Aust LRover Rec Rifle - SVN 1969.

[Bruce Gilbert]

Greetings

I am hoping someone can provide the background identity of the Australian Army Landrover 'gun buggy' photographed in South Vietnam. Most of the number plate (112 37X?) can be seen, as well as some unit ID plates.

The photo comes from a 35mm slide, and was taken by a sig. operator belonging to 104 Sig Sqn, between December 1968 and September 1969. It seems to have been taken at an ARVN post, judging by the SVN flag. I also recall his story that he was up a tower during an attack, and the sig. cables got entwined with a machine gun. This story and the pictures may not be related, but ...

He was sometimes sent in a team of one or two sigs, as a liaison sig with Aust and/or US and/or ARVN units.

I am hoping that someone might be able to ID the Landrover and the unit it belonged to. If that could be done, perhaps I could trace the unit's war diaries, in the hope of identifying a date and place of that operation.

The sig who took the photos died on the afternoon of the last day of the 20th century; he did not make the new millennium. He was a damn good bloke. RIP


Regards

Bruce Gilbert

[JackM]

Bruce,

The unit (RH) tac sign looks to be "60" - if that's correct, the unit would be 6 RAR. The smaller plate on the middle top of the grille, which appears to read "SA 4", would identify the vehicle as the fourth vehicle in the anti tank platoon of Support Company, ie S = Support Company and A = anti tank platoon.

On its second tour, 6 RAR served in SVN between May 69 and May 70 - so the timeframe fits.



Jack

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Bruce Gilbert

Greetings

I am hoping someone can provide the background identity of the Australian Army Landrover 'gun buggy' photographed in South Vietnam. Most of the number plate (112 37X?) can be seen, as well as some unit ID plates.

The photo comes from a 35mm slide, and was taken by a sig. operator belonging to 104 Sig Sqn, between December 1968 and September 1969. It seems to have been taken at an ARVN post, judging by the SVN flag. I also recall his story that he was up a tower during an attack, and the sig. cables got entwined with a machine gun. This story and the pictures may not be related, but ...

He was sometimes sent in a team of one or two sigs, as a liaison sig with Aust and/or US and/or ARVN units.

I am hoping that someone might be able to ID the Landrover and the unit it belonged to. If that could be done, perhaps I could trace the unit's war diaries, in the hope of identifying a date and place of that operation.

The sig who took the photos died on the afternoon of the last day of the 20th century; he did not make the new millennium. He was a damn good bloke. RIP


Regards

Bruce Gilbert

G'day Bruce,

Could I suggest that you visit the following website

http://remlr.com/forum/index.php

If the link does not work type into a search engine

Register of Ex Military Land Rovers Forum.

The group is as its name suggests and there are a number of gun buggy owners there who might be able to help you out.

On the site look for the link 106 MM RCL, aka The Gunbuggy this is a dedicated thread to Gun buggies

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

G'day Bruce,

I visited REMLR and found a link which has the list of ARN numbers for gunbuggys

http://remlr.com/forum/index.php?topic=9.msg42#msg42

Also more photographs of these vehicles.

There was a quick shot of a gunbuggy on the ABC Anzac day march in Brisbane however the camera crew seemed more interested in shots of the crowd just as it got closer into view

Kind Regards
Lionel

[lynx42]

In the Appendix to Mike Cecil's book 'Mud and Dust', Mike mentions that there were 21, 106mm gunbuggy's, deployed to Vietnam. No number listings though. Maybe Mike can elaborate a bit more.

Regards Rick.

[Bruce Gilbert]

Thanks Jack - will follow up your suggestions. Thanks for your assistance with this.

Ooops - thanks also Lionel and Rick. Ditto the above. Seems I haven't mastered the forum's reply mechanism.

Bruce G

[Dianaa]

Originally Posted by Bruce Gilbert

Greetings

I am hoping someone can provide the background identity of the Australian Army Landrover 'gun buggy' photographed in South Vietnam. Most of the number plate (112 37X?) can be seen, as well as some unit ID plates.

The photo comes from a 35mm slide, and was taken by a sig. operator belonging to 104 Sig Sqn, between December 1968 and September 1969. It seems to have been taken at an ARVN post, judging by the SVN flag. I also recall his story that he was up a tower during an attack, and the sig. cables got entwined with a machine gun. This story and the pictures may not be related, but ...

He was sometimes sent in a team of one or two sigs, as a liaison sig with Aust and/or US and/or ARVN units.

I am hoping that someone might be able to ID the Landrover and the unit it belonged to. If that could be done, perhaps I could trace the unit's war diaries, in the hope of identifying a date and place of that operation.

The sig who took the photos died on the afternoon of the last day of the 20th century; he did not make the new millennium. He was a damn good bloke. RIP


Regards

Bruce Gilbert

I believe that is ARN 112-372 the vehicle still exists. It was one of very few that had what look like large tac sign holders on the sides of the front fenders. In fact I took the option on the purchase of a pair of buggies which included 112-372 plus 112-723 and I kept the other one because at the time we hadn't confirmed the SVN history of 112-372.



And 112-372 as it was when I inspected it.



The vehicles had been on a eco farm hence the faux indigenous art.

The vehicle is now under restoration in the hands of an enthusiast, perhaps it will go to Corowa in the near future.

Another shot in SVN with 4 RAR



As it was before disposal.



If people are interested, there is a thread tracking the buggies and whether they are known existant. http://remlr.com/forum/index.php?topic=9.15

[Bruce Gilbert]

Dianaa

My apologies for not replying sooner.

Thanks so much for the most informative update. It is good to see the vehicle has survived.

Looks like I have more research to do.

I noticed in past topics that you are/were associated with the RAE Museum at Casula. I note the website AAMME.com.au (I think that was it's name) has disappeared from the web. Is there a reason for this? (Apart from the move to new digs).

I was a member for a year or so of the workshops, (working with chippie WFJ) and it seems a shame that the website has gone.

Bruce G

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Bruce Gilbert

...

I noticed in past topics that you are/were associated with the RAE Museum at Casula. I note the website AAMME.com.au (I think that was it's name) has disappeared from the web. Is there a reason for this? (Apart from the move to new digs).

I was a member for a year or so of the workshops, (working with chippie WFJ) and it seems a shame that the website has gone.

Bruce G

The active site may be down for whatever reason, but search with the last known URL on the "internet wayback machine" at http://archive.org/index.php There are huge search robots that scroll through the internet every day, and capture webpages. If the site was searched, some or all of it will be archived for posterity.

[Stuart Kirkham]

Originally Posted by Bruce Gilbert

Greetings

I am hoping someone can provide the background identity of the Australian Army Landrover 'gun buggy' photographed in South Vietnam. Most of the number plate (112 37X?) can be seen, as well as some unit ID plates.

G'day Bruce

The Gunbuggy in the photo could be one of nine vehicles that had the ARN 112-37X.

The nine are:

112-371
112-372
112-373
112-374
112-375
112-376
112-377
112-378
112-379

The suggestion that the Gunbuggy in your photo is 112-372 is unlikely as it has too many differences to the photo below showing 112-372 in SVN. To add to this, a close look at the ARN plate on the Gunbuggy in the photo you posted shows a looped bottom section to the last number. This would exclude the number 2 as it has a flat base with no curves.



In the photo above, 112-372 has:

1. Bonnet mounted strap tie down saddles (none on yours)
2. Higher mounted ARN plate (yours mounted lower)
3. White paint to bumper ends (yours has no white)
4. No bridge weight plate (one mounted on yours)
5. Drivers mirror is rectangle (yours has a round mirror)
6. Has no rectangle shaped red vehicle ID plate to grill (yours has plate)

Other Gunguggies in the 112-37X series also had the larger guard side panel TAC plate holders. From photographic evidence we know that 112-373 and 112-375 had the same larger holders.

My bet is that it is either 112-373, 112-375, 112-376, 112-378 or 112-379