Strickland Carrier Serial No: VR750

[Dale Jordan]

Interesting that the track winch spanner is still there .
Dale

[Luke R]

If you look in book 3 pg 124 of the AWM books you will find that on 17/11/41 VR750 was loaded on to the Talabot and was shipped from Melbourne to the Middle East.

[Plushy]

Thanks for the Information Luke ! .

Looked up the Book you mention on AWM website never knew that i could do that and downloaded the book .

Is there a way to find out the unit it was issued too ?

Pretty impressive the Old girl has been to the Middle east and back .

[Luke R]

From what I've heard(some one correct me if I'm wrong) , you would have to go through each unit diary in hope that you will find the carrier which may or may not listed.

[Darrin Wright]

I was very lucky with my hull (VR 731) as I found it in the Northern Territory of AU, from research that I had conducted and also a mate in the NT Museum, we know that nearly all the BGC used in the NT were disposed of in the NT.
Looking through the AWM pics, looking at pics from the NT and observing what units they had in Darwin at the time, I then researched the unit diary and, after months of research, finding the needle in the hay stack.
VR731 is a 3" mortar carrying vehicle and by chance, the unit diary writer had made mention of having 22 MG carriers and 6 mortar carriers on the unit (10/48 Inf Batt AIF) resource list.

as a suggestion: The ARN record may have the ship listed, then look at pics of BGC in the Med or Nth Africa or other associated reference material and you may find some info in the general area of this vehicle or units that may have used it.

Some of these hulls have info painted where the tracks run on the side of the hull, shipment numbers etc that may also assist. I had a UC that served in Nth Africa and was acquired by AU soldiers and shipped back to AU, it had its shipment or auction numbers painted on it. It has since been sold back to the UK for restoration.

Good luck

[Mike Cecil]

Plushy,

In Middle East images, you will be looking for a carrier with a registration of AIF-T-16594 on the front track guard - usually the right side - and rear, not '750'.

Once returned to Australia, it would have been renumbered with the hull number, the hull number having been applied to carriers as the registration number from late 1941 onwards, with most changed over in 1942.

So in images taken in Australia, you will be looking for '750' as the registration on the hull sides & rear.

Clear as mud!

MV Talabot made two trips to the Middle East with vehicles aboard. Your carrier was one of 30 on the second trip.

Mike

[Plushy]

Hi Mike and Darrin,
Thanks for the tips for what too look for in photos during my search . I have managed to find the Convoy numbers and dates for the Thermopylae and the Talabot and the Port of unloading which was Haifa in Palestine/Israel on the 22/12/41 .The Talabot then Left Haifa on the 1/1/42 on its way to Fremantle .

So to narrow the search i just need to look for Carrier images from Palestine and the Syria Lebanon region in Early 1942 .

Looks like i might have my work cut out for me ,still its all part of the fun .

James.