From: Think Tank Subject: Think Tank Vol. 0075 21/05/2001 Think.tank@tesco.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS' INDEX 1: Crocodile offer 2: Your life's work 3: 'Jerry Can' litigation 4: Post-war conflicts websites -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: MAFVA website -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Daniel Taylor [d-taylor@dircon.co.uk] Subject: Crocodile offer Hi As the listmaster can confirm, I have finished (well almost) 3 1/35 scale tanks this year. True, they have been under way for a number of years but they are (just about) finished. Well, this seems to be a real rush to the head, but I may even finish a fourth! This next one is a Churchill AVRE which I am converting from the Tamiya Mk VII. A fair sized job as I am not intending using any after-market spares (that is an intention, not a promise). As a consequence of this build, I am going to have the trailer section of the Crocodile, plus the flame gun left over. Now, it struck me that I could give this away to the fastest e-mail reply from one of you that wishes to make arrangements to collect it from me (or have it posted), so contact me off-list if you are interested. Bribes, monetary or emotional considered; most amusing response gets a set of Tamiya US figures left over from an M3A1 project if you want it. Dan Taylor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Daniel Taylor [d-taylor@dircon.co.uk] Subject: Your life's work Hi I was sitting in a queue for a car ferry the other day with the listmaster. It was late and we were a little bored so the conversation turned to modelmaking. I asked him what his ultimate ambition in modelmaking was, if time and expense of little consequence? In short, what drove him to make models? Not so much why we are here, but why did he do it? He deftly avoided any direct answer, much as he cleverly avoids sticking too much plastic together. However, it did strike me that it could be an interesting thread to run in the list and , who knows, maybe we can assist in helping others achieve their goals. I had the idea, so I'll start it off. When having trouble sleeping, the thought I run round my mind is of a centre of excellence in dioramic model making. Perhaps a renovated country house with rooms set aside for specific WWII campaigns. Each would have as its centre a 1/76 scale diorama covering a board of around 12' by 6'. There might be one based around Operation Crusader in the desert, another in France 1940, perhaps a Battle of the Bulge room and even a St Nazaire scenario. Everything would be researched so that it looked how it did before urban planners consumed the battlefields and so, in time, it would give a better impression of what it might have been like to be there than visiting the site. The main hall would be taken up with a Normandy project. On this there would be a number of vignettes showing specific battles: Sword Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Hillman strongpoint, that funny timber-framed building on Juno beach. Moving inland there would be a Villers-Bocage, Hil 112, Carpiquet airfield etc.. In order to earn a living, the public may be admitted and various exhibits could be hired out to museums or documentary makers. As reference, memorabilia would be displayed around the models and model makers would be working on the dioramas. This place would have stables or a garage, so why not a few wartime vehicles displayed as well? A bit of a hippie ideal I'll admit, but I do have a few of the buildings under way for the project. I just need a good lottery win! (for that, I'll need to buy the odd ticket). Ah well, thought's cheap. Tell us what you want to build as your ultimate memorial. All the best, Dan Taylor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: mike.mallett [mike.mallett@ntlworld.com] Subject: 'Jerry Can' litigation from alt.military.uk "David Shaw" wrote in message news:<3afe7f0f.1125341@news.iinet.net.au>... > The Court of First Instance of the Court of Justice of the European > Community sitting in Luxemburg today ruled in favor of a German > engineering company in a multi million dollar case against the British > Government for illegal patent breaches dating back to 1942. > > At that time the British 8th Army was engaged in hostilities with > German forces in North Africa and copied the standard issue fuel can > which the German military forces were using because the German design > was much superior to their own. It included a built in carrying > handle, a built in sprout, and a clip locked cap. Because the British > soldiers called their German opponents "Jerries", the can they copied > became known in the English speaking world as the 'Jerry Can'. > > Muller Maschinen GmbH of Waschenbeuren-am-der-Ruhr produced patent > documents to the European Court proving beyond doubt that the Jerry > can's design was conceived and internationally patented by the firm's > founder, Han-Jurgen Muller, in 1939. The Court of First Instance > thereby supports a claim of royalties owed by the British government, > as the offender of the first part, for failing to pay royalties for > all Jerry cans produced when they had an opportunity to do so as soon > as the war was over. > > Herr Isaac Isaacs, the German lawyer representing Muller Maschinen > GmbH, declared that the Court's decision was a well deserved victory, > and he hoped that the British would now take heed of their failure to > understand the moral standards of the European community. He also said > that the way was now clear to energetically pursue all other > manufacturers of Jerry cans who had not yet paid royalties to Muller > Maschinen GmbH. I have to say that this seems to bizarre to be true and I had to check that it was not 1st April. Unless someone has independent verification of its veracity, I think I would be inclined to treat this one with a jerrican (so sue me) full of salt ;-).. Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Grant Parkin [granty_p@hotmail.com] Subject: Post-war conflicts websites Dear Robert and the 'thinkers' out there Can anybody direct me to some websites that deal with post war conflicts (Indo-Pakistan, Iran-Iraq etc.), for a friend of mine who, unfortunately, doesn't have computer access. The type of info I'm trying to get for him is in-action shots of equipment, camouflage schemes used etc., etc.. I've been to 'official' sites but they don't contain the info I'm after. Any help would be gratefully received. Grant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Listmaster Subject: MAFVA website Several people I saw at Trucks & Tracks over the weekend asked me about the MAFVA website, which has apparently been down for a couple of weeks. It appears that the reason is that the webspace provider has recently ceased to offer the free space which was used, which is why the address is no longer recognised. Apologies for the delay in passing on the information but I have been away a lot recently and have not had much opportunity to look at it myself. Anyway, I will let you know of any developments which come my way. Robert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Lockie (Think Tank Listmaster) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume