It's the Big Dig

A happy crew goes for a ride in the American-built version of the British Universal, or Bren Gun Carrier. Known as the T-16, it was built by Ford.

Following a break of five years, enforced by restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic and family matters, the Dig For Victory Show, DFVS, returned to its “home base” of the North Somerset Showground at Wraxall, near Bristol in the U.K. The organizer of the show, James Shopland, he of the Shopland Collection of military vehicles, together with his team of volunteers once again put on a sterling show over the weekend of June 10-11, which thrilled and delighted visitors and participants as though it had never been away.

The show is themed as a “Home Front” event, presenting a good balance of military and civilian life in wartime Britain. British and American military vehicles represented the build-up for D-Day, while displays, specially constructed for the show, depicted houses bombed out during The Blitz. Somerset being a rural area, it was only fitting there should be a display of farming and logging using original machinery of the period, which included Fordson tractors.

Laurence Penfold (left) were all smiles riding a BSA Mk V and Sgt. James Miller riding a Phillips Mk V as ridden on D-Day in Normandy.

Re-enactors and vehicle owners put on static displays depicting units of Britain’s Home Guard through to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division. Live action displays saw a three-gun battery of British 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns firing with full crews. In the arena there was a drive past of American, Canadian and British vehicles which included a DUKW, a Fox armoured car and various trucks. Joining them was a T-16, an American-built version of the British “Bren Gun Carrier” and a restored 1942 Sherman M4A4 which had seen service during the 1944 Operation Market Garden.

Another firing display featured British anti-tank guns, including a 2-Pounder, 6-Pounder and 17-Pounder, towed into the arena by Canadian-built trucks. These caliber weapons were also used in tanks such as the 2-Pounder in the Matilda Mk II and the 17-Pounder in the Sherman to create the “Firefly”. At their display, long-standing friends, Laurence Penfold and James Miller were equipped with Mk V BSA and a Mk V Phillips bicycles to depict “C” Troop of 45 Commando, a unit of cycle troops which landed on Sword Beach. Together they put on an exclusive demonstration for MTVM readers as a reminder that it was not just tanks that went ashore on D-Day.

A battery of three 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns presented a great firing demonstration.

It was interesting to wander around the parked vehicles not taking part in the mobility drive-past and the static displays to see the collections of weapons and equipment displayed like an open-air museum. There was also the latest addition to the Shopland Collection in the shape of a superbly restored 1943 Mk IIIB Gun Laying Radar. Just before the outbreak of war a new civilian institution known as the “Women’s Voluntary Service” was established, which provided support to families who had lost everything in air raids. They also established mobile canteens serving tea to civilians and military alike. Two replica examples of this were shown in action serving mugs of tea for real to the re-enactors.

After the show had closed, as vehicle owners were driving home, the organizers were already thinking about next year’s show. Even as items from the Shopland Collection used in the DFVS were being returned to storage, James and his team were thinking how to turn their plans and ideas into reality for 2024.

That is how this show managed to survive such a prolonged absence from the circuit of events and now it is back it will continue to feature prominently in the diaries of vehicle owners and re-enactors alike. You can keep up to date on developments by logging onto the official website at: www.digforvictoryshow.com.

A DUKW was driven to the show on main roads and turned many heads during the journey.

A replica of a mobile canteen converted from an old-fashioned ice cream vendors cart was looking very authentic with a lady WVS dispensing tea to British soldier re-enactors.

This M4A4 version of the Sherman, dated 1942, is known to have been used during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

A fuel tanker version of the GMC truck, looking very smart.

Dating from the 1950s, this French AMX13 tank added to the show with a high-speed mobility display in reverse as well as forwards.

An AEC Matador towed a 4.5-inch field gun.

A Dodge WC21 put in an appearance to show something different from a jeep.

This collection of equipment and weapons as used by the Royal Navy during WWII included Lanchester SMGs and a Lewis machine gun.

Ladies using spoke shaves to demonstrate stripping bark from felled trees to be used for timber.

One of the interesting non-military displays was this demonstration of how to load felled trees onto a trailer using traditional methods from the 1940s period.