| Michael Dicken brought along a very good looking truck - his recently acquired Ford WOT 3 supporting RAF markings. He thinks that this is the only survivor in the UK and knows of only one other in Czechoslovakia.
This was its first outing having been laid up since 2004 and sadly it boiled up on the trip down. After sorting that he is going to do some remedial work on the cab but what a rare sight. |
There are always plenty of folks who make the trip over the Pennines from Lancashire to support the show. Henry Lisowski, from Bolton, whose Hotchkiss jeep, with 1944 Willys tub, featured on this year’s mugs, was one of those. In an unmistakeable black and yellow chequer pattern with a Follow Me board it stands out from the crowd and this year won 1st prize for Best Jeep. He’s had it some 11 years and tells me it’s two jeeps in one as all the hard top, made originally for an RAF jeep, can be easily removed and all the olive drab parts refitted. |
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Fellow Lancastrian Andrew Overall from Burnley is seen regularly in our area in another very distinctive jeep.
This 1942 Ford in RAF blue gloss with matching trailer carries RCAF markings of 428 Squadron based at RAF Dalton, near Topcliffe, North Yorkshire. RCAF 420 and 424 Squadrons also flew from here during the war, all three squadrons flying Vickers Wellingtons.
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A number of jeeps were lined up on the concrete and amongst them was those owned by our very own John Collings and Ray Dobson. John’s 1943 Willys is ex British army being sold off at Bulwell in 1960. He has owned it for most of the time since then having acquired it as far back as 1965! Is that a record for the YMVT – please let me know. Ray, one of our elder statesmen was sat looking very comfortable in his 1942 Ford GPW chatting to a friend. It was in RAF colour when he bought it 16 years ago and he has kept it so.
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Steve Goddard owns a 4 ton Diamond T 968A from 1943 which supports an unmissable Sicily invasion star on the doors. He told me this had been released from British Army in about 1962 and then used as a snowplough in Aberdeen. A previous owner fitted a Leyland 401 diesel whilst it would originally have had a petrol Hercules RXC 6 cylinder side valve. He says it cruises quite happily at about 38 mph and the very well sprung seat cushions provide for a Zebedee type ride!
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The heaviest lorry by far at the show was Carl Davies’ 1970 AEC Militant Mk 3 Recovery. Carl, a member of Mid Lincs MVT had brought it with living van from Kirton Lindsey near Scunthorpe. He has not owned it long having only collected it from Hampshire using a low loader on Boxing Day last year. The Militant was originally based in Germany up to late 1970’s and has only 30,000 on the clock. Weighing in at 22 ton it is powered by a 6 cylinder AEC AV760 diesel engine and he tells me is capable of pulling over 100 ton load. To date he has been working on the outside of the vehicle and his next job is to restore the inside of the cab which features a natty flip over driver’s seat for him to operate the jib controls.
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Parked in with a display of more modern vehicles was a cracking Land Rover 110 in 1st Gulf War camouflage. The proud owner, and new MVT member Danny Briglin from Hull, has only owned it since last November but has fitted new wiring and brakes since then. Built in 1985 it did serve in that war in 244 Signals as a Mobile Air Traffic Control Unit fitted with a Ptarmigan Radio System, Magellan GPS, and Clansman radio. Out of interest, Ptarmigan was an Army first and the forerunner of todays mobile phones. Great to see something in a different camo scheme don’t you think.? Alongside, also in desert sand, sat Colin Scott’s meticulously researched and built replica LSV or Longline Strike Vehicle fitted with 1.6 VW Turbo diesel engine. The very enthusiastic Colin lives in nearby Pocklington and said he had just paid for some very expensive repairs on the VW gearbox so he could make the show. |
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| Only about 20 LSV’s were made originally. Another replica, and being assembled as I passed, was a British Airborne 6pdr anti tank gun brought to the show by Graham Friend of Warrington. I must admit I’d quite like a 6 pdr. In the same camp Mark Farnworth's smart 1944 Royal Enfield Flying Flea was on show in early war brown. Nearly 8000 were made during the War and weighing only 135lbs these could be easily manhandled. |
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