Heres some more pics from my Middle-East days on the road.
This one is Bob Hedley at Baiji, near Baghdad, Iraq on the same Christmas as previous pics.
And this one is when I was in Kuwait just after the first Gulf war…
Dear all
I have just returned to my sunny Caribbean Island, after a short trip to the UK.
While I was there I bought a new scanner so that I can upload some more of my old pics at home instead of doing it at the office.
This is a few of us at the Telex Motel, waiting to see what was going to happen at the beginning of the Gulf War 16th Jan. We were stuck there for 6 days, in the end we just headed for Syria and got through without any problems. The problems started in Jordan, with some very angry crowds…turning trucks over with sheer volume of numbers. The Turks were Sh*!&ing themselves, but we soldiered on in true Brit fashion.
When we got to Haditha, the Saudis thought that we were mad, heading towards the War Zone.
Once we got in, up on the TAP Line near AR’AR, there were several Police road blocks but they let us carry on once the shelling had stopped up ahead!!
" OK, you can go now, the shelling has stopped."!!!
Heres a nice pic of the famous Scammell Scud at the Telex on the same trip.
This pic is in Kuwait, on the road to Iraq, it was called the Highway of Death, because the Iraqi’s were getting bombed as they tried to escape out of Kuwait. They took anything that could move, it was a frightening sight, there werent even any birds, it was just silent and eerie.
As I said in an earlier post, the Turks used to get away with leaving Syria with fuel in Belly Tanks, a little baksheesh no doubt.
Here is an example of what I mean. Ha Ha Ha…
This photo was taken at Ramtha border.
blimey gs the highway of death brought back memories, had travelled up that road myself though it was in a bedford tm spent 4 months living in the docks north of kuwait city after the war. have got some pictures of the basra road in the garage will dig them out and put them on here if anyone is intrested
I finished M/E in 1986 so I was in the area before the Gulf war,but I travelled down through Kuwait,Al Khafje down to Dammam quite often.
When the war broke out,I told my wife I’d thought of joining up again,as I’d been a tank driving instructor in the army,and knew my way around the area,I was the best qualified bloke they could have!
Yes that was some eerie feeling travelling along there. My first load to Kuwait just after the war was over, was marble slabs which I loaded from the marble quarry in Pisa, Italy, for the Emir,s Palace, and when I got back to the UK I turned round and did another load for Kuwait, which was water bowsers for the drinking water , talk about priority eh!! It was so dangerous when I was waiting to tip, there were landmines everywhere, I stayed very close to my truck, not venturing past my trailer box. I ran down on my own mostly and used to meet up with some Lebanese friends that I had met over the years, they were running those old long nose Mercs with fridges and they knew where it was safe to stop once inside Kuwait. We were using Al Ruqi border from Saudi, turn left at traffic lights at the mirrors, straight up to Kuwait.
GS
Gd day
Richiessex
That was bloody quick! I only just finished that post. Im glad that you enjoy our old tales, they were fantastic years on the road and each trip was a challenge and adventure.
I wonder if you can help me out matey, I got interested in the whole M/E thing having come across the destination doha dvd on here, now, in the photo section on the dvd there are some photo’s of scania 140’s and 141’s with essex written on them oh and some with chelmer too, do you know anything about these companies
I think dave poulton is standing in front of a 141 but the quality of the photo is a bit poor/old
Rich
Although I spent many years on the Doha run, Destination Doha was before I was on the road. There will be some of the old hands that can answer the question though.
GS
richiessex:
I wonder if you can help me out matey, I got interested in the whole M/E thing having come across the destination doha dvd on here, now, in the photo section on the dvd there are some photo’s of scania 140’s and 141’s with essex written on them oh and some with chelmer too, do you know anything about these companies
I think dave poulton is standing in front of a 141 but the quality of the photo is a bit poor/old
Thanks in advance
Rich
I remember Chelmer and Essex.The only driver I can recall was big Henry Brown on Essex.Sorry,no pics.
Is that right, the original film was shot by the BBC in the seventies, maybe some of the stills are more recent, can you post them ? i would like to see them. Where did you get the DVD from ? Im living in the Caribbean now, ( see ex-pats forum) but I could get it sent out.
GS
I have a copy of Destination Doha that an old M/E pal gave to me a few months ago,he’s had a few copies run off.I never noticed any stills on there though.
Thanks Ron
I will get one. I used to have it on VHS, got the last copy from Bob Paul when I first started with Astran. Bill Hall has probably got it along with my copy of Cola Cowboys that I lent him about 15 years ago…Dont lend your books out lads.
GS
The documentary was origanally a 2 part programme for BBC called “The World About Us”, it was shown again in the late eighties in the afternoon, and I managed to record it then.
Then I found Toprun and ordered one from them, along with a few other interesting Middle East DVD.
Have never done ME or Euro for that matter, would have liked that, but have an interest in the subject,.
Has anybody got the LDD of Aberdan Freight, which was a 2 parter in Truck magazine in the 80’s, or anyone have fotos for a modelling project.
Not 100% certain but around august 1985,
I work in all scales, mostly 1/24, but dalso in 1/50 and 1/87.
This would be in 1/24 as i bought a german casters 1/24 lp cab to convert using a kit for the running gear
i reckon the article was years earlier than that myself but i’ll have a look around when you say - only asked cos i work in 1/87 and have a merc LP tractor
spent 4 months living in the docks north of kuwait city after the war. have got some pictures of the basra road in the garage will dig them out and put them on here if anyone is intrested