Tanks in Town, Mons (Belgium), August 30th/31st 2008

[Alex van de Wetering]

I'll arrive on Friday, too. I don't know any interesting locations in Belgium or the Netherlands. May be our Dutch friends can help?

I also hope to be there again this year. Lasy year I visited on saterday in the Bois Brulee. Lot's to see there, both armour as well as soft-skin. In 2006 I was in Mons on the Sunday. My experience was that it was fairly easy to take the car and "meet" the tour at two or three occasions. One was near a railroad crossing and another at a street corner, where the tanks had to drive through a very narrow street, which got the M26 trapped!

Museum-wise, I would recommend "Overloon" (Libertypark.nl) and the Airborne musuem in Oosterbeek in Holland. Maybe also the museum in Best, near Eindhoven. In Belgium there is of course lots to see in the Ardennes region, several interesting monuments and museums. I would recommend the Diekirch museum in Luxembourg.

Alex


Alex

[zemsi]

Hi Alex

Thank you very much for your recommendations. I had a look on the google map and thougt as well that it should be possible to follow the convoy by car if you take a short cut or drive around. Anyway, I'll make a recce tour on Friday and check out the good spots.

There must be one good spot on a bridge where you see this (I also saw it in the above mentioned videos):



cu there
Chris

[carrierbarry]

Interesting Photo.
The Bridge behind is were the first British Battle of WW1 started.
and I belive the site of the Angel of Mons appeared.

[kettenkrad]

Hello together. Here is the actual list of the vehicles, which take part on the event "Tanks in Town" at Mons, Belgium on 29th-31st of August:

9 Sherman
4 Stuart
6 Hellcat
2 Tank destroyer M10
4 Chaffe
1 Sexton
1 Locust
1 Patton M47
1 Citroen Kegresse
12 Halftrack
3 Scout Car
2 M-20
3 M8
3 Weasel
3 Kettenkrad
17 Harley
1 Indian Scout
1 M75
1 PANZER 68
1 Leopard
1 Bergpanzer
1 Diamont Cargo 969
1 Diamont T981
1 White 660

Looks good, doesn't it? And the best thing: All these vehicles are not only on static display, the are driving! 19 miles around Mons!

I am one of the 3 Kettenkrads. We are driving in front and the Allies behind us... ;-)

Best regards from Germany
Andreas

[zemsi]

... gosh, that's fantastic! Looks like there would be more tanks in Mons than the French Army has currently running Looking forward to see the tanks in action.

[kettenkrad]

Have a look at that GOOGLE-Eart placemark for the route of the convoy on Sunday:

http://www.mehlhorn-bs.de/4sale/mons2008.kmz

The tank parade stops at two locations during the ride: The first is at CUESMES.

Second stop:

Deployment tanks in a field in Mesvin:
near the cemetery of the city of Nouvelles (7022)
Mustering from 13:00 hours - Reconstitution between 14:00 h and 14:30

The parade ends at the "Grande Place" of Mons at around 17:30.

Best regards
Andreas