Last run of the year for military vehicles
PEOPLE are invited to enjoy seeing a large collection of military vehicles during a free event in Burscough this weekend.
The Mid-Lancs Area (Area 53) of the national Military Vehicle Trust (MVT) Crank Down takes place at Heatons Bridge on Heatons Bridge Road this Saturday and Sunday (September 28 & 29).
It will be the final event of what has been another busy season for those taking part.
Mid-Lancs Area spokesman Paul Connolly said: “As another show season starts to draw towards a close, our Military Vehicle Group will be gathering together once again for a weekend show event before we begin to think about preparing to ‘crank-down’ our vehicles ready for the winter lay-up.
“Our group is based at Steve and Jacqui Winrow’s Inn at Heatons Bridge, Burscough, where we meet on the second Thursday evening of each month.
“We are a group of enthusiasts who own various military vehicles and equipment which we restore, maintain and show at various events across the region and further afield throughout the year.
“The event co-ordinates with MVT members from regions such as Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, West Pennines, and South Cumbria / North Lancs, all with the common interests of preserving and renovating military vehicles and equipment of different ages and collecting associated militaria.
“The ‘crank-down’ is a family friendly event at which we encourage members of the public to come and see our displays and chat with our members about the various exhibits.
“There are no entry fees and it is an informal and friendly atmosphere in the grounds of the traditional canalside Heatons Bridge country pub.
“We welcome anyone who might have a military or military-related vehicle or military equipment which they wish to display, to bring it along, and if they like, they are more than welcome to camp over with us for the weekend.
“All participants are however reminded that it will be their own responsibility to ensure they have appropriate personal liability insurance for the event and to provide their own first aid kits and fire extinguishers as appropriate with their vehicles / displays as there are no central provisions for this.”
Members’ vehicles include the iconic Willys, Ford, and Austin Champ Jeeps, the later Hotchkiss and Mutt jeeps and Land Rovers, military Dodge, Morris, and Austin staff cars, and various larger military trucks including the Morris Commercial C8 Quad, the 2 1/2 ton ‘Whistling Reo’, its predecessor the 2 1/2ton ‘Jimmy’ (GMC CCKW), the Bedford RL 4 ton truck, the DAF T244 4 ton truck, the Diamond T haulage truck, the ‘Mighty Antar’ tank transporter, the 4 ton Swiss ‘Saurer’ truck, a Foden crew bus for the Howitzer field gun, a Chevrolet wrecker, a Ward la France wrecker, and a Green Goddess fire engine to mention a few.
The vehicles are from various eras and the range extends from military motorbikes, small trucks such as the Austin Tilley, the Volvo Laplander, the Dodge Weapons Carrier, and the Dodge Ambulance, to armoured personnel carriers including an Alvis Saracen which has seen service in Northern Ireland and Korea, a Daimler Ferret scout car, an Abbot self-propelled gun (similar to a tank), and a couple of field guns including a 25 pounder and a mighty Howitzer.
The range of members’ vehicles now also includes a superb complete rebuild of a period (soft top) Morris saloon car and there is a 1936 P type MG project currently under way for the future amongst other projects.
A regular part of the display is a 25 pounder field gun rig owned by the group’s area secretary and her partner.
They provide demonstrations of the team operation of the field gun at the event throughout the weekend.
Paul Connolly said: “They are part of the Garrison 69th Field Regiment, through which they also carry out display firings - under licence! - of the 25 pounder using black powder at various venues across the region, most recently for the opening and closing of Southport Air Show.
“However, at our Heatons Bridge event the demonstrations are done without the black-powder in deference to the horses in the adjacent field.”
The militaria and equipment displays include various deactivated firearms, bayonets and other weapons, uniforms, radio equipment and field equipment.
The M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Enfield and a host of other rifles are in the displays along with Thompson machine guns, Bren guns, the BAR, and various pistols such as the M1911A1 Colt, the Smith and Wesson Revolver, and a US flare gun.
At around lunchtime on the Saturday the group holds hold a ‘road run’ for any of the military vehicles that wish to join in.
This is a convoy of military vehicles out onto the public roads along a route set up by and led by two longstanding members, with a halfway stop at a suitable establishment for refreshments/ice-cream before returning to the Heatons Bridge campsite.
The run typically extends for around two hours and attracts friendly waves and cheers from unsuspecting bystanders at the roadsides when they see the line of vehicles passing by.
The inn itself is located on the canal at Heatons Bridge and Steve and Jacqui Winrow have retained the Second World War freestanding brick pillbox which formed part of the home-guard defence provisions on the grounds overlooking the canal.
Paul said: “We set up a small Home Guard display inside the pillbox to try to give some feel for what it might have been like for a soldier to have had to ‘hole up’ there.
“We bring out as many of the members’ vehicles as is practicable at our crank-up and crank-down events but the temperamental nature of these ageing vehicles, the logistics of moving the largest vehicles and the firmness of the ground (which is subject to weather) for the larger vehicles mean that we cannot always guarantee exactly which vehicles will be out at any particular event.
“What we can promise however is a good range of vehicles of various eras, some fascinating militaria and equipment displays, and a warm and friendly atmosphere.
“There is no charge, so why not come along and share the atmosphere of a Military Display for free with the enthusiasts who would be pleased to while away their time with you and answer any questions you may have?’’
Paul concluded with a tribute: “One of our members was Honorary Member and veteran Peter ‘Percy’ Procter, a Second World War Spitfire and Hurricane pilot.
“Peter loved to attend the Heatons Bridge and the Southport Air Show events whenever he could but he sadly missed both of these this year due to terminal illness.
“Unfortunately as some readers may already have seen in the local press, Peter sadly passed away very recently.
“He will be very sadly missed by all our members.”