

Book your table now to avoid disapointment, contact Al Smith on 07704 187739 or eml secretary@scottishmvg.org



The HMT Lancastria Memorial Unveiling, 1st October 2011.
Will you help the forgotten to be remembered?
It claimed more victims than the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania combined.
It is the largest single loss of life for British forces in the whole of WW2.
Yet, thanks to a D-notice slapped on it by Winston Churchill, this grave disaster is mostly unknown and has remained largely forgotten by the history books. This silence would continue if it were not for the efforts of The Lancastria Association Scotland.
During the Evacuation of France the troop ship Lancastria was sent to St Nazaire to rescue British Expeditionary Forces which included many Scottish Regiments, refugees and civilians (including women and children).
On Monday the 17th of June, 1940 at 3.48pm the requisitioned Cunard Cruise liner, Lancastria came under attack from enemy aircraft. She received three direct hits from a German Junker 88 Bomber and within 20 minutes, the 16,243-ton luxury liner sank, taking with her an estimated 4,000 victims.
Since 2005, Fiona Symon (Kinross-shire) who lost her father in the disaster when she was only 10 months old has campaigned, along with the Lancastria Association Scotland to raise enough funds to erect a fitting memorial in Britain. The Lancastria Memorial Fund have succeeded in their mission and on 1st October 2011, a permanent memorial to those who paid the supreme sacrifice aboard the troopship Lancastria and whose souls have been lost and effectively forgotten by history, will be unveiled.
The memorial will be erected on a site of great significance, in the grounds of the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank. This is hugely symbolic as this was where the ship was built and launched.
The ship was launched in 1924, under the name of Tyrrhenia but after complaints from the American passengers who cruised in her, that they could not pronounce the name, she was changed to the Lancastria. It is widely known in the sea faring world that it is unlucky to change a ships name. This would certainly be the case for the Lancastria.
There is a memorial at St Nazaire in France, campaigns for the wreck site to be made an official war grave and campaign for medals. The erecting of this significant memorial in Clydebank to those who were killed in action, the first major memorial in the UK to the Lancastrian fallen, will complete the circle and mark the sacrifice, courage and determination of those who paid the ultimate price in defence of freedom.
Some SMVG members have been involved in fund raising for this cause and the Chairperson Fiona Symon has asked the SMVG to take part in the unveiling ceremony on 1st October, 2011. This is a great honour for the club and we are looking for vehicles and bodies in WW2 uniform to take part.
The ceremony is in the planning stages and it would be helpful for a show of interest at this stage. It would appear that there might be overnight parking on the night before (Friday).
The Lancastria Association Scotland has a comprehensive web site and it is well worth a visit, www.lancastria.org.uk
Please contact Alan Barnes Tel 01577 863138 email alfibarnes@btinternet.com
Material used in this article by kind permission of The Lancastria Association Scotland.
Adrian Flux Insurance Services are pleased to be associated with the Scottish Military Vehicle Group including all supporters of the club and Military Vehicle enthusiasts.
In addition to Military Vehicles we can also cover modified Jeeps, Q-plates, left-hand drive models, truck and pickups and classics.
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Classic policies are also available with agreed value and limited mileage discounts being just two of the many benefits offered to eligible vehicles.
All our policies are designed to suit each customer’s individual needs. We offer flexible and competitive quotes for all circumstances, sourcing the best available scheme- with of course the club discount!
Because our staff are used to finding policy to suit unusual and even completely unique cars, they know which insurers offer the best policies and at prices to suit almost any budget.
Due to the type of vehicles insured, all our policies are designed especially for the out of the ordinary and our staff have a high degree of knowledge in this field. This is not an on-line quotation system using computer rates. Instead each risk will be individually calculated by our expert staff.
Call us on Freephone: 0800 089 0035 (9am to 7 PM Monday to Friday & 9am to 4pm Saturday) for an immediate, no-obligation insurance quote.
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The 2011 S.M.V.G Military Swap Meet
The 3rd SMVG Military Swap meet was held in the Institute Hall, Bridge of Earn on Sunday the 20th March. It proved to be another busy event with the hall once again filled to capacity. The Club NAAFI proved to be particularaly popular with the ladies run off their feet for most of the day.
Thanks goes out to all the stallholders who supported us and came in from far and wide, this gives us the confidence to plan another at a later date. Special thanks to all those who contributed time and resources, from the supply of vehicles and items for display to the PA system. We are all especially indebted to all the ladies who worked tirelessly in the NAAFI and saved us all from starvation!
Date for the 2012 Swap Meet is the 18th of March.


SMVG NAAFI...


Wanted!
Audrey Webster
The Bill Ireland Collection

Club member Graham Phillp was proudly flying the flag for the Scottish Military Vehicle Group whilst on expedition up Mount Everest in November.
We are still awaiting the promised photo of his Series One Landie parked on the summit !
Well done Graham !
New Delivery of Pennants
The new pennants have arrived ! Made from a heavy duty flag quality woven fabric stitched at the edges, they come complete with integral aerial sleeve and ties for easy attachment. The pennants are priced at £17 each. Sounds a tad expensive perhaps, but they are a quality piece of kit and its well proven they do last for years ! Contact Alan Barnes for further details. You know you want one ! ( Mount Everest even has one now )
