'Owning' Military History

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

"This raises the question (more a moral one than anything else) as to the extent that private individuals should be allowed to ‘own’ Australia’s military history for personal gratification."
Given the broad range of experience and expertise on this forum - museum professionals, small and large scale collectors, researchers and authors - I'm interested in your comments about the 'moral' question raised by Lt Col Bruce Cameron MC (rtd) .....

Mike

Perhaps the gentleman concerned may wish to see if he could get any govt. or organisation interested in restoring the vehicle below?!?!?! Of course they wouldn't. I couldn't disagree with him more. For each person or group who take pity on a pile of rusted parts, there will be another vehicle returned to usable condition. There would be massive amounts of vehicles and equipment available for public viewing, IF governments took the time and thought to consider future value of war material, INSTEAD OF DUMPING THEM overboard from ships, or off jetties. They were happy to take money for the ones that came home, and went up for auction. They sold theor right to these 'historically significant' items when the cheques got cashed following the sale.
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It's thanks to our 'personal gratification' that most of what still exists, is even around to be speculated on by misguided individuals who perhaps have a bit of green envy?!? Take the Ford Gun Tractor which was recently taken on strength by the AWM. That thing was languishing (in sections cut apart by gas torch) on a dump pile, on a farm in central Queensland. If the gentleman who restored it had jot done so, it would have remained there, to be slowly consumed by corrosion, or worse, sold to a scrap dealer for a handful of sheckles.
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Maybe the Lt Col., now that he is retired, may wish to turn his efforts to actually SAVING history instead of criticising those that do something other than lament the passing of such things. Jeezus he makes me mad! My own restoration has swallowed up tens of thousands of dollars of my own money, and time, so that just one more vehicle gets back to the shape it once had. Yes, I will certainly get a lot of satisfaction and attention once it takes to the road again. And so it should. These rolling museums will get people thinking again of that point in world history, and that's the important thing. If the equipment of war is not saved by individuals, then the efforts of the participants in combat fades from mind quicker. Such items are a jolt back to remember who actually used them long ago.

Like most countries, the Australian government was quick to dispose of everything it could, following world wars. It is THEIR fault entirely, for not having the foresight to realise people would want to know, and more importantly SEE how these endeavours were fought and ultimately won. You can't divest yourself of everything, then complain in decades to come, that private folks shouldn't be allowed to own (and maintain at own cost) war materials.

I think your man needs to crusade for a point of view that actually has a valid arguement. He might wish to turn his attention to the thousands of hard won service medals which are being sold each day, and often get broken from their sets, never to be joined again. Now THAT'S a tragedy that should be outlawed. Maybe he should consider why he sought to rise through the ranks of the military. Was it to serve his country in positive capacity, or was it, like so many others, to achieve a status of power and, dare I say it, 'personal gratification'?