An old after-action club run report

[Keith Webb]

If only my memory were good enough to make a trip report.
This is from a batch of slides I've just transferred which I took back in 1976 - that's almost 30 years ago - of a Victorian Military Vehicle Club run to Portarlington on the Bellarine Peninsula one sunny weekend.
Some long-time members may recognise some of the faces or vehicles here or even recall the trip itself - Mike Kelly, were you there?

http://www.oldcmp.net/Images/vmvc/19...VC_1976_12.jpg

http://www.oldcmp.net/Images/vmvc/19...1976_08_cu.jpg

Many more pictures here.

[Tony Smith]

Did the crowds turn out for your parade or did you just happen to be driving noisy, smoky vehicles past a church on Sunday? And a 25pdr, no less! What sort of picnic were you going on?

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Did the crowds turn out for your parade or did you just happen to be driving noisy, smoky vehicles past a church on Sunday? And a 25pdr, no less! What sort of picnic were you going on?

Perhaps they were protesters, and we were going on a Teddy Bear picnic.

[Mike Kelly]

My God Keith ,

Where do you find this stuff .....

I was there in my Jeep , yes . It looks like the Oct. 76 trip to Fort Queenscliff to me . I recall seeing you there , at one point you moved the F15A as the Growse had wandered off and left it in the way of somebody .

The two fellas in the RHD Dodge WC behind the 25 pnder are Dennis Burr and Roger McGlashen . At the time both lived in Sunbury . Roger was the clubs public relations officer , we haven't heard from him for many years now . Dennis moved up to N.W. Victoria .

Jeep HUK650 is driven by Alan Bruce , he still goes to Corowa , in a modern vehicle .

The Harley in ridden by Keith Gardiner from Warrnambool , he was a regular in those days . He would be close to 80 now as he was a WW2 army driver .

Dodge IIV564 is John Carol from Ballarat . He had this vehicle until about 5 years ago . Now has a M38 post WW2 Jeep .

Jeep HUU??? was the late Eric Coombs .

I see the Growse brothers F15A in the background , it towed the 25 shooter .

Notice that the vehicles are all RHD , this was before we could legally register LHD vehicles . At the time a U.S. warship was visiting Melbourne and one of the locals rang the police and reported that a bunch of radicals have a a big gun and they are driving around the coast looking for trouble . Back then people didn't really grasp what we were doing . Old army trucks .. huh , I don't get it .

I would like to use these pics in the newsletter .



Mike

[Mike Kelly]

Found this on the www.ww2roll.gov.au website

GARDINER, KEITH WILLIAM
Service Australian Army
Service Number VX97691
Date of Birth 6 Jun 1927
Place of Birth ALBERT PARK, VIC
Date of Enlistment 12 Jun 1945
Locality on Enlistment REGENT, VIC
Place of Enlistment ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin GARDINER, WILLIAM
Date of Discharge 22 Jan 1947
Rank Private
Posting at Discharge 120 GENERAL TRANSPORT COMPANY AUSTRALIAN ARMY SERVICES CORPS
WW2 Honours and Gallantry None for display
Prisoner of War No

[Keith Webb]

Thanks for the ID job, Mike

What a memory! You're right, of course it was Queenscliff.

And yes, feel free to use them in the newsletter - I can send you some high res copies if you like.

I'll be away for the next few days putting a set of brakes (the hydraulic parts) onto the FGT as well as shooting some air to air of the Boomerang and hopefully Col Pay's new P40.

[Tony Smith]

The current crop of Nostalgia pics has opened the floodgates. Following are a couple from the NSW club's from 1978/79 period.

15cwt exploring the depths of a mudhole:

Sigs Van:

No 9 Chev Gun Tractor:

[Keith Webb]

Ahhhh.... I have some super 8 footage of that red sigvan in action. It's missing it's rear door.

Do you have more photos of old events?

[Tony Smith]

In the bush:

Col Anderson's unrestored MG Carrier at Shepparton, 1979:

[Mike Kelly]

Col Anderson at a early Corowa .

A man can have a love affair with old tyres ..... 9.00-13 in this case.

That Bren pictured , Col restored in the mid 70,s . I drove it during our 76 XMAS trip to Barooga on the Murray river . He had a Ferret there too as did Barry Ryan . This was when Ferrets could be purchased for around 900 straight from the army.

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

Taken from the September 76 VMVC newsletter

I still have all the VMVC newsletters from mid 1976 to around 1987 .

Mike

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
No 9 Chev Gun Tractor:

Tony, this CGT was restored by and is still owned by Allan Growse, who is going through the process again at the moment.

It was one of the Hughes Trading NOS bodies and is mounted on a C15A chassis (like all of the Chev No 9s you'll see), including Euan's which was body No 3 of around 15 so far known to have been built. Only two were actually allocated ARNs.

[Rod Diery]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
as well as shooting some air to air of the Boomerang and hopefully Col Pay's new P40.

Gggrrrrrrrr mumble mumble

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
A man can have a love affair with old tyres ..... 9.00-13 in this case.

Surely you mean 9.00-16's. Must be the age setting in ... 1976 - my! I was only just playing with Dinky toys back then...
Funny to see those RHD jeeps and beeps.

H.

[Tony Smith]

Why Centurions belong in Paddocks, not Carparks.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Why Centurions belong in Paddocks, not Carparks.

Tony,

Would that be Warwick Lord's Cent at his place at Lue ?

Richard

[Tony Smith]

Yes, it is. Are you still sorting your insurance claim on your rental van because they won't believe it was run over by a tank?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Yes, it is. Are you still sorting your insurance claim on your rental van because they won't believe it was run over by a tank?

No, it was'nt my van.......I'm still waiting to be paid for some work I did on the Cent