Aust prototype tank
 

A very good friend of mine gave me a few photo's that he took himself many years ago. It is a small prototype tank that I have never seen before. Perhaps someone might shed some light on it and perhaps if it is still around somewhere. The last photo says Bandiana on the back

Mystery Tank
 

Do you mean the Vickers Medium Mk II in the background or the light tank in the foreground?

In the background of the last photo.

Will this be the American two man tank that a forum member retrieved a trans for, some years back?

No I don't think so lynn, that was a Marmon Herrington.

I see a Churchill with its front dust guard raised and a Covenantor bridgelayer without its bridge.

Rob

The Vickers Medium Mk II is at Puckapunyal Armoured Museum. I was taking walk around photos of the Canadian Scout Car Ford Lynx 1. and the Vickers was caught in the photo in the background.

Regards Rick.

Attachment 91445

Rob, you're spot on. I can see it now. So there's no prototype, nothing unusual, nothing to see here, go back inside :confused :rolleyes :bang: I should have had a closer look myself.. :)

Australia had I think 4 Vickers Medium tanks which I think again were purchased in 1927.
They were worn out and just about out of use when WW2 started.
We had nothing else at the time and they were patched up and again used until about 1942 (mostly for training purposes)when enough British and American tanks became available.

Some of the above pictures show other Australian tanks used in the earlier part of WW2 ( in Australia for training) when the Vickers was just still in use.

We didn't get Grants ,Stuarts and Matildas, Churchhills and a bit of other armour in numbers until mid 1942.
That why we still used the Vickers medium and were trying to produce the Sentinel cruiser tank until 1943 with the Japanese knocking on the door in early 1942.

The last was taken 1945+, as the Churchills did not arrive until then.

The four Vickers Medium MkII (Special) were slightly different to their British counterparts, hence the addition of 'Special' in the nomenclature.

Mike :salute: