"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
