Photographed at the 12th Annual Cool Cruisers/New Berlin Fire Department Car Show in New Berlin, Illinois on July 28, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

This off-road vehicle was primarily produced to meet the British Army's requirement for a Gun Tractor, and was designed to tow a Field Gun (L118 Light Gun) with a ton of Ammunition and other equipment in the rear load space, giving it the alternative name of the Land Rover ''One Tonne'' the vehicle was designed to be easily transported by air, the positioning of the 3.5 litre Rover V8 engine beneath and to the rear of the cab eliminates the bonnet at the front, making the vehicle more or less cuboid thus reducing unused space in Transport Aircraft. Of concern was the payload and limited stability, particularly when crossing an incline.

The official name of ''101 Forward Control'' is derived from the vehicle's 101 inch wheelbase, and the position of the driver, above and slightly in front of the front wheels which used a fairly large 9.00 x 16in tyre. To cope with the extra height above the ground, the wheels feature an unusual feature for a Land Rover (but used for many years on the much older and similar Mercedes Unimog S404) a flange around the centre of the wheel has an embossed tread pattern forming a step for the crew when entering the cab, named a 'wheel-step'.

Development of the 101 Forward Control started in 1967, with a design team led by Norman Busby (14th October 1931 to 30th June 2005). Production took place between 1972 and 1978, in common practice of the Armed Forces, many vehicles were not used for some years and it is not unheard of for Military Vehicle enthusiasts to pick up these vehicles after only a few thousand miles service. All the vehicles produced at the Land Rover factory at Lode Lane, Solihull were soft top ('rag top') General Service Gun Tractors, although later on many were rebuilt with hard-top Ambulance bodies and as Radio Communication Trucks. A rare variant is the Electronic Warfare Vampire body, it is thought that only 21 of these were produced and less than half of these survive today.

The 101 Forward Control also served with the RAF Regiment, two 101's were allocated to each Rapier Missile set up, the British RAF Rapier System used three Land Rovers in deployment, a 24V winch fitted 101 Firing Unit Tractor (FUT) to tow the Launch Trailer, loaded with four Rapier Missiles, Guidance Equipment and radio, a 12V winch fitted 101 Tracking Radar Tractor (TRT) to tow the Blindfire Radar Trailer, also loaded with four Rapier Missiles and Guidance Equipment, and a 109 Land Rover to tow a Reload Trailer with 9 Rapier Missiles and loaded with the unit's other supplies and kit.

The 101 Forward Control also served in the Ambulance role, the Ambulance bodywork was built by Marshall of Cambridge, and was manufactured in both left and right hand drive with either 12 or 24 volt electrical systems. Some 101 Forward Control's were produced with a PTO powered Nokken capstan winch mounted on the chassis at the centre of the vehicle, allowing winching from either the front or rear. Another variation on a small number of pre-production vehicles was the addition of a trailer with an axle driven from the PTO, creating a 6x6 vehicle, this adaptation was abandoned before full production when it was discovered that the trailer had a propensity to push the vehicle onto its side when driven over rough terrain.

By the late 1990's, the 101 Forward Control's were decommissioned by the MoD and were replaced with Defenders and Pinzgauer Vehicles. Many 101's have entered into private ownership and there is a thriving 'Owners Club' supporting these sourcing spares and providing technical support the club also keeps a register of known surviving vehicles throughout the world. A prototype 101 was built based on a Recovery Vehicle, but only one of these is known to be in existence, at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

VEHICLE DETAILS -

GENERAL -

▪︎Nationality - British

▪︎Manufacture - Land Rover

▪︎Year of manufacture - 1976

▪︎Model- Forward Control

▪︎Use- Ambulance.

TECHNICAL -

▪︎Engine make - Rover 3.5 litre

▪︎Number of cylinders - 8

▪︎Fuel - Petrol / LPG

▪︎Cooling - Water cooled

▪︎Gearbox - 4 manual with selectable high / low

▪︎Wheel drive - Permanent 4WD

▪︎Tyre size - 900 x 16 in.

HISTORY -

Served with the British Army in the first Gulf War. (information from RPI Engineering)

Sourced from Wikipedia en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_101_Forward_Control

Photographed at the Annual Fred Britenstine Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show on the Square in Virden, Illinois on June 16, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.

Photographed at the 1st Annual Scheels & Shields Fundraiser Emergency Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on May 5, 2012. The event is sponsored by Scheels, Quaker Steak & Lube, and the Police Car Owners of America, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.

Photographed at the 29th Annual Old Settlers Association Open Car Show in Hillsboro, Illinois on August 12, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the Cool Cruisers Car Club Cruise-In at Auto Zone on South Sixth St. in Springfield, Illinois on May 8, 2011.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 30th Annual Old Settlers Association Open Car Show in Hillsboro, Illinois on August 18, 2013.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

The Land Rover Defender (initially called the Land Rover Ninety and Land Rover One Ten) is a British four-wheel-drive off-road utility vehicle developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in June 1948. In October 2013 Land Rover announced that production would end in December 2015 after a continuous run of 67 years. Production finally ended on 29 January 2016 when the last Defender, H166 HUE, rolled off the production line at 9:22. Jaguar Land Rover announced their intention to launch a replacement "new Defender", which motoring journalists speculate will be "quite different" from the original version.

Photographed at the 2012 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 21-23, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 1st Annual Scheels & Shields Fundraiser Emergency Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on May 5, 2012. The event is sponsored by Scheels, Quaker Steak & Lube, and the Police Car Owners of America, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the Sixth Annual Cantrall Car Show in Cantrall, Illinois on July 10, 2011. The show is a fund-raising event for the Cantrall United Methodist Church Men's Club and is held in cooperation with the Cool Cruisers Car Club in Springfield, Illinois.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

(1941-1945) WILLYS MB

One of the first mass-produced military vehicles in the United States, the Willys MB (and Ford GPW) U.S Army Jeep is the culmination of war-time ingenuity, standardization and strategic personalization for transport of personnel and cargo. Soon to become the ubiquitous, ''world-famous'' Jeep, the Willys MB and Ford GPW models were very effective on the ground, with many standardized features such as 6.00x16 tyres, 60 honest horsepower at 4,000rpm, a gasoline can bracket on the left rear, provisions for trailer lights, spark interference suppression, a blackout light system, twin top bows and sealed spring shackles.

Prior to the production of the MB/GPW, other attempts were made to satisfy the Army's need for a Light Utility Vehicle including the first prototype presented by the American Bantam Car Company. Nicknamed the ''Blitz Buggy'' this vehicle concept which was the first bid accepted by the Army, as it satisfied the Army’s Ordnance Technical Committee specifications that the vehicle has:

▪︎Four-wheel drive.

▪︎Crew of three.

▪︎A wheelbase of no more than 75in and tracks no more than 47in.

▪︎A fold-down windshield.

▪︎A 660lb payload.

▪︎An engine capable of 85 ft lb of torque.

▪︎With an empty weight of no more than 1,300lbs. (590 kg).

While the ''Blitz Buggy'' did satisfy these requirements, Bantam was not able to deliver with the fiscal strength or production capability needed to win the contract with the War Department. As as result, Ford and Willys were asked to product their own pilot models for testing, the results of which would determine the contract. The original pilot models were submitted and named accordingly. The Willys Quad by Willys Overland, the Ford Pygmy by Ford and the BRC 60 by Bantam were accepted and orders were given for 1,500 units per company, with a revised weight limit of 2,160Ib. During these pre-production runs, each vehicle was re-named. The Willys Quad became the “MA”, the Ford Pygmy became the “GP”, and the “BRC 60” became the “BRC 40”. By July of 1941, the War Department, needing standardization, selected Willys-Overland to fulfill its contract, on account of the MA’s powerful engine, silhouette, low bid ($748.74/unit), and because of the company’s ability to fulfill production needs, ordering another 16,000 vehicles.

Absorbing some of the design features of the Bantam and Ford entries, the Willys “MA” was then renamed the Willys “MB”, and featured the powerful “Go Devil” engine and a welded flat iron “slat” radiator grille (which was later replaced by a stamped grille in March of 1942). By October 1941, due to an increased demand for production, Ford was contracted to assist Willys-Overland and changed their model’s name from “GP to “GPW”, with the "W" referring to the "Willys" licensed design. During World War Two, Ford produced some 280,000 of these vehicles.

The MA and early MB's had the “Willys” name stamped into the left rear panel; however, in the spring of 1942, the War Dept. decided not to feature the logo and removed them. Early MB's had a wiper for each side of the windshield, which were hand operated in contrast to later configurations. The windshields also varied slightly. The first 3,500 produced used an MA-type frame, which had a shorter distance between the cowl and the glass frames (4in) The later models had a 6in measurement, and were noticeably taller. In the earlier model MB's, the gas tank still had rectangular lower corners, as opposed to later versions.

While earlier black-out lamps for the MB were used as aids to see other vehicles in the convoy, later MB's feature a large blackout headlamp mounted on the left front fender that was used to help the driver see where he was going. The headlamps on all World War Two Willys MB and Ford GPW Jeeps hinged up so they could illuminate the engine compartment in dark times. In 1942 the MB Jeeps got combat wheels, replacing the original stamped and welded version. Combat wheels were heavier and bolted together to facilitate field repair, and also had the ability to transport the vehicle for a distance with deflated tires. All jeeps had brackets for their pioneer tools mounted on the left side below the entryway.

Rounded rear corners were found on the bodies of all the production Jeeps, both Willys MB and Ford GPW models. All models also featured larger bumperettes, exterior handles for manual extrication from sticky terrain, and two top bows to raise the height of the canvas and keep it from pounding the heads of the front seat occupants. The instrument panels began to look more militarized on the MB and GPW. Instruments were separate (oil pressure, fuel level, ammeter, water temperature, speedometer) had black faces, and were externally illuminated. The in-out lever for the front differential, and the transfer case lever, were on the right side of the transmission lever, as those components had migrated from the left side on the Bantams to the right side on the production models.

Sourced from www.kaiserwillys.com/about_willys_jeep_mb_history_specs

Photographed at the 2013 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 27-29, 2013.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Land Rover 110 Defender 4x4 Utility Vehicle

The British Land Rover, one of the most influential and much-loved British vehicles of all time, was launched in 1948 and remained in production with much the same basic specification until 1983 when the Series III 109 inch was replaced by a new One-Ten model (110 inch wheelbase). The traditional Land Rover body shape remained but coil springs, introduced in the new Range Rover, replaced the long-lived leaf spring suspension, and the four cylinder engines were fitted with an all-synchromesh five speed gearbox. In 1984 the coil spring Ninety (with a wheelbase just short of 93 inches) fitted with a four cylinder engine was introduced. A V8-powered version appeared the following year and in 1986 a new 85bhp, 2495cc turbo-diesel engine became available, then in 1990 the Ninety and One-Ten range was renamed Defender 90, 110 and 130. Not surprisingly the new Land Rovers proved popular for Military use and UK Ministry of Defence.

Land Rover has a range of specialised Defence Vehicles including the Defender FFR (Fitted for Radio) model, a platform to provide modern Defence Forces with a flexible and highly-mobile range of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) roles. The vehicle combines an upgraded dual-voltage power supply and full electrical suppression with the acclaimed all-terrain performance of the Land Rover Defender. It is capable of transporting sensitive electronic equipment safely through challenging conditions in support of C4i operations, and is also effective as a carrier of electronic surveillance and electronic counter-measures technology.

To support the power demands of the latest electronic equipment, the new Defender FFR features a new electrical architecture with a dual 12v / 24v power supply, replacing the 24v system of the previous model. The total output is raised from 100 amps to 280 amps, enabling a significant increase in the amount of C4i equipment that can be operated. Two high-output 12v glass mat, air-transportable military specification batteries are fitted, giving improved engine cranking at lower temperatures. The batteries are now stowed under the rear floor, releasing extra space in rear body for equipment. All of the Defender FFR’s electrical systems are fully suppressed in accordance with the most stringent test standards (including Def Stan 59-411 Class A and Mil Std 461F) enabling C4i equipment to be installed without further suppression work.

The operational performance of the Defender FFR is further enhanced by the standardisation of a heavy duty 3500kg chassis, providing improved payload capability, and the fitment of a new 90kW 2.4-litre diesel engine which offers over 35% more torque than the previous model.

Additional improvements include a more spacious and efficient driving environment with a new ergonomic dashboard design, and a foldable forward-facing radio operator’s seat with integral headrest and 3-point safety belt for improved comfort and safety.

Sources from :

www.classicdriver.com/en/car/land-rover/defender/1987/691401

www.army-technology.com/contractors/vehicles/land-rover/p...

Photographed at the 62nd Secretary of State Antique Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on September 10, 2011.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 1st Annual Scheels & Shields Fundraiser Emergency Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on May 5, 2012. The event is sponsored by Scheels, Quaker Steak & Lube, and the Police Car Owners of America, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 29th Annual Nostalgic Indoor Invitational Auto Show at Avanti's Dome in Pekin, Illinois on March 30, 2013. The show is presented by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America Regional Group #51.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 16th Annual Plaza Car & Semi Show in Central Park Plaza, downtown Jacksonville, Illinois on June 9, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 8th Annual Lincoln Land Community College MotorSports Club Car Show in Springfield, Illinois on July 9, 2011.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 13th Annual Cool Cruisers/New Berlin Fire Department Car Show in New Berlin, Illinois on July 27, 2013.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Safety is paramount, and it requires a lot of men and material to make it all happen.

Thanks to CAD, it takes the guesswork out of where to set up the Santas, which corner gets a menorah, how to stretch out your snowmen...

Baynard County ConServ

Coral Drive & S, Ocean Drive

Mystic Beach

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R

For more info about the dioramas, check out the FAQ: 1stPix FAQ

My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.

My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.

Photographed at the 2012 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 21-23, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

The ''Pink Panther'' often referred to as the ''Pinkie'' is a heavily customised Land Rover Series IIA built for British Special Air Service desert warfare operations in the Middle East. The SAS are globally renowned as being one of the single toughest and most effective special forces units in the world, so building them a 4x4 exclusively for desert use was no small undertaking.

The choice of pink may seem strange but it was discovered that it was the most effective colour for camouflaging vehicles in the desert, particularly in the dawn and dusk parts of the day. The story goes that an aircraft had been painted pink in order to make it highly visible, it crashed and proved impossible to find in the desert sands. It was later discovered entirely by accident.

The first SAS vehicles had been American Jeeps during World War Two, they’d be used for sabotage and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines and they’d proven to be highly capable. In 1968 the British Ministry of Defence bought 72 examples of the Series IIA long wheelbase Land Rovers (the 109) it was officially known as ''Truck, General Service, 3/4 Ton'' or ''FV 18064''. These factory-stock 109's were sent to Marshalls of Cambridge for conversion to SAS specification.

The basic outline of this desert preparation included the following - four fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 100 gallons, a heavy duty chassis, heavy duty suspension, sand tyres, differential guards front and back, and a spare tyre was mounted to the front. Both doors and the windscreen were removed, as was the roof (this example has a soft top). Rifle boxes were added along with shovels, jerry cans, and sand ladders. For military purposes the vehicles were equipped with a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) an anti-tank weapon, rifles, grenade holders, smoke canisters front and rear, navigation equipment, and spotlights front and back.

The ''Pinkies'' came from Marshalls painted bronze green, but for SAS desert service they were painted in light pink, typically including the wheels and even the tires. It’s hard to know what the enemy combatants in the desert must have thought because they’re no longer with us, but it must have been a sight to behold seeing a bright pink truck come roaring over the sand dunes full of decidedly well-trained SAS operatives.

Most of the original 72 Pink Panthers didn’t survive their military service, and those that did (approximately 20) are now amongst the most famous and highly-sought after Land Rovers in the world. Many replicas have been made, but when an authentic Pinkie comes up for public sale word of it spreads like wildfire across the Land Rover world, and the classic car world to a degree. An original genuine 1968 Land Rover Series IIA ''Pink Panther'' would probably be worth in the region of £65,000 plus, so start saving !

Information sourced from - silodrome.com/sas-land-rover-pink-panther-pinkie/

Utility car and locomotive Nº 97 in the depot at Leimen.

Photographed at the 29th Annual Old Settlers Association Open Car Show in Hillsboro, Illinois on August 12, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at The Vintage Times Street Rod Club’s 38th Annual Rod Run in Springfield, Illinois on September 1, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 29th Annual Nostalgic Indoor Invitational Auto Show at Avanti's Dome in Pekin, Illinois on March 30, 2013. The show is presented by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America Regional Group #51.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival Car Show in Lincoln, Illinois on August 25, 2013. The event is sponsored by the Railsplitter Antique Auto Club.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the Cool Cruisers Car Club Steak-N-Shake Cruise-In in Springfield, Illinois on July 1, 2011.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 16th Annual Plaza Car & Semi Show in Central Park Plaza, downtown Jacksonville, Illinois on June 9, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.

C. and our youngest son also helped with the demolition of the old fence/paving.

Spotted this at a winery in the Southern Highlands, near Bowral NSW.

Photographed at the 2013 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 27-29, 2013.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

Photographed at the 17th Annual McLean County Antique Auto Club Exhibition on the grounds of the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, Illinois on August 3, 2013. The event is co-sponsored by the David Davis Mansion Foundation.

Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

youtu.be/S3q_d2M-QI4

My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.

In a parking lot on a sunny August afternoon.

The AEC Militant (aka ''Milly'') was a post-war development by AEC of the AEC Matador Artillery Tractor used during World War Two. Externally the most noticeable development was the cab, which was considerably enlarged. Unlike the Matador only six-wheel versions were produced. Four-wheel versions are extant, but they are probably conversions and one is a Matador with a Mk.I Militant cab. Other changes included the fitting of a larger, 11.3-litre 6-cylinder, diesel engine and the use of a steel frame for the cab, rather than the ash (fraxinus) wood frame of the Matador. The Militant Mk.I was produced in 6x4 and 6x6 form. Although primarily intended as a replacement for the Matador Artillery Tractor, other variants included an Articulated Lorry Tractor Unit, a General Service or Cargo Lorry with a longer wheelbase and as a chassis for mounting various Cranes, usually supplied by Coles.

The Militant served with the British Army and some other Armies in most parts of the world, it was intended as an improved Artillery Tractor, but after World War Two, the development of large Artillery Pieces was gradually dropped in favour of more effective Rockets and Missiles, making this role largely redundant during the Militant's service life. Crews had mixed views of the Militant, because it had no power steering, it took considerable effort to turn the steering wheel at slow speeds and in difficult conditions. However, it was credited with a good cross-country performance and was often used to recover the six-wheel drive Alvis Stalwart Amphibious Lorries that bogged in difficult conditions. (The Mk.III did have a power assist Steering Ram). Most variants were fitted with a chassis-mounted winch that was driven through the gearbox, this was intended for manoeuvering of the Towed Field Gun and for self-recovery of the vehicle, proved extremely strong and reliable. The Militant gained the nickname ''Knocker'' from its Military Crews which may have been due to the rhythmic sound of the slow-revving engines.

The ''Knocker'' was the nickname of the Mk.I and the one Mk.I CALM was still in service with each RCT Transport Squadron until the AEC fleet was replaced by the Bedford 14 Tonne 6x6 in the early 1990's. AEC Mk.III Recovery Trucks were replaced by Foden GS Recovery 6x6. Many Militants were sold off by the Army in the 1970's and were purchased as Heavy Recovery Vehicles or for forestry use by civilian operators. They were not as popular for forestry operations as their predecessor the Matador because the extra length and an extra axle made them less manoeuvrable in confined spaces. However, some users simply shortened the chassis and removed one axle, effectively creating a more powerful version of the Matador. AEC MK.I Militant's were still in service as late as 1985, the MK.III's were still in service as late as 1990.

▪︎Type: Medium / Heavy Artillery Tractor / Multi-Purpose Support Vehicle / 10-ton Cargo Truck

▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom

▪︎Designer & Manufacturer: AEC (Associated Equipment Company)

▪︎Produced: 1952 to 1964

▪︎Number Built: 3,200

▪︎Variants: O859 (6x4) / O860 (6x6)

▪︎Mass: Unladen 10.3 to 10.5 tons / Length: 24ft 1in / Width: 8ft / Height: 9ft 8in

▪︎Powerplant: AEC A223 straight-six diesel engine, 150bhp

▪︎Drive: 6x4 or part time 6x6

▪︎Transmission: 5F1Rx2

▪︎Suspension: Live axles on semi-elliptical multi-leaf springs inverted at the rear

▪︎Maximum Speed: 25mph.

Photographed at the First Annual New Salem Shrine Club Car Show in Petersburg, Illinois on September 15, 2012.

Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.

The G-502, WC-51 and WC-52 Truck, Cargo, 3⁄4-ton, 4x4, Weapons Carrier (T-214 - from early 1942) had largely redesigned bodies and frames, compared to their ½-ton, 1940–1941 forebears, yet retained mechanically as much as possible, improving what was necessary, while maintaining supply, logistics, and training continuity. The design was now blatantly more jeep-like, with a much shorter, lower, wider, versatile, open cab pickup body. The hood became flat and horizontal, and the windshield could now also be folded forward, flat on it. With the top and bows down, the WC-51 and WC-52 followed the low-profile design doctrine of the time. Engine and drive-train were almost completely carried over from the T-215 ½-tons, except for the uprated, wider track axles 5 ft 4 3⁄4 in, which were now 18 in closer together, for 8 ft 2in wheelbase.

The WC-51 and WC-52 could be fitted with an optional M24A1 machine gun mount, or other devices. The M24A1 mount bolted across the front of the bed, and could carry the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, the M1919 Browning machine gun, or the M2 Browning machine gun. Lack of a winch gave the WC-51 a 10 in shorter front overhang, and thus a better approach angle. The WC-52 not only differed from the WC-51 by having a power take-off driven Braden MU‑2 7,500 lb capacity winch on the front bumper, but to accommodate it, the WC-52 was actually built on its own, longer frame. With about every third unit carrying a winch, these were thus rarely ever retrofitted.

Almost three quarters of Dodge's 255,195 total 3⁄4‑ton, G-502, WC series production, were built as WC-51 and WC-52, cargo, troops and weapon carriers. 123,541 were built without winch as the WC-51, and 59,114 with a front winch as WC-52, for a total of 182,655 units. When adding the 5,380 WC-55, M6 Gun Motor Carriages, that were later downgraded back to WC-52 specification, it brings the total number to over 188,000 of these models. Although nearly a quarter of that (44,229) were passed on to allies, mostly through Lend-Lease, once the 1939 U.S. Army reorganization from 8‑man to 12‑man (rifle) squads got tied more closely into troop-car procurement, Dodge received orders for a similar amount (43,224 built) of the stretched, 12‑troop (one squad) capacity, WC-62 and WC-63, 11⁄2‑ton, 6x6 trucks.

A substantial amount, almost a quarter of all the 3⁄4‑ton Weapons Carriers (a total of 44,229 WC-51 and WC-52 trucks) were provided through Lend-Lease to various Allies:-

▪︎24,902 to the Soviet Union, who used some to pull their ZiS-3 76-mm anti-tank guns.

▪︎10,884 to Great Britain

▪︎3,711 to China

▪︎3,495 to the Free French Forces

▪︎954 to Brazil

▪︎204 to other Latin American countries.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS -

▪︎Type: 1⁄2-ton / 3⁄4-ton 4x4 truck / 11⁄2-ton 6x6 truck

▪︎Place of Origin: Warren Truck Assembly, Michigan, United States

Conflicts: World War Two / Korean War / Various post 1945 conflicts

▪︎Manufacturer: Dodge / Fargo

▪︎Produced: 1940 to 1945

▪︎Number Built: Total = 382,350 excluding variants consisting of: 1⁄2-ton 4x2 models = 1,542 units / All 4x4 Models = ~337,600 units – across: ≈82,390 1⁄2-ton units (1940 to 1942) and 255,195 3⁄4-ton units (1942 to 1945) 11⁄2-ton 6x6 Models 43,224 units

▪︎Variants: D8A 1⁄2-ton, 4x4 (1941, Canada) = 3,000 units / D3/4 APT 3⁄4-ton, 4x4 (1945, Canada) = 11,750 units / VF-401 – VF-407 11⁄2-ton, 4x4 (1940) = 6,472 units / T-203B 11⁄2-ton, 4x4 (1941) = 1,500 units / WF-32 - G-618 11⁄2-ton, 4x2 (1942 to 1944, Iran) = 9,600 units

SPECIFICATIONS (WC-51 / WC-52) -

▪︎Mass: 5,250 lb empty / 5,550 lb with winch

▪︎Length: 13 ft 10 7⁄8 in / 14 ft 8 1⁄2 in with winch

▪︎Width: 16 ft 10 3⁄4 in

▪︎Height: 6 ft 9 7⁄8 in

▪︎Engine: Dodge T-214, 92 hp

▪︎Payload Capacity: 1,500 lb

▪︎Transmission: 4 speed × 1 range

▪︎Suspension: Live beam axles on leaf springs

▪︎Ground Clearance: 10 in

▪︎Fuel Capacity: 30 U.S gallons

▪︎Operational Range: 240 miles

▪︎Maximum Speed: 55 mph.

Information sourced from - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_WC_series

Photographed at the 23rd Annual Ansar Shrine Classic Car Unit Car Show in Lincoln Park, Springfield, Illinois on June 12, 2011.

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International 4300 chassis with Altec boom at the Mystic Beach Place Shopping Center.

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