New on the show circuit for 2013 is Warwick Boulton’s M41 Walker Bulldog, the only running example in private hands in the UK. Pictured here fresh from restoration, it looks absolutely superb and we look forward to seeing it in action at Wicksteed at War, 7-9 June, at Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire. For more information visit www.wicksteedatwar.co.uk.

Geoff Fletcher looks at one of the most iconic military vehicles – the Jeep – but focuses on its service with British forces both during WW2 and after

The British Expeditionary Force had the best vehicles that could be provided when it deployed to France and then Belgium in September 1939. But by June 1940, vast quantities had been lost during the withdrawal from Dunkirk. Then, if that were not enough, the Italians declared war and the North African campaign began, creating an urgent need to equip new divisions that were being formed to defend British interests in the region, particularly the Suez Canal.

At the time, the British Army relied on commercial saloon cars plus a variety of motorcycles and motorcycle combinations for light transport, command and liaison tasks. There had been few attempts to find a purpose-made military vehicle to meet these various requirements and, in any case, given the pressing need for other types of vehicle it was extremely unlikely such a project would have been funded. However, on the other side of the Atlantic, the US Quartermaster Corps was funding the development of a light reconnaissance car… the Jeep.

David Skinner’s 8cwt Humber turned out to be more of a project than he’d hoped but, as John Blackman reports, help was at hand

Admit it, when it comes to vehicles or jobs around the house or garden, most of us like to tinker to the best of our abilities and occasionally beyond; we enjoy the challenge of creating or repairing something and the satisfaction it gives us afterwards. But equally for most of us there comes a time when we face something which, because of the skill levels required or the time we have available (or both), is better handed off to a professional.

I first saw David Skinner’s 1940 8cwt Humber 4x2 way back in September 2009 when I photographed his Humber Super Snipe staff car (and very nice it was too; you can see the results in April 2010’s CMV). At the time, the vehicle was in bits, although David hoped to get it ready for the 2010 Guernsey liberation commemorations. He didn’t make that deadline… or that for the 2011 event, but by that time the realisation had dawned that despite everything that he had achieved mechanically, the project might best be passed to a professional to get it finished within a reasonable time span.