LOADING AT BRECHT

On all good things come an end.

After a few days of rain driving from Ypres to the proximity of the port of Antwerp we had a sunny day for preparing the vehicles for shipping.

So may more places and events had been visited than reported on this site. Everyday had its highlight and my body is still buzzing with impressions.

After helping the Aussies and NZérs load their vehicles,

The boss drove me on to Apeldoorn in Holland.

We could not believe that after 5000 miles we arrived 100m from our final destination to see the veterans day celebrations on the Market place.

Willy just joined in for the fun and phoned a few friends to welcome us back in our new home.

The trip has been very succesfull and the impressions need many more months to sink in.

Many thanks for all who looked after us in the last weeks.

But for now I leave it and I am looking foward to short trips during my retirement

It has been a pleasure informing you about our progress in the last six weeks.

To all, the very best and hope to see you soon,

Willy, 12 June 2009

Many thanks to all in the group who cared for me. In the end a flat tyre and a starting motoe was all that failed. And that a t my age of 67 !!

ST QUENTIN CABARET

After Dieppe , Amiens we left for St Quentin Cabaret, where Graham has an uncle buried who was killed in May 1917.

It is believed that he was the first relative to visit this grave site.

We planted a hortensia which should last the summer.

It made for a very special stop on our trip to honour a distant relative whose live was cut short at the tender age of 21..

We also helped along an englishman who was looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack...

But our map with approximately 100 cemetries around Ypres helped him locate the one he was looking for..

Willy 8 June 2009

40th Wedding Anniversary

The co-pilot had his 40th wedding anniversay in Normandy.

Just the occasion for a big celebration with his family.

The tent was exchanged for a suitable villa and the off spring

with partners were all there.

A suitable speech was given by the pilot .

(The 40th couple are to the left on the foto)

We all enjoyed a great dinner party at the local golf club.

Willy, 7th June 2009

D-DAY 2009

What a day it has been.


In convoy with the poms to a beach East of Arromanche. Then we had to wait for low tide for a few hours.



The gendarmerie had blocked many roads for festivities and we had to use a few back roads and a distant beach to get a back door on to Arromanche beach.














The intention was to join a massive gathering of vehicles and craft on the beach at Allamanche.






Willy did not wait for low tide and waded through the sea wet sand to join the family, who were already waiting for a few hours. That gave us a prime spot on the beach, next to a landing craft.



There were still many real veterans and we paid our respect to them in style.






Wonderfull to see quite a few still in good health.

Old soldiers never die










Willy", 6 June 2009

FAMILY Gathering

The families of the pilot and co-pilot arrived in Port a Boissin early in the week and they joined them in some very comfortable accomodation.

I was unloaded to carry more passengers and all slept in grande style.

The co-pilot and his wife celebrated their 40th anniversary on the 7th, and the pilot has withnessed all 40 years.

We were joined by the children of both pilot and co-pilot which amde for a happening of 11 people.

What a unique happening. They took turns to make trip with Willy and waving to the other WWII vehicle drivers.

Willy, 7 june 2009

Congratulations Rene and Carla, many happy returns

Well done.

Will

NORMANDY COAST

I have a bit of catch up to do.

We arrived on the Normandy North coast last Monday and we have been really busy with visiting sites and getting the reception for President Obama and Sarcosy ready.

Visiting many hostoric battle sites and taking it all in.

One of the famous sites is St Marie Eglise , were one poor paratrooper got stuck on the church steeple. The poor bugger is still there.

WE also took advantage of the low tide and fine weather to drive on a number of beaches. Omaha beach here we come. A fantastic experience to be here and commemorate the landings .

Not good for Willy's under belly all that salt sand. But coming all the way one might as well.

Here is Willy with in the background some very smart looking Italians.

They brought a salut to us in respect of the distance travelled. They had heard from their friends in Sarponia about our trip .

News travels fast.

Willy, 3 June 2009

PERIERS

Not far from the Normandy coast destination , we were guest of an english family. True military vehicle enthousiast. Their vehicles stay in a nice new barn. Willy was quite jealous on that luxury stuff. Plenty to aim for , for the boss. He wished that he had a barn like that. It would be instantly filled with goodies.

The Coombe's organised a very nice barbeque for all of us. Great hospitality !

Trusty Mick having a good look at the coffee we were drinking.

We convinced him to join in.

See you next time.

Willy, 31 May 2009

A SPOT OF BOTHER

Who reaches for high result can also come down to earth with a thump.



This happened to me yesterday on the way from Mont St Michel to Periers.



Willy had to pull over to to let some old men do their business on the side of the road.



When I tried to make some more space to let a few vehicles in , my front wheel fell down a hidden french ditch.



I heard the co-pilot scream in panic "are you going to fall over Willy".

Naeh , I am all-right it takes a fair bit for that to happen. But the co-pilot made a hasty retreat , with some marks in his pants....







Even for good ole Willy this was a big task to get out off.

Low range, 4-wheel drive and first gear did not do the job.

Rather than straining my essentials, we enlisted some help from NZ érs.

So with the help of good ole Dodge , I was back on track in a jiffy.

All of this took less time than to read this, but it is still creating exitement for many of the others and some embarrasment for thge pilot.

Willy is still unmarked, other than some grass around the propshaft.

Willy, 31 May 2009

MONT ST MICHEL

Mont St. Michel lies on the coast of Normandy/Bretannie.It is a small rock linked with a causeway to the mainland.





It used to flood at high tide , which can be several meters in this part of the world. But the road was increased in height and the island is now accessable all day.



This has caused the surrounding marshes to silt completely full. The Island is therefor not an island any longer .

It is the intention to replace the road with an elevated train track on pilons and remove the road.
This is supposed to make it an island again.

Anyway this is all too complicated for Willy.


Willy, 30 May, 2009