"they did take the parts off off a tank and did not buy
them as surplus":
If that was the case, why remove them to another hull that was not nearly as easily 'converted' as the original MH hull?
I suspect the parts were surplus - all they seem to have used is the transmission. The MH tanks - some 138 - were broken up in late 1942/ early 1943 to provide armour plate, and the engines were marinised and used to convert dumb lighters to powered lighters. The number of engines used tallies with the number of tanks very closely, so I don't doubt that that was their eventual use. (two engines per lighter).
So, unless the tank came from somewhere else, I doubt that it was one of the ones landed in Australia during 1942.
Of course, I could be wrong: maybe they have some images of them removing the gear/building their 'skidder' that might show the MH tank? Worth asking.
Mike C
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