MLU / CMP meeting, Normandy, June 2009
 

Who is going to Normandy 2009 for the 65th anniversary of D.Day ?. I'll start the ball rolling, by stating that I am taking my 1942 C30 LAAT to France with the MVT between the 1st June to 8th June. What I would like to see is a gathering of CMP's from all over Europe, in France, during the above dates, all getting together, to make it the largest gathering since WW2. You never know, we may even beat the Aussies !
What say you ?
Best Regards
Keith

Keith,
Here's one Auzzie who will be there. Better make that 2 as Jill will be there too. Unfortunately we wont have a vehicle. We travel over on the 'Normandie" on 1st June and we are staying at the same camp park as the MVT (Richard Farrant) and the Auzzie Greece to Normandy Convoy.
We'll have a modern motorhome as we are 'overthere' for 3 1/2 months all told. This will include Beltring and The Great Dorset Steam Fair. Look out for the Boxing Kangaroo and make yourselves known. :cheers:
Regards Rick n Jill

Rick (& Jill),
That's the ferry we are going out on !.
Not only will I make myself known, but there will be room in the back of the LAAT, if you find yourself stuck for a lift in France !
All the best
Keith

... here's a Swiss who will be there too. I'll be in the area with my brother, starting June 2nd. However, my new Blitz will stay at home.

Greetings
Chris

Zemsi,
Please come along to the MVT campsite and find me, I might even be able to give you a lift as well !
regards
Keith

... excellent, Keith. Thanks for your offer. By the way, where does the MVT camp? Is it in Etreham?

Is this your LAAT?

Chris

G'day Keith,
Thanks we will take you up on your offer. We are also staying at Etreham. Courtesy of Richard Farrants suggestion. We booked our pitch months ago.
The Greece to Normandy Ozzies are also staying there.
Regards Rick n Jill

I would really like to go, but nothing is certain at this time, due to some minor health issues.
The Chevrolet C8 will certainly not be finished in time, but I might just be able to get the BSA folding Bycicle done. I had the idea of driving the car with the BSA in the back to a campsite and than driving the BSA along the beaches.

Alex

Zemsi,
That is a Chev Derrick truck, my Bedford is in the background and I think that is Keith taking down the tent behind the Chev. Photo taken on last day of War & Peace show 2008 :thup2:

Zemsi,
As Richard points out, that is David Ashby's C30 at Beltring last year. Mine is pictured below:. Etreham sounds like it's going to be very busy !
Regards
Keith

Nice looking truck, Keith. We will enjoy a ride with you that's for sure.
Rick

As in previous years my HMV club, Keep Them Rolling, has hired a large part of the Camping Municipal Le Champ de Course at Courseulles sur Mer as the base for their KTR Normandy Tour 2009. See the attached map for the location, complete with latitude and longitude for those with navigation systems in their vehicles.

At the time of writing 100+ vehicles have entered, including an unknown number of CMP trucks. I will be there with my F15A (weather permitting).

It would be great if we could set a date and location for all MLU members to meet. After I get the programme for the 1-8 June timeframe I will post my possibilities here.

Hanno

Hanno,

You live in a country which is in the Grand Final of the competition for the worst weather in the world but put a proviso on weather?

I would have thought we would have seen the Dutch smiling and laughing as they walked through the freezing, wind-driven sleet in their bathing costumes before breaking the ice on the frozen Manche for their early morning swims.

I can understand the Australians cowering like mongrel dogs in their tents if it drops below 20c or there are more than two clouds on the horizon but the Dutch.........

Lang

Normandy
 

I look forward to meeting up with the other MLUers .
Regards
Jim S.

Hi Hanno,
So, weather permitting, there will be at least 2 CMP's present !. At long last, you and I can maybe meet somewhere in France with our trucks. Do you know if Dirk or Stephan are showing any of their vehicles ?
Regards
Keith

Hi Keith
 

My LAA's wont be ready but my mate Lloyd is taking his Ford LAAT over possibly with one of my engines installed in it. The engine was in a carrier originally and has cast iron pistons i believe.
Regards Alan

Hi , I will also taking a CMP , because of the weather , At least you can close up a CMP for some comfort . In Normandy it can be real hot in June , but it also can be cold and very rainy , the weather can change by the day there .

CMP = Covers Many People
 

With the worlds climate in disarray we may get to use our CMP trucks some more tasks than we bargained for in years to come.Keeping the rain off being one of them.
For all you MLU members going to France I wish you well.

I am sure as well that you will spare a thought while you are there for the many that gave there lives to win the peace.
Lest We forget. :salute: :support

Lang,

Some say Dante was talking about Holland when he wrote Hell ("... sullen we lie here now in the black mud...") :rolleyes

Because of our weather we often use ijs en weder dienende, which means "weather permitting", figuratively speaking. Matter of fact is that my F15A needs to be brought back to life after being in deep storage for many years. I should be able to have her back on the road by May, but you never know what sort of unexpected pitfalls one comes across.

But with or without truck, we will shake hands on a Normandy beach in June!

Hanno

Hanno,

I will be in Normandy to meet you , Chevrolet permitting!

Lang

Hanno,

I suggest a good meeting point might be Port en Bessin. Not only is it the border between the American and British beaches but there are some great little restaurants we could organise. Plenty of room to park vehicles up near the sea wall.

Lang

Lang,

Good suggestion! Let´s work on this and try to set a date and time to proclaim the Maple Leaf Up Normandy Meeting 2009.

Hanno

Hi Keith,

There will be a lot more CMPs attending, Maurice will be there, and I suppose the Leegwaters will bring a nice selection too.

Do you know if any of the other OCMPers are coming over?

Our challenge is to get them together in the mayhem, which - traffic wise only, gladly - will be comparable to 1944!

Hanno

Hanno,
As far as I am aware, my CMP will be the only one attending from the OCMPers, which is a great pity. I think "challenge" is definately the right word to use to assemble us all together in one place, and due to the reasons that we are all there for, we have to do our best in trying to acheive this, as this will probably be the largest amount of CMP's seen in France, in one place, since the last war. Lang's idea is a good one, let's see what else is suggested.
Keith

That is both doable and a great idea! See if you can get hold of either of the Ballards... even if they don't bring a vehicle, they have my original large painted Maple Leaf Up sign in their shop - maybe you can arrange to borrow it, even ad infinitum if they're slowly disentangling themselves from the business.

Keep us posted!

Jif

I am giving some serious thought to taking 2 weeks leave in early June and going to the UK. If this pans out I will also attend the Normandy events (sans vehicle, alas).
Jiffy, Any MLU swag available so that I can be appropriately 'branded'?

Good point, Clive.... let me see what I can come up with and I'll get back to you ASAP! :D

In an effort to get the Maple Leaf Up Normandy Meeting 2009 going, I have made a Google map which denotes the known locations of MLU members.

Most of us are travelling with a group (Keep The Rolling and Military Vehicle Trust), each having their schedule for events. All we need to do now is to establish a common gap in these schedules which we can use to pinpoint a date, place & time for the Maple Leaf Up Normandy Meeting 2009.

Please post your possibilities here. I´m guessing it will be somewhere during 2-4 June?

If you want your location added on the map, post it here or PM me, and I will add your campsite, hotel, etc. to the map.

Thanks,
Hanno

MLU goodies
 

Jiff:

Clive and I are trying to coord an RV in UK or Normandy to participate in this bash. I leave for deepest darkest Africa (OK, its only Nairobi! :p) on 18 April. I will happily hand carry the MLU goodies if we can get them to Ottawa.

Ubee cue! Mike:remember :support

The Australian convoy is swinging south to Mont St Michel for a day and not now arriving at Etreham until 01 June when the Brits move in from Falaise (and their second wave arrives also).

I would be more than happy to try to organise a meeting point in Port en Bessin but it might be a bit rushed. Maybe some of the earlier arrivals could drop in to see the lay of the land.

As well as several great little restaurants/cafes there are a couple of pizza places. If it is not raining what about getting a bunch of pizzas and beer and having a picnic. It does not get dark until late.

If we walked about 100 metres over the harbour entrance to the east there are some nice small grassy areas with a magnificent view up and down the coast on the hill near the old German gun emplacements.

If it is wet and miserable we have a choice of trying to crowd into one of the little cafes or parking up near the harbour, circling the wagons and skulking under truck tarps and whatever else will keep the rain off.

I think the outside system is best because there are not a lot of places in the area that can cater to a big sit-down mob. Also, once you get seated at a small table you only really talk to 3 or 4 people all night. Outside you get to move around and talk to everyone.

I am happy to plan on a grassy picnic but be prepared to put on a rain coat and make the best of it if it rains. A simple solution to keep warm would be to change from beer to Calvados!

Lang