QUESTION 2
What posting regarding the Wilson box in the Ferret and driving
techniques are you referring to in your E-mail?
CHIT-CHAT
I was camped at Normandy 94 with James Swan, John Belfield and others
(including Bob Fleming and some Aussies) at Chateux Martragny (never did
get the hang of either the pronounciation or spelling!)
With relief I can say that I did not have the privilege of Mud City:
nostalgia be damned it looked too much like misery to me. BUT as far
as a place to visit there was some really interesting gear in the
compound.
I also met some yanks who had dragged an M5A1 Stuart
all the way from the US only to be told by some French
functionary that if they tried to leave Mud City with it,
it would be (confiscated?) as it was wearing US
markings when it should have British markings in that sector.
They were not impressed to say the least, nor were they game
enough to try out the 2 armed Gendarmes on the gate. Shades of
Stalag!
We learnt how a country can be cordoned off, put under virtual
martial law and hundreds of thousands of people seriously
inconvienienced all for the sake of a few V.I.P's. We were allowed to
trudge up the hill to Aromanche at 6pm just in time to see everbody
leaving!
I have since talked to some French nationals on holiday
in Broken Hill who tell me that whilst we were all learning about
politics the french media were reporting very unfavourably on
the whole sorry mess - in their words "it was a national
disgrace". They said the average frenchy was not impressed
at the conduct of their politicians and gendarmes.
Hope to be back for Normandy 99 I am told the non-V.I.P years are the
best.
Having said that I am still glad I went to the 5oth!
The postage rates I mentioned are what I was quoted in a Post Office in
England! I was looking to unload some of my souvenirs so I could buy
some more. You know the sort of thing - visit Bovington, struggle back
to London on the train with an arm full of books on AFV's, wonder how
you are going to get all this dead weight past the airport baggage
scale!
Regards
Doug