Robert Ruark Adventurer

Lest my American friends take umbrage at my remark, I love the early Jeep and in fact my late friend Brian Deacon used to hunt from his WW2 version. It had a superb ride, far better than the Landy. There is one being brought back to life in Harare, this is a paradise for classic cars.
 
I am kin to Robert Ruark on my dad's side .We never meet him but my dad's second cousins who are all Ruarks knew him well .I love his books and bought my English setters because of his Old Man and the boy books .I ended up with alot of his books that came from a warehouse of his in Atlanta where he had lots of his books for shows he did .A good friend had a book store and knew Robert very well .He said he lived the high life and fast lane and passed away too quick .I have reread all his books and ended up with hundreds of copies of his books from his warehouse .
I always thought about his quail hunting adventures when I grouse hunted with my English setters in Alaska .
 
Lineage is important, it allows you to extend the dream, which you obviously are. So you live that dream and the sniff is there, but to now pass that on you have to write. Maybe the kids pick it up and read it some day, maybe friends, but if in doing so the sniff is passed on, and you have succeeded.
 
If any of you are in Spain or close to Spain you will find Ruark’s grave in Palamos on top of the hill just before the road descend down to the city centre. A very nice city to visit btw. The grave is a bit hard to find, but if you look closely you will. Someone had also placed flowes there, do not know who.
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Those Land Rovers that Ruark so ignominiously refers to as 'jeeps' are Series 0 80 inch wheelbase versions. They would have had the early 1.6 litre petrol engine, good thing they were still fairly new, brave indeed to venture into the interior with those.
This is our Series 0, 1950, named - the Harry Selby! The lorry is an Austin and the car in the car park is a Humber I think. All frightfully British as you would expect from East Africa, Ker and Downey must have been doing well.

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Nothing wrong with the original Land Rover, Austin Trucks or Humber cars . All were very popular in rural Australia in 1940s , 50s and 60s . The original Land Rover motor was from the Standard Vanguard car and was also used in Massey Ferguson TE 20 tractors . We had an old TE 20 for use around farm house / garden . Had 2 tanks - start it on petrol and switch to Kerosene once warm . Had a Kero fridge in the house too . Had an old 6 cylinder Austin horse/ cattle truck . That engine was provided to Nissan in 1960s and became the 4.2 litre Nissan Patrol engine . Completely interchangeable with the Austin . I breakable but thirsty . Chevrolet did the same thing with Toyota . The Chevy 6 became Land Cruiser engine for years . As for Humber cars dad had a top of the line Humber Super Snipe Pullman . Like a cheap Rolls Royce . Often used by the Queen . Absolutely unstoppable . General Montgomery used a Humber Super Snipe staff car all through the North African campaign . My family always had a mix of British and American cars and trucks - Bedford trucks ( a British Chev) in 50s - 70s followed by a new Chev truck in mid 1970s. Dad’s cars were Vauxhalls , Humbers , Chev Impala , Dodge Phoenix and Buick Roadmaster and a Wildcat. Tractors included Massey Fergusons , David Brown , Deutz and Deere . All were great machines and highly individual .
 
The Super Snipe was quite common here in the Rhodesia days, and if I am not mistaken the top tier one was called the Imperial. Triumph was well represented, both sports cars and the Herald. In the late 60's one of my older buddies had a Standard 8, a tiny thing that we used to go on camping trips in. That was replaced by a Super Snipe. The other friend had a Zephyr, and my first car was a mini 850 painted like the union jack. Later I got a Triumph Herald, a breeze to work on after the mini.
 
The Super Snipe was quite common here in the Rhodesia days, and if I am not mistaken the top tier one was called the Imperial. Triumph was well represented, both sports cars and the Herald. In the late 60's one of my older buddies had a Standard 8, a tiny thing that we used to go on camping trips in. That was replaced by a Super Snipe. The other friend had a Zephyr, and my first car was a mini 850 painted like the union jack. Later I got a Triumph Herald, a breeze to work on after the mini.
Yes the Humber Imperial Pullman - a seriously big car and we kids loved it . Could put the whole rugby team in the back section . The Triumph Heralds were popular here in OZ . They were a bit cheaper than MGs. Going from a Standard 8 to a Super Snipe would be like going from the out house to the penthouse .
 
I contacted Robert Ruark Society this fall to ask for membership. A lady answered in an email saying that owner of Society had passed on and she could get ahold of webmaster to open up the Society.
Few months later the page is taken down sadly .
 

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Our trophy shed is filling up and we are only getting started,

cwpayton wrote on CM McKenzie's profile.
Sir ,is that picture of you packing the shoshone river trail thru buffalo pass? Im trying to get a plan togather for a ride. do you pack professionally or for pleasure. thanks
Cal {cwpayton}
ghay wrote on gearguywb's profile.
Is this rifle sold? If not what is the weight of it and do you know if there is enough difference in diameter between the 35W and the 9.3 to allow for a rebore to a 9.3x62 which is what I am after?
Thanks,
Gary (Just down the road in Springfield)
Woods wrote on Hunter-Habib's profile.
Forgive me if this is the incorrect area, I signed up to this forum just now because I wanted to be on the list to purchase a copy of your autobiography. Please feel free to pass my information along to whomever is selling. Thank you so much. I look forward to it!
I like the Tillie in my picture. They are supposed to fit loose (2 fingers inside hat band), have mesh for cooling, and hold their shape after washing.
 
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