# Calling authors and historians...!!!



## Pathfinder Jack (Nov 15, 2010)

Afternoon all,

Hope everyone is well.

Have been speaking with Krela with regards to the below and advised me to go ahead a post the below. This is kind of my intro too!

- It is a long post so make a cup of tea first!

My name is Jack Beckett and I am from Dorset. I own Pathfinder Media Group and under that banner I have the award winning website - www.hmvf.co.uk - Winner - of the Bart Vanderveen award for outstanding contribution to the military vehicle movement - last year my members and I raised over £10,000 for the Normandy Veterans Association to enable many of our veterans to return for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. I also organised Armour & Embarkation www.armourandembarkation.com which was the UK's first tank event - just type Armour and Embarkation into YouTube. It was to commemorate the build up of D-Day here in Dorset and we pulled it off in style with great coverage from around the world and I also own www.pathfinderdistribution.com which we supply the world with reproduced WW2 tents.

My other project, as you may know is www.thepathfindermagazine.com With regards to the magazine I am now taking it online as it gives us more coverage as one of my sites - HMVF has over 1 million visitors a year and we will be dovetailing that in with the magazine so our coverage will explode.

We have contributors from around the, some of them are leading historians, authors and veterans to name a few. Kent Tout OBE will also be writing for us - as you may know, Ken served as an NCO with the 1st Bn Northants Yeomanry during the Second World War, fighting in Sherman tanks and is the author of many books on his experiences during the war. We also have Albert Figg of the infamous Hill 112. Paul Woodage - Battle Bus Tours - Normandy Historian. Michael John Grist - our contributor from Tokyo taking care of battlefields, bases and wrecks from the war in the East And must include Ben - who explores underground ammo dumps here in the UK - one of them being 80 acres underground with its own railway station, cinema, hospital and the whole lot - it was a secret WW2 under ground bunker - of which there are many more which he will be exploring for us.

Furthermore I am speaking with Prof Richard Holmes to join us too.


But there is more – more about the content and the benefits of going over to the online concept. Some of the below will be free.

* · Daily News feeds from around the world

* - Online radio

* · Book and film reviews

* · TV & radio listings relevant to our hobby

* · Interviews with authors, film makers, historians

* · Competitions

* · Blogs from around the world

* · ‘How to’ guides

* · Downloadable battlefield guides

* · Product news

* · Articles

* · In-depth articles about, the Great War and WW2 effort, post war conflicts, the Leaders, weapons and equipment, propaganda, uniforms, battlefields, insignia, war secrets, aircraft, war factories, crash sites, memorials, training grounds, life back in civvy street and the British resistance......

* · Podcasts

* · Video interviews

* · Exclusive deals from traders, ferry companies, retailers, battlefield tour companies, books, DVD’s and much much more

* · Reduce museum entry

* · Journalistic content

* · To record, GPS map and make available all WW1 & WW2 UK airfields and pillboxes

* · Smart phone accessibility

* · Live show reports

* · Upcoming related events

There is a lot more that we can and will do but this gives you a flavour. We can collate and publish some great work from around the world that will be accessible forever. It allows us to have more content from more contributors then we could ever think possible and over the years this will build into a massive resource and will keep current with the hobby. It will become a massive achieve and a lasting legacy.


I HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WITH REGARDS TO THE CONTENT AND CONTRIBUTORS BUT TRYING NOT TO SHOW MY HAND TO SOON AND TILL IT IS ALL DONE.

Pathfinder Online is now the Media Partner of Bovington Tank Museum. So it is all go.

So what am I doing posting here?! Well as you know the membership of the Derelict Places forum is full of skilled and knowledgeable people. And I am looking for further contributors to write for us.

I feel that we tend to (in the ‘printed press’) focus on D-Day and the Normandy campaign and I want to change that by bringing in interesting articles from four corners of the world. So I am looking for contributors/writers who have explolered wartime bunkers here in the UK and further afield - Norway, Russia, Italy, German, Australia and anywhere that has a wartime link - can be an airfield, ammo dump and so on and also from the Cold War.

Articles on airfields, vehicles, battlefields, navy, POW camps, SOE, graves, UXB’s, towns, cities, bunkers, raids, relics, shipwrecks and anything connected to WW2 or WW1. I am also aware that many of us do not have the platform to share our work and many of us want to write and share but have no outlet for it. Then you have a blank canvas here that you can publish your work.

I am very keen on having columnists – may be slightly risky but something I think would be interesting to us all. So if you have a personal opinion or a continuous view point that you are willing to share with the world on the hobby – the good the bad and the ugly - then please do let me know – you would have your own piece within the magazine.

If you would like to know more then please email me – jack @ hmvf.co.uk or PM me and will get straight back to you!



My kind regards, thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Jack.


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## Foxylady (Nov 15, 2010)

Welcome to DP, Jack. Your project sounds fantastic and I wish you all the best with it. Pm sent. 
Cheers.


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## night crawler (Nov 15, 2010)

Sounds up my street, now where are those pillboxes.


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## Pathfinder Jack (Nov 16, 2010)

Many thanks guys and have replied all emails and PM's! Great work!!!

Kind regards,

Jack.


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## Pathfinder Jack (Nov 16, 2010)

Got to say folks - I am blown away with work of the folks who have thus far been in touch. Such high level and standards of work.

Hats off to you.

Jack.


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## Krypton (Nov 16, 2010)

I would quite like to do something actually, something Royal Observer Corps related.

I have restored a bunker which you can find HERE

Perhaps if it would intrest you, you could come and do a film there? We get dressed up, have military vehicles, sirens, the lot.

I will send you an email regarding this.

Jack


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## Pathfinder Jack (Nov 17, 2010)

Krypton said:


> I would quite like to do something actually, something Royal Observer Corps related.
> 
> I have restored a bunker which you can find HERE
> 
> ...



Hi Jack,

Many thanks and got it!

Cheers,

Jack.


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## Munchh (Nov 17, 2010)

I rather thought that you would be inundated when I read your post. There are a large number of people here with the right credentials for this.

Welcome to the forum Jack.


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## Pathfinder Jack (Nov 18, 2010)

Munchh said:


> I rather thought that you would be inundated when I read your post. There are a large number of people here with the right credentials for this.
> 
> Welcome to the forum Jack.




Thanks for the welcome and you are certainly right there - I have been amazed with the feedback. There were a couple of key things in my mind that I wanted to do but the diversity of the content and the members here has made us have a rethink as there is so much we can do and take to the mass audience. Bearing in mind that this will be global we have a great opportunity to do some great work here. 

As I said in my initial post - the printed magazine could only carry so much content as you are limited by page numbers but by going online our content can be endless and content can be published within minutes of receiving it into the office. 

I like to get things done and I like to do things that haven't been done before and to test myself and everyone else who is part of the 'team'. Life is for pushing your boundaries and stretching yourself.

Cheers,

JB!


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## Pathfinder Jack (Nov 29, 2010)

Hi guys - just catching up as all busy here for the magazine and just replying all PM's.


Cheers!

Jack.


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## night crawler (Nov 29, 2010)

I think you may well be haveing an joint artical heading your way in the near future from myself an other.


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## Pathfinder Jack (Dec 6, 2010)

night crawler said:


> I think you may well be haveing an joint artical heading your way in the near future from myself an other.



I look forward to that - it would be very much appreciated!

Best wishes,

Jack.


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## Pathfinder Jack (May 4, 2012)

Hi guys,

Hope everyone is well and yes, its been a long time 

BUT things have been moving and shaking and the whole concept and site has been rebranded and restrutured so please do take a look here - www.WarHistoryOnline.com and I have also been busy putting the WWII Tank Event on and can be seen here www.ArmourAndEmbarkation.com

Would still love to have the adventures you guys have and the discoveries you make written up and posted on War History Online.

My kind regards,

Jack!


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## lilli (May 4, 2012)

I explore in Europe quite a lot .... mostly former Soviet installations but a lot of these had luftwaffe beginings. 

If you can see anything that I have done in the former DDR or Latvia that grabs your attention I would be happy to help out (for a credit of course )


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## Priority 7 (May 4, 2012)

I echo lilli feel free to let me know if there is anything you would like to grab


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## night crawler (May 4, 2012)

Well Iv'e managed to blog my pillbox walks http://spuduka.blogspot.co.uk/


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## Pathfinder Jack (May 4, 2012)

Have to say guys - simply outstanding work and yes would love to have you onboard. What's interesting is that not only do you get to all these amazing places and not only do you know your history.......but on top of that your photography is fantastic - what more can anyone ask for.

Seriously would love to cover the Soviet places as much as the British places. The visitors to War History Online would love this and I can offer you a great platform for your work as links to each article get shared on Facebook - Twitter - and many other forums - one of mine www.hmvf.co.uk has over 1 million visitors a year so can get you great exposure.


If it is any easy then you can get me on/at info @ warhistoryonline.com 

Kind regards,

Jack.


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## lilli (May 4, 2012)

If what I have is what you need get in touch. I don't need to spread what I do, but if you like what I do contact me.

I prefer to be contacted for specfics rather than to whore myself if you get what I mean. 

If I have been to a location on my travels that will interest your people more than happy to share, but for that you will need to know what they would like. 

The ball is in your court. I am not really awkward but will leave it at that.


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## Pathfinder Jack (May 4, 2012)

lilli said:


> If what I have is what you need get in touch. I don't need to spread what I do, but if you like what I do contact me.
> 
> I prefer to be contacted for specfics rather than to whore myself if you get what I mean.
> 
> ...



Perfect - can't get on you site at the moment thou - can you PM me you email address please and we will hook up........


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## snap_happy (May 10, 2012)

If there is anything that i have posted here that could be of interest to you please feel free to contact me. Im planning many more Pillobxes etc and i have a general interest in millitary sites and equipment. I also may be able to help with photos of aircraft if needed, again please drop me a line.

Overall even if you dont have a use for my material may i wish you the best of luck with everything and i shall definatly keep an eye on the website.


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