Hi! I am a newbie to the site and will go by the name Houndsworth, I'll say what that means later. My main interest is WWII military vehicles plus US and British WWII uniforms, equipment, and tents. I started with a 1941 Indian 640 motorcycle in 1985 which is similar to the Harley Davidson WLA but much more rare. Still have it, and two jeeps plus several British BSA folding airborne bicycles - the common type, and early model, and an early-early one. Last year I sold my 1944 Ford M20 Armored Utility Car to focus on light vehicles. Early-on I started collecting US army uniforms and equipment to wear at displays and parades on the Indian. After I bought the first bicycle I started buying British items. My main source at the time was Major Jerry Lee when he was on active duty with Sixth Army at the Presidio of San Francisco. He was selling out of his basement. His business grew to be What Price Glory, focused on mostly US and British reproduction uniforms. He gave me a good discount and I bought multiples of a lot of things, so at the peak of my collection I was able to borrow 12 mannequins and dress them head to toe in different WWII British uniforms for display at three large Scottish festivals. Infantry, tanker, dispatch rider, parachutist, commando, snow camo trooper, Scottish soldiers, etc. All free standing on lawn. I have been active in the Military Vehicle Collectors of California this whole time but branched out into WWII reenacting for a short while, founding the 82nd Airborne unit in Northern California under the CHG with assistant unit leader Ray B. Fun but quit to focus on MV events. My 44 Willys is a typical US jeep and the 42 Ford represents a no compromises British L Detachment, Special Air Service Regiment gun jeep as used from May 1942 to May 1943 in North Africa. It carries four dummy Vickers K machine guns in twin mounts and 15 jerry cans. I want to build a replica of the late-style jeep they used in France, Holland, and Germany. Similar firepower but up to four petrol tanks, no jerry cans, and the later ones had armored windscreens, radiator louvers, and armor plate on the rear of the body. I am somewhat of a student of the founding of the SAS and their exploits throughout the war. My handle Houndsworth is the code name of one of their dozens of operations behind the lines in France interdicting German road and rail traffic heading to the Normandy beachhead, and harassing retreating units later. Houndsworth troops operated in the Morvan forest between Nevers and Dijon, inserted by parachute June 6, and grew to 150 troopers by September 6. Jeeps were dropped to them by bomber starting July 5. Later, two six pounder airborne anti-tank cannons were also dropped, one used by the SAS and one by maquisards. Before Lend-Lease US jeeps were procured by the SAS in May 1942, they were a sabotage unit that infiltrated Italian and German airfields in groups of three to four, placing time bombs on airplanes. Later, some were parachuted into Northern Italy to blow up German trains in tunnels, and railroad sabotage was done in France, So I started collecting the various British sabotage switches, equipment, and dummy explosives as used by the SAS, Special Boat Service, Special Operations Executive, and resistance groups. This includes replica Lewes Bombs they invented in 1941. So I am always looking for more of these things to help tell the wartime SAS story at events. If anybody is interested in these subjects let me know. I'll check out the forums occasionally although I spend more time on MV oriented sites G503.com and SteelSoldiers.com.
Welcome to the forums. There are a few MV guys here, myself included. Very nice SAS jeep. How long have you had it?
I converted my US marked jeep to this in 8 days, part time, just prior to taking it to the MVPA Convention in Portland, OR in 2013. Owned it since about 2003. Joined a big display created by a friend of mine with his replica LRDG Chevy 1.5 ton truck and jeep, and another guy's Popski's Private Army jeep. Likely it will be at the Camp Plymouth military vehicle show and swap meet April 14-19, 2020 at Amador County Fairgrounds and adjacent RV park in Plymouth, California. That is, if I can figure out a way to bring both jeeps. I want the stock U.S. one there because of some MV road runs. Great MV driving country. The desert jeep has no windshield, mirror, or tail lamps because the two spare wheels cover where they go. No compromises!
