Andrew John Melvill

Thanks Ale, can confirm that I would love to join this drive.

Hope I can be bumped up from the waitlist for this drive, have had to pull out of the Saturday morning Fewbie drive due to weekend ruining work commitments!

Hi @Ale Vallecchi @Luke K P @Aser and anyone who is interested. A brief history of my Grandfather Alexander Melvill and his involvement with the LRDG. After Schooling in South Africa he studied mine surveying and started work in the deep gold mines near Springs. After an accident where his entire crew was lost, he missed it as one of his men had left my Grandfathers plumb bob behind and he went to retrieve it. He left the mine and started work in topographic mapping, A few years later he went up to then Northern Rhodesia and worked on the Copper mines, once the Great Depression hit re was retrenched and with his pay out flew up to then Tanganika to try his luck. Here he worked on a gold mine as a mine surveyor and then did topographic mapping along the western border and into what is now the DRC. In 1936 he returned to South Africa, worked on power station construction and then as a topographic surveyor. During this time he met my Grandmother. After the outbreak of the War he volunteered and left his wife and two young boys on the family farm in South Africa. He was 1st stationed in East Africa but not long after was transferred to the 8th Army in North Africa, he was officially part of the 46 Survey group. After studying astral navigation, using a theodolite to observe the stars and give precise position coordinates, he was seconded to the LRDG. There are two missions that I have been told about in his time with the LRDG. Near Buerat in Libya he led a small group of men to obtain ground control of an area so that it could be mapped and to confirm the info received from aerial photographs. For this operation he received the Military Medal from General Montgomery. Just prior to the battle of El Alamein he mapped a route through the Qatara depression, in an area that was only accessible by using the LRDG expertise. In addition to mapping a route for the main army they surveyed enemy positions prior to the main battle of El Alamein. After the War he returned to South Africa worked as a miner, surveyor and farmer. Signed Recomendation.pdf

Fantastic and tasteful Pajero, wish I was in the market for a new vehicle.

@Zubail I suggest purchasing all the equipment that you believe should be in the box, then go to Ace or similar and find a suitable box or two that will fit in your trunk. Also need to size it and locate it in a position that works with the tie down points in your car. Using two boxes might make the packing of your trunk easier and make them lighter to remove if you need to use the 3rd row. The most important goal is to have everything able to be secured so that they do not bounce around over rough ground and fly around the cabin causing injury if something more serious happens.

Can 100% concur with Luke, I have a large plastic storage box that contains recovery gear, tools, basic emergency equipment, etc. tied down with ratchet straps and shovel mounted onto the rear door of my Pajero with the same rubber clips. In my front cubby I have my quick deflating tool, pressure gauge and leather work gloves, along with a roll of toilet paper and spare bin bags.

Thanks Ale, he passed away in 1986 but I remember his stories well and am super proud of him. He was a man of strong convictions and lived by his own rules, even to the point of living in exile due to his liberal political beliefs in 1950's South Africa. Left to settle in Swaziland.

Thanks Aser, grandad received a medal for his service with the LRDG as a navigator during the lead up to the battle of El Alamein. He surveyed the artillery positions amongst other information gathering.

@Ale Vallecchi thanks for a fantastic drive this morning, that we all managed the complete over 100km through the technical terrain covered is testament to your navigation skills. Proud of the LRDG sticker, my grandfather was a navigator in the LRDG during WW2 in North Africa.

Congratulations @Mahmut has always been great to drive with you, hopefully work will not get in the way too much and I can join you soon.

Congratulations @Shaun J on the FB+ promotion, very well deserved. Enjoy the next level!

So sorry that I had to miss this one, sound like it was a great drive!

@Davie Chase really sorry but i will have to pull out of the drive tomorrow. I have a damaged tire and cannot get suitable replacements in time. Real bummer as I was looking forward to the drive.

@Ale Vallecchi thanks again for a fantastic drive in a stunning landscape! @Rob S and @munkybizness your support roles excellent as always, really appreciated the advice and assistance during my refusals and the stuck. @Emanuel was good to follow your impeccable lines again! Also had to remove tons of mud from my rims, felt like i had lost all my wheel balance weights! Also had to air up the right front twice on the way home. Workshop in dubai cleaned out a good bit of sand from between the tire bead and the rim! To everyone in the convoy, thanks for a really good morning. 👍

Thanks for the clip @Luke K P