Pierre Rieu Has a Striking Collection!!

"For the layperson my tanks are rusty, for me they are history and emotion"

From the Belgian Magazine "De Tijd" (The Time), by Bert Voet

Pierre Rieu and his Achilles Tank Destroyer

Pierre Rieu, son of orchestra leader André Rieu, has a striking collection: army vehicles from WWII, rooted in the war history of his own family. We took a look between the tanks and armored vehicles.

Pierre Rieu (38) Manager of violinist orchestra leader André Rieu. First: Willys Jeep CJ3A (1953).

Daily: Tesla S (2015).

Best: Humber Box.

Worst condition: Ford Quad.

Sold with regret: "I've never sold anything."

Dream: "To be allowed to do this for a long time."

"I don't care about modern cars, they serve to drive you from a to b," says Pierre Rieu. Outside his shed in Maastricht is an English Achilles Tank Destroyer with a 17-pounder gun. "Restoring it to a running state requires years of work," he says.

Ahead: a broken tank engine. "The Chrysler A57 Multibank consisted of five six-cylinder engines which were assembled into a thirty-cylinder radial engine. For the lay person it is a lot of rust, for me history and emotion. Thanks to the people who worked on these, we now don't speak German. To see them driving  through the streets, that meant something. Just about every family in Western Europe has a link to the war. "

A Humber Mar IV armored car

This is certainly his case. Pierre is the son of the Dutch violinist and orchestra leader André Rieu. "My mother's father was a German Jew who fled to Maastricht in 1933, where he met my grandmother. My brother and I were often with them. There I used to leaf through photo books, she told stories. One of my grandfather's brothers had fled to England and became a courier in the army. I found a photo of him on a Matchless G3L engine."'

"Thanks to the people who worked with this, we now don't speak German." Pierre Rieu

'So I now also have one who served with the North African Desert Rats. Besides that one brother, my grandfather lost almost all his family in extermination camps. Bomma played a fascinating role in the resistance. She saved many people from death."

A Humber Snipe like British General Montgomery had.

Army Cars

They were the trigger for the collection. "When I was eighteen, my first car was a natural choice. I bought it as a WWII Willys. Only after I refurbished it, it appeared to be from 1953. But I never sold it: it is my first car. Even grand dad drove in it. He thought that was fantastic. I also hope my twins will learn to drive in it too. They are now ten. They come here to play with their friends. For them, this is a paradise."

In the meantime he has purchased a real Willys from the war. "A Canadian version, which was restored here from scratch. Back then, rubber was then still manufactured:  we ride on tires dating from 1943," he says laughingly, and shows us a rather unique combination of three Humbers. The Snipe - like the one  British General Montgomery had  - was restored here.

The Ordnance QF 25-pounder Field Gun was the most important English howitzer during WWII.

Outside, a post-war Austin Ten continues to rust.

In addition, a Heavy Utility Car 4WD, also called the "Box", which served in the Belgian Brigade Piron, and a Mark IV. "I don't count them anymore. When you collect, you think: you can still add that one too, and then the collection is complete. But as soon as that gap is filled, a new desire arises. Watch out: I don't want as many vehicles as possible. But only special things though."

"I now love armored equipment. Today we need cranes and forklifts to remove the engines. The biggest by far is the great Dragon Wagon, a recent addition. We'll fix it up next year. Boys & toys, of course! "We also see a large anti-aircraft gun. "That really works, yes. I have a permit. That is mandatory. But the ammunition is no longer being made. But when you aim it, people of course don't know that."(He Laughs)

Warplane

"At the moment there is nothing left on my wish list. Well, maybe one: an M5 half-track. And maybe an airplane. A friend has a Stinson War bird. I've flown in it a few times. It was fantastic. At home I already have a Link Trainer: the mechanical simulator in which war pilots were trained before they crawled into the real airplane. I will later on really use it to learn to fly on instruments. But I have it already converted into an electronic version. "

For the past fifteen years he has built a club around his collection. "Fifty Shades of Green," he says laughing. "Around twenty friends come and volunteer to help every Wednesday. A diverse group of fifteen to eighty years: mechanics, a goldsmith, a car painter, a doctor. Some are mainly fascinated by cars, others by the war, or club life in itself."

"I always try to assign them a vehicle they like to work on. There is great enthusiasm. Our professional welders organized a course on Sunday mornings. There was a lot of enthusiasm for that. They are also allowed to borrow things. But under one rule: I must know. Otherwise it is not borrowing. "(Laughs)

He also wants to bring schools here. "We are going to organize a museum, with dioramas and videos. We have already built an extra floor for that. I don't know when it will be done. There are no deadlines here and nothing is mandatory. But we do have a healthy drive. We work hard, but also have fun and eat a lot of vlaai. (Limburg pastry)  And once a year I take the group on a trip, as a gesture. "

Source: Sabato NL

Thanks to John for his Translation