Vickers MK VIB

[Mrs Vampire]

Good luck with finding turrets Colin. I would love to see your Vickers one day.

I was told by the farmer who sold Platypus and Koala that scrap merchants regularly went around the farms and brought up stuff like the turrets. Both these tanks were within weeks of scrapping when rescued. there was a carrier and an old Willies Knight sedan there as well that most likely were scrapped.

The missing armor of Platypus went to make farm bits and pieces the front sprocket of Koala had been removed one winter by the boys to see how it worked...it ended up wired to a dingo trap out in the bush ...took a lot of finding ...

The farmer in question brought the Vickers because they were cheap and more powerful than a carrier. He said no one wanted the Vickers and so far as he knew they were all sold of to small buyers like himself. I recall he said they were purchased from Auction near Albury and driven on the road back to Griffith.

[Richard Farrant]

The original speedo, tacho and temp guage were still in Playpus, but had to be overhaulled. The mileage reading was around 15,000 if I recall. As they were used for training from about 1938 until mid way through the war until the Stuarts came along, this could be genuine ....

[Roddy de Normann]

Good evening -

Ref the Aussie Mk VIAs, here are the details I hold on them...

They all came from the same contract - T/3021 to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick. The Govt bought nthem to replace the ageing Medium Mk.IIs. The contract was let out on 9 Apr 1936, and the company advised on 11 May 1936.

It appears the vehs arrived in Australia in Aug 1937, with the two light coys being established in early 1939 - the 1st in Sydney, the 2nd in Melbourne...details can be found in 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel...

'KANGAROO'

T. 1790
CMM 974
VAE No. 1556
Veh Engine No: 9466
2nd (Australian) Light Tank Company
Aust VRN - DD 270

'KOALA'

T. 1791
CMM 975
VAE No. 1557
Veh Engine No: 9467
Aust DD 271

(Veh pictured in Pathe News film 600.11)


'PLATYPUS'

T. 1792
CMM 976
VAE No. 1558 &
Veh Engine No: 9396
Aust DD 272

'WALLABY'

T. 1793
CMM 977
VAE No. 1559
Veh Engine No: 9468
Aust DD 273


'WOMBAT'

T. 1794
CMM 978
VAE No. 1560
Veh Engine No: 9469
Aust DD 274


'BOWER BIRD'

T. 1795
CMM 979
VAE No. 156
Veh Engine No: 9470
Aust DD 275

(9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW)


'EMU'

T. 1796
CMM 980
VAE No. 1562
Veh Engine No: 9471
Aust DD 276

(9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW)


'KINGFISHER'

T. 1797
CMM 981
VAE No. 1563 &
Veh Engine No: 9521
Aust DD 277

(9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW)


'KOOKABURRA'

T. 1798
CMM 982
VAE No. 1564 & Aust DD 278
Veh Engine No: 9523

(9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW)
(20 Nov 37 - Veh pictured at Cenotaph Memorial prob for Cambrai Day wreath laying - Pic 16376, Hood Collection, Library of NSW)


'MAGPIE'

T. 1799
CMM 983
VAE No. 1565
Veh Engine No: 9530
Aust DD 279

(9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW)

Hope this helps

Roddy

[Luke R]

Found this photo of koala while searching.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richard64pics/8612061367/

Luke