Western Command Tour 2011

[Harry Moon]

Overall and all over.
All told 1235 Kms from start point to finish, with most having piled on a couple hundred extra getting to and from the RV point. Probably the most demanding climbs we will ever put the trucks through again. By comparison the Trans Canada route mostly follows waterways and doesn’t have anywhere near the number of major climbs that this Crowsnest route does. Up and over seemed to be the motto.
I didn’t say anything about all the veterans we met and spoke to suffice to say there were less and less since our first tour back in 2005. But they were still special and an honour to meet and converse with.
The Legions themselves are treasures too with old pictures honour rolls and information on all the enlisted me and women from their communities. The living and the wounded or killed in action. Special things like the 110 year old pool table still in the Nelson Legion left over from its days as the YMCA. The Greenwood Legion that used to be the towns Opera House.
And Great Company which included all these characters and their Vehicles:
Ian Newbey, President, Western Command in an RB 44
Dave Beale Vice President Western Command in an ex US Air Force 92 Blazer
John Hawthorne Organizer Freedom Route 4 1941 GMC K-18 “Old Pokey”
Chuck Ingram, 5 ton Leyland DAF
Dave (Super Dave) Good, M35
Carmen Ingram, M151 with Trailer
Bill McLean, WW2 Jeep
Kevin and Jennifer, Iltis
Daryl “Doc” Rose, Dnepr Motorcycle with sidecar.
Drew Swan, Land Rover ambulance
Carey Price, M43 Ambulance.
Andy Hill, M151
Grant Johnson WW2 Jeep
Waldy Libera 44 CGT CMP with Limber
Harry Moon, 1944 C15A CMP

[Aide Memoire]

That was great fun, and yes, I also noticed the significant drop in vets since the first trip in 2005 and the fact many of the Legions throughout the Thompson-Okanagan are dealing with significant membership challenges. Even with the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final, a number of the Legions...echoed.

Congrats to our members driving the WWII equipment who dealt with various frustrating tire and mechanical challenges without losing their sense of humour, as I'm sure many out there would've just thrown in the towel.

Great to see some collectors out there not part of our group. At one Legion a great CMP HUP showed up - still under restoration - but I'd never seen one apart from pictures. Another visitor demonstrated that M38CDNs etc. are still being dragged out of the brush where they've undoubtedly sat since some ancient Crown Assets sale in the late 1960s - so the hobby is clearly alive and well despite current government attempts to squash military surplus sales.

(Harry's got a pretty complete list of participants, and there's another on the Club website at www.westerncommand.com)

[Harry Moon]

I posted as seperate threads each day as I had sent out an email to all the participants asking to post pictures and comments based on the day in question. Thats ok this way as hopefully people take part. My pictures you ask? On my camera I say but i can't find my camera and I'm a little worried about where it is or was left!
I got a 235 chev engine going to Pat for his C15A to get it back on the road, my spare tranny and a box of tranny innards has gone to Waldy for his FAT and my GMC 270 is now spoken for by John for "Old Pokey". We should all be back on the road very quickly.

[Hans Mulder]

Great report...If I had been able to get the time off, I would have trailered my carrier along with the convoy...

Maybe next time, when it is done.