MLU / CMP meeting, Normandy, June 2009

[Hanno Spoelstra]

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

[Lang]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I will be there with my F15A (weather permitting).

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

[jim sewell]

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

[Keith Orpin]

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

[maverick]

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

[Maurice Donckers]

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 .

[S LATHERON (RIP)]

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.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Keith Orpin

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 ?

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

[Keith Orpin]

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

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

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?

Lang,

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

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

[Lang]

Hanno,

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

Lang

[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

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

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,

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

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

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

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

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

[Hanno Spoelstra]

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

[Sydneymver]

Originally Posted by Lang

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.

I agree,as i will be staying in the ACCOR at Port en Bessin with my wife, we will have a civillian hire car, an will be cruisin to the camp at Etraham, would loveto catch a ride in any MV to various outings.

Bruce McCann
65th D-DAY