Aussie Vickers

Richard Farrant · #1 11-12-05, 23:26

Some of the forum will know I have been involved in a small part, of the restoration of a Vickers Light tank MkVIa, earlier this year. Many thanks to Tony for getting some photos of the one at Pucka, they were of great help. This tank was one of 10 bought by the Australian government for training in 1937.

Take a look at these links, the first is a line of five as they arrived in Australia, taken at Victoria Barracks, Paddington, Sydney in Aug. 1937. These particular ones were allocated to the 1st Light Tank Company of the Australian Tank Corps. They trained in the Randwick and Liverpool areas.

http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/hood/086/08628r.jpg

and for the restored tank, which was one belonging to the 2nd Light Tank Company based near Melbourne, here it is in its new home in California.

http://svsm.org/gallery/mkVIlight

Richard

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #2 12-12-05, 22:15

Hi Richard
Can we please have it back now?
Hopeful Bob

cliff · #3 12-12-05, 23:00

wonderful stuff. Thank you for the links.

cheers
Cliff

Richard Farrant · #4 12-12-05, 23:49

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Can we please have it back now?

Bob,

You obviously did not look after it before, see photo, sorry, afraid not.

Richard

Richard Farrant · #5 13-12-05, 00:13

Bob,

You are not the only instrument panel restorer........here is the one from the Vickers, just waiting for the temp. guage to be fitted.
The speedo only had about 12,000 miles on it, reckon that would be correct as they arrived in 1937 and believed to be taken out of service in 1942 when the M3 Stuarts arrived.

Richard

Ian Fawbert · #6 13-12-05, 06:19

I found it on the NSW state library site, as was mentioned up in the softskin forum, obsqure titles for pictures dont help you find them! 'home and away' with the frame number is all!

http://libapp.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/...168/16822r.jpg

and heres a gathering of them.

http://libapp.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/...168/16805r.jpg

I just typed in military vehicles into the search bar and all sorts of interesting things came up!

including this- for us un educated in the art of armour recognition- what is it?

http://libapp.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/...168/16815r.jpg

Theres alot more pictures of it and other what i would call 'light' tanks in that search too.

Cheers,

Ian.

cliff · #7 13-12-05, 07:13

Quote:

including this- for us un educated in the art of armour recognition- what is it?

http://libapp.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/...168/16815r.jpg

I am not 100% sure but I think it is a Vickers Medium tank

cheers
Cliff

Richard Farrant · #8 13-12-05, 20:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Ian Fawbert
I found it on the NSW state library site, as was mentioned up in the softskin forum, obsqure titles for pictures dont help you find them! 'home and away' with the frame number is all!

Hi Ian,

In my search ofr detailed photos, I did find those, seem to remember they are taken in the Liverpool training area. They are some of the five shown on my earlier photo. As I said, this restored one is from the 2nd Light Tank Company in Victoria and after trawling through State Library of Victoria photo archives, came up with two photos of it on exercise.

The other tank you show is a Vickers Medium MkII that Cliff has identified. Your army bought four, they arrived in 1929 and were based at Randwick. One is on display at Pucka' tank museum alongside another survivor of the batch of Light MkVIa tanks.

Richard

Ian Fawbert · #9 14-12-05, 05:42

Thanks Cliff and Richard,
I didnt know anythgnabout them but thought id give you the heads up incase you hadnt seen them before. Great news on finding photos of the actual tank that has been restored!

Thanks for the info on the vickers medium also.

Cheers,

Ian.

Tony Smith · #10 14-12-05, 08:32

It's SIR Cliff Richard these days.

Hanno Spoelstra · #11 19-12-05, 00:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Richard Farrant
here it is in its new home in California.
http://svsm.org/gallery/mkVIlight

Excellent work, Richard - especially considering the state it was in

Hats off for a job well done, sir!

H.

Richard Farrant · #12 19-12-05, 00:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Excellent work,

Thanks Hanno,

But my part is largely unseen....all the electrical work, researching, locate parts, making up all braided wiring, instrument panel, and installing it.

The guys that reconstructed the hull are those that should take the glory, you should have seen the work done on it.

There is another website with internal pictures, but i have lost the link to it.

Richard

Roddy de Normann · #13 28-01-06, 15:00

Some great pics...but does anyone have a detailed listing of the T Nos and VRNs of the wagons delivered ?

Roddy1011