Corowa 2009 -'Year of the Amphibian & Year of the Blitz 2'

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Max Hedges

when are you staying with us next Keefy
cause you might be out in the dog house, if l have my way
dont worry my well trained dogs will keep you company, they dont bite much

Good to see you keep your dogs well trained, Emma. Do you feed them much? A mate of mine had working dogs, but he just couldn't feed them enough, always hungry, everything they ate just went straight through. He took them to the Vet, and found the problem:

[Shakey985]

Thank you to the organizing committee for another great event.
It was great to put faces to names of this forum and HMVF, I'm sorry that I missed the group photo shoot.
I arrived on Friday to find that the Bandiana boys had decided that our site from last year, at the airport, was the better sight.
We set up for wet weather having loaded on Thursday in the rain, the first rain we have had for 2009.
The LYNX didn't make it to the parade as on the run down she was overheating, but as this was her first decent run she went well and all we have to do is find a few missing parts and the overheating should be fixed.

The Israeli half track went well until a welsh plug started to leak on the return trip, another repair job.

The MRV (M113 with Scorpion turret) had a good run around the paddock after a ride on the Mack Truck for the parade.

Sunday morning we were up again bright and early to return the vehicles to the museum for the National serviceman's reunion.
Well I hope every one got home safely and we hope to be there next year but we don't have many Jeeps in the museum.

[Keith Webb]

I've been meaning to congratulate Salesman Bob on his absolutely magnificent effort of re-creating the prototype half-track Chev CMP.

Well done also to Colin Jones for his engineering excellence.

To see this actually running was one of the highlights of the show not only for me but all who had the chance to see it.

These are some still frames from the video I was shooting so if you missed it in the metal you can see and hear it on the forthcoming DVD.

[Keith Webb]

The first is Swiss Chris and Greg Beeston in Chris' F15, and the second is one of the Jeeps having a bit of fun down by the river.

[Max Hedges]

Hi Bob

Probably later in the year, we're going past your place towards Esperance and if Kathy allows me, we will stop at your place and I would love to have a drive of Phoenix

Greetings
Max aka Chris

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all - what a brilliant Corowa this year. Crossed all the hurdles with Phoenix and had her running. Boy I am looking forward to the moving footage. Had a dream run home until we hit the last big hill, known as the Big Dipper, just short of Mount Barker where we lost the clutch in the Hino. With Ada's guidance managed to park the truck next to the guard rail but a bit scary with the rear end with all that tonnage pointing down hill and just holding on spring brakes. Found rocks and rammed them behind the rear wheels. Then had to organise a tow truck from Adelaide, $185/hr depot to depot. Huge tow truck arrived, towed us to a safer location, driver adjusted the clutch and we made it home 4hrs later than expected. Then half a bottle of brandy between the two of us and then to bed about 4am, absolutely shagged.

Anyway, apart from that bad experience, the rest of the trip was good. Met many MLUers and other old friends. Bought a great set of seat covers from Rich who obtained them from an upholsterer in Barnawartha and obtained a few more instrument panels including one from Robert. And yes Robert I can use a lot of it. It was great to meet you and the boys and apart from your sad news I could see the three of you were having a ball.

Thats all for now before the system logs me out.

Bob

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Max - you and Kathy will be more than welcome. We have plenty of room here for you to have a stop over and if I have Phoenix off the Hino by then you can have a drive.

BTW I hope you are working Chris hard.

Bob

[Jan Thompson]

Here is the official vehicle list. Thanks to Keith Webb for correctly identifying each Blitz. We were told of 41 Blitz trucks in the parade but we have 43 entered. Perhaps 2 didn't go in the parade.

Entered Vehicle list
31 Chevrolet Blitzes, 12 Ford Blitzes, 22 Landrovers,
28 Willys Jeeps, 33 Ford Jeeps, 4 Ford/Willys Jeeps,
7 GPAs, 1 LP2A Machine Gun Carrier, 1 Mortar Carrier reproduction,
5 BSA Motorcycles, 1 BSA Motorcycle & sidecar, 1 BMW R71 Replica,
1 Dodge M37, 1 1972 Bedford MJ, 1 1991Yamaha XT600motorcycle,
3 Studebaker US6, 2 White M3A1 Scout Cars, 4 Dodge Weapons Carriers,
1 1949 Skoda Staff Car, 1 1939 Chevrolet Sedan, 1 Ford Lynx Armoured Car ,
1 Saracen, 1 DUKW, 1 1980 MRV Medium Recon Vehicle,
1 LARC, 1 Leyland Moke, 1 Nash 3710 Sedan,
2 GMCs, 1 1958 Toyota Weapons Carrier 1 Pontiac Utility,
1 Chevrolet Yankee Joe, 1 Kubelwagen, 1 Dodge Carryall,
1 1950 International Tractor , 1 Centurion Mk 5/1 Tank, 1 1978 CVR(T) Striker tank destroyer,
1 1972 Alvis Sabre Light tank, 1 Buffalo LVT4 Amphibian, 1 Kaiser Wrecker,
1 Mercedes Unimog, 1 Austin Champ, 1 Humvee,
1 Ford 15cwt ute, 1 Haflinger, 1 White Half Track (Israeli),
1 1953 Ford Truck, 1VW Prototype buggy, 3 WLA Harley Davidson motorcyles,
1 BSA Folding pushbike, I 1970 International ACCO, 1 1979 Inter 510A Fire truck,

Official tally: 194

Also attending: 2003 Ozamphibian Platypus 1 Yak aircraft


Seen in Corowa but not recorded as entrants were:
Mark Sierant: 1945 Ford F60S Ambulance No2 body frame only collected during the rally
1 British Carrier on a truck that was for sale (and I believe was sold)
Willys Jeep beside the site office at Ball Park
Suzuki motorcycle on the back of Steve Dietman’s Truck
Landrover on the back of Steve Dietman’s truck

Amongst the Canadian Military Pattern vehicles (Blitzes) were:

John Hedges: 1940 Chevrolet C30 Cab 11
Howard Holgate: 1941 Ford F15 1C1 GS
Tony Elliott: 1941 Cab 12 F60L Dropside Tray GS Ex 2-pdr Portee
Christoph Zimmerli: 1942 Ford F15 2C1 GS
Julian Smith: 1942 Ford F15 cab/chassis
Len Shutt: 1942 Chevrolet C8AX with Australian No 2A GS
Max Hedges: 1942 Chevrolet C15
Alan Carpenter: 1942 Chevrolet C15 No2 GS
Euan McDonald: 1942 Chevrolet C15A WO9 No2A Office
Steve Simpson: 1942 Chevrolet C15A WO9 Office with two No2A GS bodies joined end for end
Robert Farmer: 1942 Chevrolet C15A No2A GS
Colin Morley: 1942 Chevrolet C15A 2C1 GS
Bob McNeill: 1942 Chevrolet C15
John Stokes: 1942 Chevrolet C15A (lengthened chassis) Ex-WO 12 Wireless Signals
Colin Morley: 1942 Chevrolet C15A 2C1 GS
Russell Hughes: 1942 Chevrolet C15A 2C1 GS
Tom Jensen: 1942 Chevrolet C15A
Ashley Wilson: 1943 Chevrolet C15A WO8 No2A GS
Glenn Burne: 1942 Chevrolet C15A 2C1 GS
Robert Pearce: 1943 Chevrolet C15A
Barry Petersen: 1944 Chevrolet C15A with Chevrolet commercial pattern cab
Glenn Jorgensen: 1943 Chevrolet C15A with fabricated “HUP-type” body
Bill Bates: 1943 Chevrolet C15A with fabricated “Gun Tractor-type” body
Ian Styles: 1942 Ford F15A No2A GS
Ashley Wilson: 1942 Chevrolet C30 Ambulance No1
Hugh Thompson: 1945 Ford F60S Ambulance No2
Col Feather: 1945 Ford F60S Ambulance No2
Army Museum Bandiana: 1945 Ford F60S Ambulance No2.
Andrew McIntosh: 1944 Chevrolet C60S (fabricated camper body)
Rick Cove: 1943 Chevrolet C60S (Ex WO78 No6 CGT)
Ben Gruber: 1943 Chevrolet C60S Pacific Fire Tender
Bob Moseley: 1942 Chevrolet C60S Half Track prototype reproduction (Ex WO78 No6 CGT)
Roly Davey: 1945 Ford F60S modified as a bushfire tender
Jim Oxlee: 1945 Ford F60S 400 gallon water tanker
John Oldenmenger: 1942 Chevrolet C60L Dropside Tray GS
Tim Langley: 1943 Chevrolet C60L Dropside Tray GS
Rob Jacobs: 1943 Chevrolet C60L Dropside Tray GS
Noel Patrick: 1943 Chevrolet C60L Dropside Tray GS
Tim Scriven: 1942 Ford F60L 2-pdr Portee
Aaron Fell: 1942 Ford F60L cab/chassis
Army Museum Bandiana: 1942 F60L Workshop
Mark Weltner: 1945 Chevrolet C60X
Euan & Katrina McDonald: 1945 Chevrolet CGT No9
Alan Larkin: 1942 Chevrolet

Amphibious Vehicles include:
7 Ford GPAs: owned by Roger Ross, Trevor Boyle, Mitch Groves, Army Museum Bandiana, Don Wilson, John Hecker & Jim Bennie
1 DUKW: owned by the Army Museum Bandiana
1 Larc: owned by the Army Museum Bandiana
1 Buffalo: owned by John Belfield

1 Ozamphibian Platypus (not military).