Wheels and Wings Military Vehicle Show 2009

[Riflechair]

Hello everyone.
I was at the Wheels and Wings Military Vehicle Show in Yorkshire, UK on May 10th 2009. There is an old WW2 Airbase called 'Elvington Base' which is now a Canadian memorial for all of our boys that flew Halifax and Lancaster bombers out of there. Its quite moving to see our Canadian military heritage in a foreign land. This is a few onths old now but I thought you chaps and gals would enjoy it regardless. Enjoy

This is the annual Wheels and Wings Military Vehicle Show that takes place at the Yorkshire Air Museum (Elvington Yorkshire). w_ww.wheelsandwings.co.uk

A large market area where replica and deactivated firearms are bought and sold. Additionally a large bartering area for military surplus uniforms and militaria for the re-enactor groups in Britain. A gold mine for those interested in this kind of thing. Not a lot of pattern 37 webbing anymore. You can get it buy you pay through the nose. A P37 tanker No2 Enfield holster and web belt sold for 75 pound stirling (about $150 CDN) - apparently getting rarer than hens teeth. Lots of neat Brit stuff there. Yes I picked up a few bobs for myself.

A LOT of re-enactors were present. Pretty much any combination you could imagine. Everything from the 101st airborne to Comrade Commisar and his Soviet hordes were acknowledged. A significant contribution from Home Guard and the East Yorkshire regiment re-enactement groups were there. They really helped the ambiance of the show and brought the magic of these milsurp vehicles back from the past. I did however find it quite strange to talk to Yankie atired soldiers bearing strong Yorkshire accents.

One CDN re-enactor was a Yorkshire lad that owned the AUSTER V - TJ 398 (pic below) dressed in RCA Pat 37 uniform with the Rank of captain. 665 AOP Squadron RCAF was attached to the 1st CDN Army Group. 665 Squadron was dissbanded in 1945 after flying 58 Operational sorties and 2095 non-operational hours. Three aircraft lost and one fatality during the war.

Can you imagine flying this rather slow Auster over numerous fortified German positions, calling in grid references to the RCA? They were only capable of 130 mph. James Doohan (Star Trek's beloved "Scotty") flew these planes for 664 Squadron over the beaches of Normandy calling in targets for the Royal Canadian Artilery.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Doohan, aged 19, joined the Royal Canadian Artillery, and was eventually commissioned as a lieutenant in the 13th Field Regiment, part of the divisional artillery of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Doohan went to the United Kingdom in 1940 for what became years of training. His first combat assignment was the invasion of Normandy at Juno Beach on D-Day. D. Doohan was born in Vancouver, BC.

RCAF Shelldrake's forward observation plane - Squadron 665




This is Fritz. He and a lot of his fascist homies were also at the event.
We managed to outflank and over-run their positions by using unconventional methods. We distracted them by wafting the smell of freshly cooked frankfurt and sauerkraut from the north while we attacked from the west. It seemed to work brilliantly.





Long Range reconnaissance vehicle - adoringly called "The pinkie" Land Rover. Looks like a Series 2. I think she is wearing two FN L7A1 variant GPMG. Also saw a Brit L1A1 in a sheath (front right fender). These have been made famous by the SAS.



Interesting Camo Scheme? Anyone know where this comes from? Cypress Perhaps?






I had to take a pic of these two old girls. One was used as a medic van (one behind)



At 12:00 the 25 pounders opened up to declare lunch



Inside the Museum's Canadian Memorial Hangar - dedicated to the RCAF and all of the Cdn squadrons that operated out of here. 'Elvington Air Base'






All of these are plastic replica's WEARING WOOD STOCKS. Quite detailed - I had to closely examine (from afar) to realize they weren't real. Didn't find out what company manufactured them. Most of the guns used by the various chaps at the show were the real thing (deactivated of course).











A strange specimen. Gannet AEW3 - Maritime Reconnaissance - Crew 3 - Speed 320 mph
CAN YOU SAY UGLY?

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