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Below are a couple of pictures from the battery which was celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018. The construction of the battery began in 1916 and was completed in February 1918 to guard the port and submarine base. The battery was then upgraded for WW2 use. The square building is the WW2 ranging building.

Here's a few shots from the German and Allied camps.

The weather forecast for day two was for hotter than the previous day. However, after an uneventful 20 mile drive to Blyth in the Dodge, the forecast 8mph Southerly wind was a bit stronger and off the sea, pulling the temperature down again. Wifey and daughter came along too, hoping for a nice afternoon on the beach, but the cool breeze soon changed their minds! I parked up in the same spot as the day before and set up the truck equipment.



Most of the displays were the same on day two, although there were a few changes in displays and positions of some vehicles. 

I caught the battle on day two and looking out to sea at the hazy horizon, I could easily imagine a huge fleet appearing, as on the morning of June 6th at Normandy. There's beach as far as you can see North and South along the Blyth coast, and picturing thousands of troops storming ashore gave an impression of the task the German defenders would have faced at the D-Day beaches. For the Blyth battle, the Allies stormed the beach under mortar fire, had to scale the sea wall, before then attacking the German positions in the dunes.

Despite it not being as warm as we hoped, it was a good day and nice to be out in the Dodge again. As we moved further inland, it got hotter and we then realised what a nice day it had been out of the wind. After a quick unload of personal possessions, the truck was taken back to the storage yard after a successful first run out of the year.

Steve,
I have watched your postings for several years. I really like your flying control Dodge,it's something different than the usual restorations. I appreciate the work you put into it. Your postings of the activities you attend are enjoyable to view also. Please keep it going.
Steve

Cheers

"Lanc, Tank & Military Machines" East Kirkby - May 26 & 28th

Due to the distance, I couldn't take the Dodge to this event, and as it happened, it still took five and a half hours towing the Jeep through pouring rain to get there. It was however a great event, worth sharing a few pictures. This was my second visit to East Kirkby, but my first to this event. My last trip there was four years ago for the three Lancasters event, where the resident taxiing Lancaster was overflown by the BBMF and Canadian Lancasters.

The three Lancs from September 2014.


On the first day of this show, there was a thin overcast and a stiff breeze which pulled the temperature down, but the sun still burned without realising. Day two was more calm and hotter. "Jessie the Jeep" was parked up in a nice spot in front of the tower, and not having any display to watch over, allowed me to wander freely and see all that was going on.

"Jessie" and a Jeepster beside the old control tower.


Lancaster "Just Jane" made several taxi runs across each day and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight sent a Spitfire to give a few flypasts the first day, an the Lanc, Spit and Hurricane each gave a full display the second day. There were 1940's performers and dancers in the main hangar, trips around the airfield on a wartime fire truck and a battle each day.

Lancaster "Just Jane" with RAF ground support vehicles and crew.


The two brothers who started the museum are very religious, and so the museum is closed on Sunday, meaning the show was Saturday and the Bank Holiday Monday. This gave me and the family a day free to explore the local area.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in very hazy conditions on Monday.


B-17 Preservation's B-17 "Sally B" also displayed on Monday.


Here's the Jackson tank destroyer which was joined by two Chaffees attacking German positions on the far side of the airstrip.


Since this is a Dodge forum, I thought I'd better drop in a Dodge picture by the tower! There is a very interesting museum set in the control tower and other remaining wartime buildings, telling the story of RAF East Kirkby.


I managed a quick photoshoot with the Lancaster early on Monday morning, adding to my previous photoshoots with P-51's, Spitfire MH434, C-47 Dakotas, Halifax and the Canadian and BBMF Lancasters.


My next three events are also Jeep events, and it isn't until late June that we have a weekend away in the Dodge at the Barnard Castle 1940's weekend.

I would love to hear those birds fly. we did have a B17 doing paid flights around here but I havent seen it in at least 4 years.

I hadn't seen the B-17 fly for about 3 years. It doesn't often come to my part of the country, and I rarely travel south for the big warbird shows due to fuel costs here. It's currently $7.79 per gallon.

I think if I lived in Europe I would drive a chevy volt when i wasn't driving a wC. The Volt real world use gets over 100 mpg or more. I met a guy who drove one daily and hadnt put fuel in in 2 months.

How much per litre is it up there Steve?

Cheers,
Chris.

in my part of the US its about $3.30 per US gallon which is about $0.87 per liter

The cheapest I can find it at present is £1.27 per litre at Sainsbury's. It's just gone up dramatically over the last two to three weeks.

Yeah, I know what you mean, it seems to go up every time I pass a filling station.
The cheapest I can find here is £1.30 and I think we're getting it cheaper than a lot of parts of the country.

Cheers,
Chris.