Tanks in Town Mons (BE), Aug. 29/30 2009

zemsi · #1 30-07-09, 21:07

Good Day

Another year passes by and the world famous Tanks in Town event is held again.

There are some good infos in the 2008-thread.

My brother and I will be there from Friday afternoon onwards. Any other MLUers attending the show? If so, get yourself known to me

if we haven't met before.

By the way, does anybody know the driver of the Belgian recovery tank (Büffel)? He was driving like hell around the course. Would be keen to get a ride with him, as you can't book through the official website.

Greetings
Chris

Alex van de Wetering · #2 31-07-09, 00:27

Hey Chris,

Yes, I am really looking forward to it. Last year I missed the show sadly, but this year I scheduled a visit for the Sunday. We will probably try to watch the tanks on a few intersections along the route.

Hope to see you there!

Alex

zemsi · #3 31-07-09, 07:11

Hi Alex

Perfect, you'll see a fantastic event which I guess wouldn't be possible anywhere else. The public roads have been already in such a bad condition that it doesn't matter, if +40 tanks drive on them

I watched the parade from 5 different spots: Bridge in Mons near the starting point, big place in Cuesmes, in the Woods near Mesvin, big field in Mesvin and then afterwards the gathering in town. It was a little bit a hassle to get from one point to the other, so you wouldn't miss the start of the convoy passing thourgh, but also a lot of waiting, overheating tanks etc.

Route on Sunday: have a look at Andreas Google Earth Route.

cu there
Chris

kettenkrad · #4 21-08-09, 21:26

Hello Chris,

I looks like I should go to Mons 2009, too.

This year I had some trouble with my company getting vacation for that event.

I could only get vacation for Friday and Monday. So I think I'll leave home on Friday morning.

I wanted to complete week before Mons free, to have enough time to prepare the Kettenkrad for the event but like every year, there is not enough free time before.

I didn't book a hotel until now and I hope there are still spaces.

Hope to see you at Mons! (What about Hanno???)

Best regards
Andreas

Hanno Spoelstra · #5 25-08-09, 22:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by kettenkrad

Hope to see you at Mons! (What about Hanno???)

Hello friends,

I hope to see you there on Saturday afternoon & Sunday. Alex & Chris, I have your mobile numbers so I will send you a text message when I get there. Andreas, I will find you & your Kettenkrad easily.

Cheers,
Hanno

zemsi · #6 28-08-09, 23:00

... just a few pics from today. It's a ripper here

zemsi · #7 28-08-09, 23:03

... there are a lot of different tanks here: High Speed Tractors M5, Priest with Howitzer, 3 x ex-brazilian Stuarts. a nice restored Bren Gun Carrier, Hellcat and Chaffee, Staghound, Cletrac, Leopard 1

zemsi · #8 28-08-09, 23:05

... and 2 Blitzes so far: A C30 and and F60L

And a Fox Armoured Car, or is it a Humber?

Alex van de Wetering · #9 28-08-09, 23:33

Chirs, Lucky you! I have to wait another two days to enjoy these vehicles.

Great to see three of the Brazil Stuarts in action.

I believe I have seen that C30 Blits at Tanks in Town 2007 as well.....It's restoration wasn't completed then, so I am looking forward to seeing the progress on it with my own eyes.

See you on Sunday!

Alex

p.s. For those interested in scale modelling; Resicast has an open-house on Saterday-afternoon. You will find them in Havre, just outside Mons.

jpk · #10 29-08-09, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by zemsi

... and 2 Blitzes so far: A C30 and and F60L

And a Fox Armoured Car, or is it a Humber?

It is a daimler armour car, he is part of the collection off the royal army museum of belgium

greetings

zemsi · #11 29-08-09, 19:36

Andreas and I had today a small international German/Swiss MLU-Meeting

My brother and I had a lot of fun riding as passengers on Andreas Kettenkrad through the woods

A very powerful little-go-anywhere beauty. We even met the guy who filmed us last year when we rode on the Kettenkrad. A small world. And Keefy, yes, I interviewed Andreas. He did a fantastic 5minish speech. You'll get it soon.

We also had a ride on a APC, very bumby.

Haven't met Hanno yet, he's somewhere around.

Greetings
Chris

zemsi · #12 30-08-09, 16:50

... some pics from today. Could have a ride with Andreas again

Hanno is riding with a Dutch Sexton, and caught up with Alex.

In ca. 30min will be the big Parade in the town centre.

greetings
Chris

zemsi · #13 30-08-09, 16:53

... here he is, Hanno the riding Dutchman

Hanno Spoelstra · #14 31-08-09, 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by zemsi

... here he is, Hanno the riding Dutchman

It was a great weekend, although quite chaotic so I only got to shake hands with Chris and his brother very briefly. I chatted with Andreas on Saterday afternoon. Met Alexander on Sunday. A friend of his shot a picture of him and me in front of the only Canadian armour present, the Royal Netherlands Army´s Sexton II.

Now, the question of today is: what am I so frantically pointing out to?!?!

H.

Perry Kitson · #15 31-08-09, 01:58

Nice ride Hanno.

Perhaps its the beer tent you are pointing out?

Perry

Ganmain Tony · #16 31-08-09, 13:51

Chris, G'day from Ganmain!

Seems along way from Mons - how come your trucks not there? Seems to me you're enjoying yourself a bit too much.

Half your luck

zemsi · #17 31-08-09, 20:34

G'Day Tony

Just came back after an weekend full of excitement and joy. It was perfect riding as a passenger on Andreas Kettenkrad. By the way, the Kettenkrad was a real crowd or let's say a Kraut Pleaser

Everywhere he parked it people came watching, asking questions and kids were climbing on it.

I don't think my Blitz will ever be in Mons. First of all, it's called Tanks in Town, second it is 650km away and I would have to drive through 3 countries. At least she's a Ford, with a Chev there could be much more going wrong

Greetings from Switzerland
Chris

Ganmain Tony · #18 01-09-09, 11:56

650km's Chris........hardly a challenge for side valve V8!! A perfect road trip for you mate.

Great to talk to you. Hopefully see you back in Australia soon.

Alex van de Wetering · #19 01-09-09, 13:21

We had lot of fun at Tanks in Town, as always. I caught up with Swiss Chris and Hanno and met Maurice. Attached you will find a few pictures I took.

My buddy Tim took the picture of Hanno and me in front of the Dutch Army Sexton. MLU member Maurice Donkers is standing in the Sexton, which he restored years ago. Maurice, it was nice meeting you in person!

Regarding Hanno's challenge.....the picture of the Sexton driving past, gives a slight hint....Hanno, I still think someone from MLU was involved!

Alex

Alex van de Wetering · #20 01-09-09, 13:27

Oh, by the way. The terrain was a bit rough sometimes, so some vehicles lost stowage along the way. When Chris and I were catching up, A Belgian Harley owner lost a set of goggles. He was very happy when I returned them during the break at Mesvin. But, when Tim and I returned to our car, a Czech Harley owner past us and he lost some stuff as well. He was long gone when we picked the things up from the woods.

Any of our Czech MLU members aware which Czech WLA owner this might have been? I would like to return his tools and parts.

Alex

Track · #21 02-09-09, 20:37

http://www.weasel-club.ch/thread.php?threadid=564

zemsi · #22 03-09-09, 07:16

Hi Pius

There's already a thread about Mons. Please don't open double threats.

Grüessli
Christoph

Hanno Spoelstra · #23 03-09-09, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by zemsi

There's already a thread about Mons. Please don't open double threats.

Threads merged. Please don´t threaten our members

H.

Hanno Spoelstra · #24 03-09-09, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perry Kitson

Nice ride Hanno.

Perhaps its the beer tent you are pointing out?

It certainly is. I hope you get as much pleasure out of it as the Dutch Army does.

Nope, I wasn´t pointing at the beer tent. It´s something better (hard for you to understand as a Canadian, I know!).

H.

Hanno Spoelstra · #25 03-09-09, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Regarding Hanno's challenge.....the picture of the Sexton driving past, gives a slight hint....Hanno, I still think someone from MLU was involved!

Anyone dares to take a guess?!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Hanno, I still think someone from MLU was involved!

Do you? I thought it was my sharply trained CMP spotting eagle eye!

H.

zemsi · #26 04-09-09, 07:09

... a hint for the riddle. Hanno was pointing out to something on the back of the Sexton. Who finds it?

Bob McNeill · #27 04-09-09, 11:06

I thought all sextons had the observer seat out the back !!

Hanno Spoelstra · #28 04-09-09, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob McNeill

I thought all sextons had the observer seat out the back !!

Bob, bingo!

While we were driving through the woods, we had to stop several times for other vehicles to make turns etc. So, we were standing for a couple of minutes in an area of what used to be a mining area. I was looking around and saw things like a rusted-out water tank and a crumbling shed. Suddenly my eye struck a familiar shape and I jumped off the Sexton and ran over to grab it. It was indeed a CMP seat! It is rusty and quite mangled, but any CMP thing is worth slinging on the back of the Sexton.

The puzzling thing was that there were no other parts around, it was just sitting there. Apart from a half-track chassis, no truck remains were to be seen on the entire grounds. It will probably remain a mistery how it got there, although it could be labelled a "battle field relic"

Hanno