I've been keeping in irregular touch with a couple of the participants of the Lang Kidby-organised ANZAC Convoy. One of the trekkers is Karen Bracken who is also a contributor to ACC. She has just started a blog of the preparations for the convoy and it certainly looks the part - http://www.anzacconvoy.blogspot.com/
Above: a wonderful photo of Karen and Dale in December with their almost completed GMC.
Friends from Western Australia who we lived around the corner from - Jim and Sandy Sewell - are also attending in their stunning Blitz radio van. Their blog is at - http://sewellnormandy.blogspot.com/
Here's an article and photos Karen was kind enough to send through a short while ago.
Here's an article and photos Karen was kind enough to send through a short while ago.
The Lang Kidby-led expedition of 15 Australian World War II Vehicles is now a reality. With members’ airline tickets booked and containers shipped and a definite port/deport plan in place Lang says “things are coming along nicely.”
The convoy will leave Istanbul on 1st June 2009 travelling through Europe via Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Their object will be to reach Etreham, France, on June 2 where they will join the British MVT group and participate in the activities associated with the 65th anniversary of the Normandy D Day landing by the Allied Forces on June 6, 1944. “As excitement grows, and the word gets around, the scale of the experience significance is overwhelming,” says Lang.
In mid-February, fifteen WWII vehicles were containerised and are on their way to Istanbul from NZ, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
Expedition members carrying only their personal gear will then follow to help with the unloading and preparation of vehicles for the Anzac Military Convoy. “Hoops, tarps, bumpers and wheels are some of the items needing to be reinstalled and tyres will need to be pumped up. Once general maintenance is completed, then we’ll be ready to take to the road,” added Lang.
“Our first stop will be Gallipoli which will really emotionally stimulate those participants who haven’t been over before. Then south-westwards into Greece and Alexandropolis, Keramoti, Thessalonika, Volos, Athens and Piraeus. A visit to the Maleme war graves is a must.
“We’ll spend five days looking over the militarily significant island of Crete before departing from Patra by ferry for an overnight journey to Ancona. We’ll also spend a week in Italy traveling across the mountains from Florence via Pisa, Garlenda, Turin and Verbano, crossing the Swiss Alps via Seelisberg and onto Mulhouse in France, where, at Etreham, we’ll meet up with the (British) Military Vehicle Trust to participate in the Normandy activities [before] finally leaving Etreham to travel to the Australian National War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and then preparing for our journey home from Zeebrugge, Belgium on June 12.
“I expect to cover 5,000 kms and with 30 days of travel this averages out at 160 kms per day.
“Putting the military significance of this trip aside, it is about relaxation and explorative sight seeing and the pace reflects this. After all, the unpredictability of traveling in these old vehicles goes without saying,” says Lang. “Members have done their best preparation-wise but deadlines are always stretched with the result that most vehicles would never have been tried under these daily driving conditions, sometimes on large motorways, sometimes on country lanes and sometimes winding through the Alps.”
The convoy will leave Istanbul on 1st June 2009 travelling through Europe via Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Their object will be to reach Etreham, France, on June 2 where they will join the British MVT group and participate in the activities associated with the 65th anniversary of the Normandy D Day landing by the Allied Forces on June 6, 1944. “As excitement grows, and the word gets around, the scale of the experience significance is overwhelming,” says Lang.
In mid-February, fifteen WWII vehicles were containerised and are on their way to Istanbul from NZ, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
Expedition members carrying only their personal gear will then follow to help with the unloading and preparation of vehicles for the Anzac Military Convoy. “Hoops, tarps, bumpers and wheels are some of the items needing to be reinstalled and tyres will need to be pumped up. Once general maintenance is completed, then we’ll be ready to take to the road,” added Lang.
“Our first stop will be Gallipoli which will really emotionally stimulate those participants who haven’t been over before. Then south-westwards into Greece and Alexandropolis, Keramoti, Thessalonika, Volos, Athens and Piraeus. A visit to the Maleme war graves is a must.
“We’ll spend five days looking over the militarily significant island of Crete before departing from Patra by ferry for an overnight journey to Ancona. We’ll also spend a week in Italy traveling across the mountains from Florence via Pisa, Garlenda, Turin and Verbano, crossing the Swiss Alps via Seelisberg and onto Mulhouse in France, where, at Etreham, we’ll meet up with the (British) Military Vehicle Trust to participate in the Normandy activities [before] finally leaving Etreham to travel to the Australian National War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and then preparing for our journey home from Zeebrugge, Belgium on June 12.
“I expect to cover 5,000 kms and with 30 days of travel this averages out at 160 kms per day.
“Putting the military significance of this trip aside, it is about relaxation and explorative sight seeing and the pace reflects this. After all, the unpredictability of traveling in these old vehicles goes without saying,” says Lang. “Members have done their best preparation-wise but deadlines are always stretched with the result that most vehicles would never have been tried under these daily driving conditions, sometimes on large motorways, sometimes on country lanes and sometimes winding through the Alps.”
Above: some of the Queensland-based vehicles that will be doing the run. A Harley Davidson motorcylce will also be participating.
Happy travels everyone!
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