showing at the opening of Sywell Aviation Museum. We had a generous allocation of two free entries per vehicle and the use of the direct entry gate by the aerodrome restaurant and arrived in a convoy of eight Jeeps, two Land Rovers, a Dodge and a German Army VW Beetle.
Many of us took part in a parade of MVs along the crowd line and we were joined by the Shuttleworth Collection’s own vehicles and a brace of WW1 trucks brought along by Tim Gosling and friends of the North Oxfordshire and Cotswolds Area. Then it was back to our vehicle display areas between the hangars and the airfield to enjoy a varied airshow, which included warbirds, rare and unique aircraft and the RAF Falcons parachute display team.
Everyone enjoyed the show, Shuttleworth was pleased with our input and this was hopefully the first of many regular visits.
Here's a link to a Facebook video of us arriving at Old Warden, filmed by Nick Blacow:
More pictures from Kevin Lamberth and Vaughn Glynn
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School experiences the Blitz
Tim Hawkes, Tim Cross and Neill Elliott were invited by St Mary's School in Kettering to talk to some of their pupils aged between 8 and 10 years old. Tim H took his GMC while Tim C and Neill took their Jeeps and did two sessions, talking to more than 100 children.
The pupils are studying WW2 and Neill started with a general introduction about the vehicles and what they were used for. Quite amazingly for children so young the history module was entitled " Is conflict ever justified" and they had been learning about things like the Blitz and Homefront along with media propaganda. This is where Tim C was able to show his Press jeep along with his collection of cameras, highlighting how technology had changed. The pupils were amazed how large a stills camera was. Many of the children were able to hold the camera and feel how heavy it was and then compare it with an even heavier cine camera.
Tim H then did a talk about the home front, dressed in his ARP uniform, first showing a range of tin helmets and getting the children to guess what role they had by the letters on them. He went through what would have happened if the German bombers had dropped gas. A wailing air raid siren, gas rattle, all clear whistle and then another wind of the wailing siren enthralled the children and I think they will certainly remember this part of WW2.
Neill Elliott.
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Armed Forces Day Northampton
Two MVs took pride of place outside All Saints Church, Northampton, as the town celebrated Armed Forces Day on June 24 with a military march past and entertainment. Councillor Stephen Hibbert, the 783rd Northampton Mayor, was impressed with William Bourne's Willys MB and Peter Clarke's Land Rover 110.
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Olney Motorama
Congratulations to Will Needham, who came third in his category at Olney Motorama, June 11, 2023, with his Chevrolet CMP, beaten by a Maserati and a Ferrari!
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Vintage Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell Vintage Day was attended by George Jackson (Ferret), Will Needham (Morris Commercial) and Neill Elliott (Willys MB). The veteran pictured in the Jeep is named Eddy who did National Service between 1950 and 1952, serving in Cyprus and Egypt. Now 91 years old, this was the first time he has sat in the driver's seat of a Jeep. Will Needham’s instruction on the firing position with his Bren proved very popular.
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Classic Stony... hot and packed!
SEM made its presence felt at the annual Classic Stony car meet on June 4. The town centre was closed to traffic and jammed with rare and desirable vehicles. SEM Corner included the Ferrets of Peter Bird and George Jackson, huge Federal 94X43C truck from Chas Jellis, Sean Crompton's Bedford RL Light Recovery, Chris Naylor's Austin K6 Gantry, Mike Lousada's Humber staff car and Peter Clarke's Land Rover 110. Town Crier Matt Ireland joined George on his Ferret and the day ended with a Lancaster fly over.
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Gaydon Land Rover Show
Steve Myles (right) with his Pulse Ambulance and Peter Clarke with his 110 (and Tri-ang Land Rover pedal car) at Gaydon Land Rover Show to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the marque. Roger Higgerson was also there - in his DAF!
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Brampton Rotary Club show
Congratulations to Tim Cross who won the best military vehicle award at the Rotary Club's classic car show at Chapel Brampton on April 29.
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Drive It Day at the Depot
SEM was well represented for Drive It Day on Sunday, April 23, at Industry and Supply at Weedon Depot. The Napoleonic-era barracks later became a Royal Ordnance depot, hence the sign above a door. Most of the pictures are by Kevin Lamberth.
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Sywell Easter opening
Easter Saturday saw the annual grand opening of Sywell Aviation Museum, our crank-up meet. Warm, sunny weather brought out the public in their thousands and they were treated to a display of 22 Jeeps and dozens of other MVs. WW2 songstress May Blossom sang from the back of Tim Hawke’s GMC Deuce-and-a-half. Museum honorary member Peter Teichman flew in from North Weald in his Mustang which in 1945 was assigned to the 332nd fighter group, 99th Fighter Squadron, which became famous as the first all Afro-American manned Group known as “The Tuskegee Airmen”.
More pictures from Kevin Lamberth
More pictures from Vaughn Glynn
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Here's a form to help you calculate your mileage for our Top Traveller Award. Hard copies of the form are available at monthly meetings.
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Roger's Road Run 2023
Sunday, January 22 saw the annual Roger’s Road Run, a 37-mile trek through south-west Northamptonshire with the temperature not rising above freezing.
Roger Higgerson started with a minute’s silence in honour of John Marchant before leading us off from Harpole in his white Land Rover Series 2a London Ambulance Service command vehicle. This was the last project of the much-missed Gordon Beale, who restored this very rare vehicle with a new chassis.
The 16-vehicle convoy consisted of four Jeeps, seven assorted Land Rovers, Austin 12, Dodge M37, Fordson WOT2, Austin K6 and a Chevrolet M1009. Once again we were joined by friends from the adjacent North Oxon and Cotswolds Area.
Photographers Kevin Lamberth and Vaughn Glynn positioned themselves along the route, which culminated in a Daventry pub. Their pictures can also be seen on our Facebook page.
Many thanks are due to Roger and his team for organising yet another successful road run.
Pictures by Kevin Lamberth
Pictures by Vaughn Glynn
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Vintage Stony, New Year's Day, 2023
Pictures from the annual Vintage Stony car meet on New Year's Day, 2023, at Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, are by MVTSEM photographer Kevin Lamberth and Vaughn Glynn.
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Death of John Marchant
John Marchant “the grandfather of the MV preservation movement”, died aged 95 on Christmas Eve 2022 and many tributes to him have been made on social media.
John was a founder-member of the both the MVCG (forerunner of the MVT) and the South East Midlands Area. His MVT membership number was 167.
MVT president Richard Beddall said: “This is very sad news. John was very knowledgeable and was always interesting to chat to. RIP.”
Neill Elliott, SEM Area Secretary said: “John was always very generous with his support of SEM. I remember just after I had joined the MVT he invited our area over to his place. In addition to looking around his wonderful collection, we were able to do a bit of off-roading in one of his fields where he joined us driving his Universal Carrier, which I know he was particularly fond of. He will be sadly missed, not only as a member of SEM but as one of stalwarts that started the whole ethos of collecting military vehicles."
CoM member Tim Hawkes said: “John was the longest serving member in our area having formed part of the group of founders of the MVT. His passion and knowledge for CMP vehicles made him a global hub of knowledge and parts. He also owned and showed many himself. John used to make his annual pilgrimage to Stoneleigh and ran a small stall of eclectic items drawn from the back of his many sheds. John leaves a legacy in the MV world many of us will not forget."
SEM founder Steve Gascoigne added: “I was chatting to John on the phone only a week or two ago, and he seemed the same affable chap he always was. I remember him from the early MVCG tours and saw him frequently as I lived about 15 miles away for 30 years.”
Our condolences go to John’s family.
The funeral on January 17 was at St John the Evangelist Church, Wicken, where John was Church Warden for many years. The MVT was represented by local members, vice-presidents and members of CoM – and a GMC CCKW353, Austin K6, and Land Rovers 109 and 110 parked outside the church.
Peter Clarke, another SEM founder-member, has known John for 50 years and interviewed him for Windscreen magazine on the occasion of his 90th birthday party in July, 2017 (when he demonstrated his Bren Gun Carrier for us). The report is repeated in part below.
Can you imagine a time when Bren Gun Carriers could be bought for just £15 and a running Jeep for £70? A time when redundant RAF airfields were full of thousands upon thousands of World War Two vehicles?
This was when contractor and farmer John Marchant first began to buy, restore and use green machines, recently let go by the Armed Services.
John has owned an astonishing 169 MVs and is one of the earliest members of the Military Vehicle Conservation Group, later the Military Vehicle Trust, joining in January, 1974, with a membership number of 167.
He was born in Wicken, South Northants, just a few miles from his present home in Old Stratford, on the borders of Milton Keynes. The first vehicle he acquired, in 1947 and for £15, was a Loyd Carrier.
“We used it for ploughing and harrowing,” said John, “but it was fairly useless. It steered by using the brakes and the engine wasn’t powerful enough.”
A few months later he bought a 1942 Canadian Ford F60S three-tonner, a vehicle which incredibly he still owns and drives – surely the longest partnership of owner and MV in the world. This sparked a lifelong passion for Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) Ford and Chevrolet vehicles and led to him setting up the Canadian Ex-Military Vehicle Register.
His enthusiasm for all things Canadian led to him being invited as a VIP to the College Militaire Royal in St Jean, Quebec in 1988.
John was one of those MV pioneers who went to Normandy on a Peter Grey-organised tour in 1974. He took a Daimler Armoured Car but only made it as far as the south coast owing to a gearbox failure. “We couldn’t fix it in time to catch the ferry but offers of help came from everyone and we soon had all our baggage stowed in corners of other people’s vehicles and a lift to France arranged for us, all from people we had never met before, which shows the great comradeship and help which still exists today.”
The breakdown did not put John off foreign tours and he has since taken his vehicles to Normandy and Arnhem. Other vehicles he has owned include the £70 Jeep (“it was running when I bought it but when I collected it I found someone had stolen the half-shafts”), Stuart tank, Vickers Vigor armoured bulldozer, armoured cars, carriers and a staggering 64 CMPs.
John, who for many years was the MVCG/MVT chief judge, had a retirement sale a few years ago but, even at the age of 90, still keeps and drives his beloved 1942 F60S, a 1942 Chevrolet HUP and a 1944 T6 Carrier.
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Operation Poppy 2022, totals
Operation Poppy 2022, Day 3
Remembrance Day service at Weldon with a wreath laid on behalf of the MVT by John Underwood, followed by a run to Deenethorpe airfield where a 25 pounder field gun was fired.
Pictures by Kevin Lamberth
Operation Poppy 2022, Day 2
Collecting at Riverside, a very successful day with our three veterans getting very engaged with the general public.
Peter Clarke's Land Rover 110 and BSA Parabike at Dobbies Garden Centre, Wootton.
Kevin Lamberth , Katie Brown, Howard Aran, Tim Cross and Mike York collected at Northampton Harlestone Firs Garden.
Operation Poppy 2022
Selling Poppies at Dobbies Garden Centre, Wootton, Northampton. Picture: Vaughn Glynn
Alison, garden centre manager, is pictured with, from left, Peter Clarke, Sean Crompton, and Will Needham, who was busy selling poppies when Vaughn took the photo!
Selling Poppies at Dobbies Garden Centre, Harlestone Heath, Northampton. Picture: Vaughn Glynn
Selling Poppies at Riverside retail park, Northampton. Picture: Vaughn Glynn
Selling Poppies at Riverside retail park, Northampton. Picture: Vaughn Glynn
Selling Poppies at Riverside retail park, Northampton. Picture: Neill Elliott
Selling Poppies at Corby. Picture: Stephen Smith
Selling Poppies at Weldon. Picture: Tim Webster
Selling Poppies at Weldon. Picture: Tim Webster
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Miracle escapes as B-17 crashes
Ian Clayton provided this dramatic newspaper report of a Flying Fortress crash at Deenethorpe in 1943. The event is to be commemorated next year and we have been invited to take part. Watch this space!
Aviation Safety Network reported: The B-17 damaged beyond repair was the B-17G 42-39825 "ZENOBIA – EL ELEPHANTA" of the 613th BS, 401st BG, piloted by 1st Lt. Walter B Keith. While taking off from Deenethorpe airfield for a raid on a Paris airfield (it was the 3rd mission of the 401st BG) it was caught in the preceding aircraft’s wing tip vortices. Depending of the sources, it stalled or failed to lift off the runway. It careered across a few feilds before skidding through a farmyard of the village of Deenethorpe and coming to rest against an empty cottage. The uninjured crew vacated the burning aircraft and warned the villagers of an impending explosion. Fire crews and colleagues rushed to the scene, and the two remaining injured crewmen were safely pulled out. Emergency responders evacuated all nearby civilians, thus no one was injured when the aircraft’s bomb load (12 x 500 lb bombs) exploded 20 minutes later, blasting the aircraft and the nearby fire tender to pieces and destroying or severely damaging most of the buildings in the village. The explosion was so enormous, it was heard nine miles away.
Crew: 2nd Lt Lt. Walter B. Keith (pilot), 2nd Lt Wardlaw M Hammond (co-pilot), 2nd Lt Carl T Floto (navigator), 2nd Lt John J King (bombardier), T/Sgt William D Woodward (engineer/top turret gunner), T/Sgt Benjamin Z Musser (radio operator), Pvt Walden D Cohen (ball turret gunner), Pvt Harold J Kelsen (right waist gunner), S/Sgt David N Hadsell (left waist gunner), S/Sgt Robert V Kerr (tail gunner). The navigator and the bombardier were both in the aircraft nose and were seriously injured, spending some time in hospital. Hadsell had a mild knee injury.The alarm for the villagers was implemented mainly by the Provost Marshall team who got a commendation for their prompt action from Colonel Hal Bowman, the CO of the 401st Bomb Group. The villagers received a quantity of oranges as a goodwill gesture from the Group which were well received."
Picture above courtesy of the Northants Telegraph. The crew of the ill-fated aircraft. Standing, from left: Navigator Lt. C.T. Floto; Bombardier Lt. J.B. King; Co-Pilot Lt. W.M. Hammond and Pilot Lt W.B. Keith. Kneeling from left: Waist Gunner Sgt. B.B. Besselieu; Waist Gunner Sgt. H.J. Kelsen; Tail Gunner Sgt. R.V. Kerr; Ball Turret Gunner Sgt. W.D. Cohen; Radio Operator S/Sgt. B.Z. Musser and Flight Engineer T/Sgt. W.D. Woodward.
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Rushden 1940s Weekend
Pictures by Will Needham
