Hello,
my name is Steve Carr, I'm your friendly, but not so local webmaster, living
in Durham. Early in
2006, Tim Benton sent the heavy mob up to the North East. After
a brief struggle lasting about 3 seconds, I agreed to build the Yorkshire MVT
Website. I hope you all approve of the results. It's old tech HTML code,
simple, but it works and I didn't think that MV collectors are interested or
impressed by modern flashy websites, knowing how most of their vehicles are
very old tech! The site has grown a huge
amount since 2006, but
pictures and information from the area members, are
always welcome.
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| From
1983, I was fairly obsessed with building radio controlled aircraft,
particularly very large scale ( see My
Air Force ). In June 2004, I caught a chest infection, which brought on
asthma and a dust allergy, which forced me to cut back my exposure to
balsawood dust. So as an alternative hobby, in April, 2005, I purchased a part
M201/part MB Jeep, which over 2005 was converted to look more like a Willy's
MB.
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Me in flying kit
at Battlegroup North.
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Hotchkiss
M201 |
| The
Jeep was one of the first M201's built in 1958, fitted with a 1944 engine and
running on 6 volts. It was upgraded by the French to 12 volts some time later,
and during a factory rebuild in 1966, then converted to 24 volts. Probably
some time after the rebuild, it served in the desert, as I found sand paint
under the French three tone green/brown/black camo and a bracket for a
spotlight on the screen as seen on "Sahara Jeeps". It remained in service into the mid 1990's,
after which it was put into long term storage. It was finally auctioned in
2000 to a dealer in Scotland, where it was kept until I bought it in February
2005.
My Jeep website tells
the story of the work carried out and events attended.
See - 'Jessie'
the M201 Jeep
In
the sixteen years of owning this Jeep, I've clocked up almost 17,000 miles around Scotland,
England, France, Belgium and Holland. |
The
Jeep as found at WHB Jeeps in Scotland.
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The
drive home from Scotland.
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First time out with the markings painted.
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For the first three years, it
remained a standard olive drab Jeep in US 8th Air Force, 100th Bomb Group
markings. In 2008, I began to convert it to an airfield "Follow Me"
Jeep, adding the checkered roof and sides, the red and checkered flags and the
follow me sign and light box on the back, still in US markings.
In 2018, for the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force, I decided to go
with RAF markings for both the Jeep and trailer. I didn't want to make the
colour scheme change permanent, so made some
magnetic RAF No. 1 Group markings. These hide the US stars and other group
markings, and being magnetic, it's now a quick
change from US to RAF colours. With the left over plastic, I also made some
Red Cross markings for a different look when Lynne is driving the Jeep. |
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Dodge
WC51 Weapons Carrier
In August 2010, I bought my second
vehicle, a Dodge WC51, also a Flying Control vehicle. The conversion from Olive
Drab was started by a friend and myself in 2008, adding a basic wooden rear
body. Once I got the truck, windows were made in the rear body, doors made for
the cab, and the inside of the rear body fitted out with period radios and other
equipment. A house move and a change in storage location dictated another change
so it could be garaged. Late 2021, the Dodge was returned to a more standard WC51 configuration and
colour scheme. See
'Faith'
the 100th Bombardment Group Dodge for more details.
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2008~2021
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2021~Present |
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1943
Ford GPW
In
January 2012, I bought a third vehicle, a Ford GPW in a bit of a state, for a
complete strip down and rebuild. This project took about 18 months, spread
over about two years, with the registration paperwork and insurance in place
by mid April 2014. This Jeep is also in US 100th Bomb Group markings. There
were several original reference photos to use which made replicating the
markings easier and and it was also in the background of a picture of the
B-17 Fortress that I modelled in 1/6 scale 20 years before.
'Hope'
the Ford GPW |
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The three vehicles first displayed
together in 2014 at the Croft Nostalgia show.
A
2022 picture of the trio, with all
three in olive drab.
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