WWII event, RAF Elvington, Yorkshire - 2009

[Loiner]

These were taken at last year's annual weekend event that is held at our nearest air musuem, which is an old RAF and Free French WWII bomber base (Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers were stationed there).

Here's a small selection of photos from the event ...



British Jeep mounting Vickers MMG, with C47 behind.



M24 Chaffee, with US infrantyman.



British special operations Jeep with Bren LMG, and US Jeep behind.



Line up of various assorted Jeeps (except the one in the foreground is a post war M151).



Line up of various 3/4 ton Dodge light trucks.



British and US Jeep.





M3 standard allied half track.



US trucks (GMC and Studebaker?).



Typical German BWW side car.



British Auster light liaison and battlefield reconaiscance aircraft.



British Austin staff car.

It was a great event, superb for anyone with an inerest in the subject, which I have something of a passion, and is an excellent reference for modelling (another passion of mine). They are holding another similar event this year.

There's plenty more photos if folk want to see more.

[diddyriddick]

Great pics! Please show more!

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Very interesting Loiner!! Thank you for sharing!

[ontos]

Nice shots there Loiner, talk about back to the future.

[evangilder]

Cool stuff! I love the halftrack.

[Heinz]

Thanks Loiner, great shots mate!

Love the old vehicles, especially the staff cars and the trucks!

Cheers.

[RabidAlien]

You won't find a single regular of this site that will ever tell you to stop posting pics like that! Man, I wish we had reenactments and events like this one here in the Dallas/FtWorth area....

Question....on the half-track, what exactly is that cylinder mounted on the front? My best guess is a winch, but the cable drums are all exposed on the deuce-n-a-half's. I could also guess that its a counter-weight, to keep the front end from popping up when coming over a rise/ditch/etc....anyway, I've always been curious about that but never remember to ask!

[Loiner]

Thanks, I will post more in the next few days. I particularly have more trucks, jeeps and staff cars.

... Question....on the half-track, what exactly is that cylinder mounted on the front? My best guess is a winch, but the cable drums are all exposed on the deuce-n-a-half's. I could also guess that its a counter-weight, to keep the front end from popping up when coming over a rise/ditch/etc....anyway, I've always been curious about that but never remember to ask!

I think it's a fairly robust roller for helping the vehicle to overcome ground obstacles that would 'ground' the middle of the vehicle's clearance, such as logs, rubble or rocks. The roller is mounted with heavy duty springs angled down at about 45 deg, which is about the direction of the impact force you would expect from hitting an obstacle while travelling forwards, which would dampen the impact and allow the roller to push the vehicle up and over the obstacle while driven by the tracks. I could be wrong But I thank that's what it's for.

[Loiner]

Ok, here's some more from the same event ...



Universal or Bren carrier, as used widely by Britain and Canada throughout the war.



5.5" medium artillary gun, widely used, with Matador tractor. The gun on the left I think is a 17pdr anti tank, used late in the war.



the Matador heavy tractor in the middle of these trucks.



Mostly British trucks, Bedfords in the foreground.



A close up of the Scammell tractor unit.



Most 1:48 modellers willl recognise this, the Austin 'Tilley', basiclly the utility version of the Austin A6.



A close up of the Austin Tilley.



I promised more staff cars, this RAF one is an absolute beauty, I fell in love with it as soon as I set eyes on it.



The classic US 2.5 ton GMC CCKW truck, perhaps the most standard transport vehicle of the war.



Close up of a US Jeep.



There was small German contingent, this Kubelwagen was a nice example.



Also the Kettenrad.



There were loads of tented encampments with various displays of weapons and equipment.



The quad .50" calibre Browning AA powered unit, truck mounted. Used from WWII to Vietnam, I'm not sure on the era of this particular one.


There was another event which is held annually in the nearby historic Yorkshire town of Pickering, held late last year, I will post photos of that event in the next few days. Watch this space ...

[Vic Balshaw]

Damn fine pics Loiner, full of nostalgia and the half truck looks ready for a siege.

[Vic Balshaw]

We got a cross post there. Great pics and I to love the RAF Staff Car, especially with the aircraft on the bonnet. Had one similar to that at a British car meet not so long back, a V8 Pilot

Where's Andy, he's just made a Kettenkrad

[Loiner]

The half track was superb, the detailing on it was just great; not surprisingly it won the best vehicle trophy. Even the looted wine stash on the roof was like it had been locally pilfered from some French village; they'd really thought it out well.

[Wayne Little]

Keep em coming....