Combat Dealers
Upcoming episodes
May 1st
1000p
THE D_DAY PARACHUTE JUMP
Bruce rises to a challenge to do a D-Day parachute jump in Normandy. Although an ex- Para himself, he hasn’t properly jumped in over 30 years. Deciding to do it authentically he sets about finding and buying genuine WWII paratrooper uniforms and kit. Bruce is also looking to fix, do-up and sell two classic wartime vehicles; a British Army armoured car called a Dingo and an American Willy’s jeep. That means twin mechanics Nick and Phil, must work double-time to find the faults and fix them. And Ian hunts for a machine gun that would have been mounted on the back.
May 2nd
1000p
BANGS AND BOMBS
Military WW2 dealer Bruce Compton takes money-man Hus on a picking trip to Germany. Hus gets worried exploring a dealer’s military junkyard when they discover a nuclear core from a secret Nazi nuclear testing factory. Back in the UK the danger mounts as Bruce tests the impact different explosives have on vehicles in a bid to solve a mystery about what kind of explosion could have blown a hole in his 8 tonne German Army truck. Meanwhile, the engineering skills of the twins are put to the test as they re-commission a WWII PAK 40 mortar gun ready to shoot, to impress a possible buyer.
May 3rd
1000p
OPERATION CLEAR-OUT
Things are not going well for Bruce Crompton. His wife is threatening to clear out the messy warehouse where he stockpiles his military kit; he paid well over the odds for a rusty shell of a German Army transport vehicle; and the twins can’t fix a WWII vehicle called a Kübelwagen, made by Volkswagen. But his luck is due to change. In amongst the clear out he finds an incredible pair of trousers made in a German concentration camp, that are worth thousands. And a Military historian discovers the rusty shell he bought is not just rare, but unique, and worth a mint.
May 5th
300p
NAZI OCCUPIED BRITAIN
An excited Bruce has heard that a Martello Tower has come up for sale on the Channel Islands. This is a huge concrete fortification the Germans armed and used when they occupied these British islands. Bruce has always wanted one to house his collection and they rarely come on the market, so he heads straight over to Jersey and Guernsey. Not only is this a trip down memory lane, as Bruce bought some of his first items there, it’s a chance to hunt for items that tell the story of Nazi occupied Britain. Back at base, the twins have the dangerous task of getting a WWII Napalm filled flamethrower safe and ready for a buyer.
May 5th
400p
THE ITALIAN JOB
Bruce and Hus are on Italian road-trip. From Venice to Lake Garda they meet up with dealers whose objects tell the incredible story of Italy in WWII. Italian kit is going-up in value; if Bruce can increase his stock while it’s cheap and sit on it as it rises in value, it’s money in the bank. And it’s a perfect excuse to take in the sites of northern Italy. Back at base, Freddy and his son are rebuilding an authentic German troop carrier from scratch. But they only have two weeks as Bruce has found a dealer who wants to try before he buys when they meet at a Dutch military fare. So Freddy must get the transporter built, running and ready to ride.
May 6th
1000p
HOLLYWOOD’s CALLING
A Hollywood blockbuster war movie is being shot in the UK and they need genuine military vehicles and props. Knowing Bruce only deals in authentic kit, Hollywood comes calling. Renting out his vehicles to the movie could make Bruce a lot of money, so he organises a video to show-off his tanks and armoured vehicles in action. But is it enough to seal the movie deal? On the hunt for props to buy and then hire out, Bruce goes on a UK picking. To his surprise, in a warehouse in Leicester, he finds Hitler’s car and the door to the prison cell where Hitler wrote Mein Kampf.
May 7th
1000p
PHILLIPINES
Bruce hits the Philippines and when his para sidekick Freddy isn't throwing up in the local restaurants Bruce is digging up some treasures from the Pacific War. Through the objects he haggles for and buys, we discover the fascinating and dark history of Japanese occupation during WW2 and the bloody battles fought by the Allies to kick them out. Back in the UK Bruce has asked the twins to restore a rusty, super rare Japanese artillery gun, then a quick trip down under to purchase and amphibious assault vehicle … all relics of the Pacific War.
May 8th
1000p
AUSTRALIA
Bruce has managed to flog an Aussie museum half million quid’s worth of WW2 tank destroyer, but the shipping deadline is looming and the destroyer is missing one tiny detail … the barrel. While the twins set to work on the tank Bruce goes picking in former-Czechoslovakia where he acquires, among other things, an extraordinary non-magnetic, gyroscopic compass – designed to guide submarines under the ice to the North Pole. When Bruce, the tank and the team finally reach Down Under, they manage to lose the tank, but discover a Samurai sword, Commando dagger and other goodies, and have an adventure in Aborigine territory that rewrites history.
May 9th
1000p
GERMANY
Bruce accidently discovers Hitler’s toilet! (Or at least a toilet from Hitler’s state yacht). Bruce’s mate Kevin is spending over 5 million pounds restoring the world’s last remaining German torpedo boat and Bruce wants to be the dealer who supplies him with everything he needs for the job. From Kriegsmarine Kharzis to German anti-aircraft guns Bruce buys and sells his way from Plymouth to Illinois. His journey gives us a fascinating insight into the history of WW2 Naval warfare and how the Germans managed to terrorise Allied shipping. Freddy and the Twins are left back in Blighty struggling to restore a rare German gun.
May 10th
1000p
FINLAND
Bruce and Hus head to freezing Finland following a hot tip. Up near the Arctic Circle there’s a kind of Winter Wonderland of World War Two vehicles and equipment. Along the way we discover the fascinating story of the Finnish War. The Finns were masters of the winter guerrilla war, operating from deep within Finland’s huge forests. Their snipers instilled fear in the Russians, the Germans, who at various times tried to take over the country. We hear the story of ‘White Death’ the greatest sniper in history, and ex-soldier Bruce gets to try out his own sniping skills.