@Beamers, they’re called bulleted blanks, and were great fun at night! I Lit up 1/2 the training area one night with them.

Another ex ACF member signing in.

I was in the school cadets in the nearly 90’s at the point they swapped our Brens for LSW’s. Resulted in a trip to the range for a couple of us to burn through the last few hundred rounds of .303. Fun afternoon!

Another camping stove this morning.

I’d not had Steve and Joan down as campers and it was only this morning that I think I now know why he had this set. During the week I was taken right back to childhood watching The Crown and the miners strike and the 3 day week. In the box for the lantern was also half a dozen candles and you can tell from there colour they’ve been in there a long time. It’s my guess they he may have bought these back then for power cuts.

That could be useful in the current crisis!

I’ve got one of those gaz sets it’s a fantastic bit of kit all still fully serviceable the box is a windbreak too.
Good tread too

Yes the box is well thought out with the stand for the stove and the door and panel to form a windbreak. The garage was pretty well equipped for all eventualities, tools, weapons, stoves, food and most important of all a 6 pack of toilet roll!

6 pack of toilet roll!

Keeping the best til last, then?
C’mon, we want pictures!!

C’mon, we want pictures!!

Back off FB-ATB, the lady says no

She wasn’t in the garage but she did come from his house.

Hold on, you’re telling me a man with a machete, rifles, duelling pistol, sword, cannon shells, truncheon and god knows what else had that in the khazi to hide the bog roll?

Admit it, it’s yours isn’t it!

I imagine alot of the weapons ‘migrated’ from armouries. Old barracks and manor houses that were commandeered etc must gave loads of old stuff lying around.

Admit it, it’s yours isn’t it!

It is now, and anyone who tries to get it of me will get it up em and they don’t like it up em

Google tells me it’s a number 5 Mk1. This particular one made by Wilkinson Sword

Presume it went with the Lee Enfield?

I assume it did. It really is a rather nasty thing, guns can be used for target shooting, hunting, pest control or even just shooting at tin cans while knives can have many uses whatever they’re designed purpose but this thing has only one use, it doesn’t even have much of a useful edge on it and Steve kept every blade in the house sharp. This was was made only for killing other people up close. As I say it’s actually a horrible thing.

I know in Rots there was hand to hand fighting between 46 Commando and the 12. S.S. Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend. Whether or not this was ever used I don’t know but it would probably have been fitted as the final German troops were cleared from the village on the night of 11th June.

These are manuals from his training and his own handwritten notebook from Commando training at Achnacarry and were all in the mouse eaten box of books

Is the “Machine Gunners Handbook” akin to “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”?

I think it’s more an alternative, if the metaphysics of quality don’t provide the solution blast the shit out of it with a Vicker’s machine gun.

It may have originally belonged to his father in law. It’s got the handwritten date of 1917 in it and was published in 1916. I’ve got some useful tips on sniping from his notes though, for example be careful of things like mist or lose sand around your firing position as the escaping gas from the rifle is enough to disturb them and give your position away.

Mind you I’ve seen the films so I already know the snipers always in the church tower

For anyone who might be wondering where I can put all his stuff well Steve had that covered. One of my favourite things in the garage was this.

That’s a lovely cupboard, are you going to restore it?

And what are you going to do with the military stuff, I don’t know if the IWM or similar would be interested?

Agree, the cup board’s lovely – complete with appropriate sticker, too!

What’s the vertical slot between the bottom doors?

What’s the vertical slot between the bottom doors

It’s an arrowslit.

Slits at top and bottom are likely to be for ventilation; I would guess cupboard was originally intended for food storage.

Slits at top and bottom are likely to be for ventilation; I would guess cupboard was originally intended for food storage.

Yes. That’s a 1950s kitchenette. Pre home fridges. When I was a kid you would always find them repurposed as tool cupboards in somebody’s dad’s garage.

May be worth a bit now as retro-chique

@mogrim When we are through all this I’ll look for a home for it all. I believe there is still a small museum in Rots where I would really like it to go if they want it and can keep it all together. Steve was made a citizen of honour by the commune when he returned there a couple of years ago and he was very proud of his Légion d’Honneur. It’s hard for us to realise just how much the liberation meant to the local population and their enduring appreciation and gratitude for those who risked and gave their lives to achieve it. It would be nice for these things to be back there where they really mean something to the local community.

@fadda the slot is a grill for ventilation, I expect at the time this was made fridges were not found in many kitchens.

This may have been in the garage when Steve and Joan moved in. They didn’t move there until 1982 and by then the house had a fitted kitchen.They could have brought it with them or it might have been left by Nellie and Bill who lived there before. Funnily enough I have many of Steve’s things in my downstairs loo where I also have a whole shelf of books in the form of bound part works from the early 20th century which belonged to Bill and which Nellie gave me when he died. I’ve had them for nearly 40 years and now they have been joined by stuff from the same house. I hope whoever ends up living there realises they are only looking after their possessions for me 😊

Another map this morning. Probably a little rarer than the 1″ maps he had, this is a German one of Caen from 1941 and I don’t think he bought it in a shop.

And Steve being Steve he was always going to find another use for it, in this case he seems to have been calculating his pay on the back of it.

Strange, seen plenty of maps & related objects in museums and they’re just that- an object that had a purpose. Seeing the notes written on the map actually brings home the fact they were used by real people.

Another thank you from me for this thread, having an absolute shitshow of a working day and I’ve needed to have another flick through to try and get my composure and especially my perspective back 🙏

Know a decent chap who restores old record players like that.

Owner of ‘Static records’ in Wigan. He might be interested if you want sell it.

Oh, what memories. At the time of the miners strike my brother and I were 15 or 16, so coming up for GCSE’s.

So, my father, a school headmaster, and my mother a school teacher, was not going to let us miss any school homework time, oh no, he bought and set up 2 of those camping gaz lights, much safer than candles he said.

Funny thing is, I still have those lamps, last used when camping at a recent Eroica Britannia event!!!

I’d be happy to let anyone who would restore it have it oreetmon, I might contact them and see if they’d like it, be nice if it ended up with someone who’d appreciate it

drnosh I’ve not used one since I was in the scouts, nearly 40 years ago but I can still hear it in my head!

Today seems a good day to finish this and I’ve a few bits that I think are appropriate for the day.

This was in the box of books with the map of Caen and probably sat in that box in the garage for the last 38 years.

And two photos taken 75 years apart

And something else not from the garage,these were in a suitcase in the house, but something else that says what’s really important about today, not a celebration of victory but and end to the pain and grief of war, a chance to build normal lives again.

Edna was Joan’s cousin, she must have kept these all her life and left them to Joan when she died. A letter from radio mechanic Joseph Appleyard to Edna after spending time with her in London and the letter Edna received confirming a few months later he was missing presumed dead and the poem she wrote in his honour.

Steve wouldn’t have been celebrating a victory today he’d of been remembering the 69 members of 46 Commando that never came home and all those that passed in the years that followed. There were just 4 of them left when he died . He was quietly proud of what he’d been part of but I think he’d of told you it was the French and Dutch who really understood what today was really about. He was very proud of his Dutch Liberation Medal and Legion d’Honneur.
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Again, nothing useful to add except this has been one of the best threads ever, thanks for taking the trouble to share.

avdave2 Thank you so much for this thread and for sharing these memories and momentos of Steve. As you say, a very fitting end to this thread. Very moving and poignant.

We should be proud of Steve and his life and you should give yourself a big slap on the back for your involvement in sharing it with us in such a classy way.

Humbled by the man this thread is dedicated to.

This has been awesome.
I do hope a museum is interested in the records as they should be on display.
cracking thread

Mind you I’ve seen the films so I already know the snipers always in the church tower

Nowadays the sniper will be laying on the floor and you’ll not see them unless you happen to tread on them.

A great thread looking at hoarding through the ages.

Another one just wanting to say thank you so much. To you. Dave, for the fascinating thread, and the way you’ve shared this, and also to Steve, and the countless others who did their bit, and more.
As you say, not a day for celebrating, but a sober reflection, huge gratitude, and a fervent wish that some lessons will stay learned.

Thank you

Dave, your posts have been a real pleasure and some of the photos brought back memories of my Dad.
The military items have a real resonance today.
I’m sure that Steve would have been pleased with how you’ve told his story.
As you and others have said, it’s an appropriate day to end the thread; quiet reflection for Steve and so many others.
Thanks.

as mentioned above this has been a great thread. All good things come to an end but I can’t be the only one that’s disappointed theres no new stuff going to be added tomorrow.

thanks for taking the time to share.

A shame the thread is coming to an end, but thanks for sharing this with us.

A marvellous thread about a marvellous man and his garage.

You are a star, Dave, for the friend you clearly were to him while he was alive, and for the way you’ve shared him with us through these pictures.