Aussie Tanks 1937

[phoenix]

I know that this photo thread has been mentioned before, but with some of the tank photos on this page I thought that it was worh a mention.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...113586&page=46

[Ryan]

They are good pics aren't they. I do remember coming across them on another site earlier too. Possibly the online NSW records or something.

[Keith Webb]

Some great pics there.

That's a really interesting forum.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by rynoki

They are good pics aren't they. I do remember coming across them on another site earlier too. Possibly the online NSW records or something.

Hi Ryan,

A lot of those photos of the Vickers Light Tanks are on the NSW State photo library site, they come up full screen with great detail on those parked at the barracks.

There were ten of these tanks shipped to Australia in 1937, five of them shown were allocated to a unit in Sydney and the other five to a training unit in Victoria. Whilst researching info on one of these ten tanks, which was restored a couple of years ago in England, I was able to deduce that it was one of the Vic group and going through the Vic state photo library, found two photos of the actual vehicle on exercise. The tank in question is now in a large collection in the USA and another of the batch is a static display at Duxford. Pucka tank museum has another.............so anyone know of any more survivors?

I do have a lot of serial number details and to which units they were allocted if anyone is interested.

[Ryan]

Thanks Richard,
I thought it was there. So three of the ten are accounted for. Leaving seven unknowns.
What were the stories behind the three we know of? How were they rediscovered? Or had they always been in collections since the war?
Knowing their histories may give a pointer to the fate of the other seven.
Ryan

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by rynoki

Thanks Richard,
I thought it was there. So three of the ten are accounted for. Leaving seven unknowns.
What were the stories behind the three we know of? How were they rediscovered? Or had they always been in collections since the war?
Knowing their histories may give a pointer to the fate of the other seven.
Ryan

I guess the Pucka one had been in the collection since the war, it is missing a few internal fitments. Tony Smith was good enough to photogaph it inside, when I was looking for details of the signalling lamp and a few other electrical fitments. The two that made it back over here, were brought in by the Budge collection, the more intact one, was found in private hands at a place called Coldstream, in Vic. The other one was in a very sad state, do not know the location it was found in, but had been cut about, turret removed, but still with it, large parts of hull cut out, etc. On Doug's Heavy Metal website, there were two, turret baskets found, so look like those tanks are probably no more.

[Roddy de Normann]

Richard -

Will always take any serial no details off you ref these wagons. I have the fol for the Lt Tanks:

T. 1790 - CMM 974 - DD 270
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
2nd (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'KANGAROO' -
VAE No. 1556
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 2nd Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Melbourne - Mar 39 - Coy was formerly established - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel

T. 1791 - CMM 975 - DD 271
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
2nd (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'KOALA' -
VAE No. 1557
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 2nd Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Melbourne - Mar 39 - Coy was formerly established - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel

T. 1792 - CMM 976 - DD 272
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
2nd (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'PLATYPUS' -
VAE No. 1558
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 2nd Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Melbourne - Mar 39 - Coy was formerly established - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel

T. 1793 - CMM 977 - DD 273
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
2nd (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'WALLABY' -
VAE No. 1559
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 2nd Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Melbourne - Mar 39 - Coy was formerly established - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel

T. 1794 - CMM 978 - DD 274
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
2nd (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'WOMBAT' -
VAE No. 1560
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 2nd Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Melbourne - Mar 39 - Coy was formerly established - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel

T. 1795 - CMM 979 - DD 275
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
1st (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'BOWER BIRD' -
VAE No. 1561
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 1st Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Sydney - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel - 9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW

T. 1796 - CMM 980 - DD 276
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
1st (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'EMU' -
VAE No. 1562
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 1st Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Sydney - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel - 9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW

T. 1797 - CMM 981 - DD 277
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
1st (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'KINGFISHER' -
VAE No. 1563
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 1st Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Sydney - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel - 9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW

T. 1798 - CMM 982 - DD 278
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
1st (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'KOOKABURRA' -
VAE No. 1564
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 1st Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Sydney - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel - 9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW - 20 Nov 37 - Veh pictured at Cenotaph Memorial prob for Cambrai Day wreath laying - Pic 16376, Hood Collection, Library of NSW

T. 1799 - CMM 983 - DD 279
Lt Tk Mk.VIA
Contract to Vickers Armstrong, Elswick
1st (Australian) Light Tank Company
Veh named 'MAGPIE' -
VAE No. 1565
Mar 36 - Tks ordered fm Vickers to replace ageing Medium IIs - Aug 37 - Veh arrives in Australia. Allocated to 1st Lt Tk Coy to be raised in Sydney - 'Dust, Sand & Jungle' by Paul Handel - 9 Sep 37 - Veh pictured at Victoria Bks - Pic 8627, Hood Collection, Library of NSW

What happened to these vehs ? Any further details fm the above greatly accepted

Roddy

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Roddy1011

Will always take any serial no details off you ref these wagons.

What happened to these vehs ? Any further details fm the above greatly accepted

Roddy,

The one at Duxford is T 1791 "Koala", and the restored one now in the Jacques Littlefield Collection is T 1792 "Platypus". Not sure from memory which one is at Puckapunyal tank museum.

More to follow...

[Tony Smith]

The one at Puckapunyal Museum is T1796/aka CMM980/aka DD276/aka EMU.
Talk about an identity crisis.

[Jared Archibald]

G'day everyone,

I just stumbled onto the Border Raiding thread, and then this one, concerning the Australian Vickers Light Tanks. I was very serious about obtaining the two hulls and remains that John had, but in the end I just couldn't justify the costs/logistics of moving these over 5000kms.

However, I did do a lot of research and took a lot of pics of the two. The cut-down hull with the mechanicals still has the original English and Aussie numbers faintly visible on the lower front plate. These are "CMM 978" and "DD^274" respectively, which identifies it as "Wombat" according to the info Roddy has posted.
The second hull is fairly well stripped and was buried in a dump and was hunted down and dug out by John many years ago. On the upper left side of the hull can still be seen the faint but legible name "Bower Bird".

It is interesting that they are from the two different Light Tank Coys:- Wombat from the 2nd Light Tank Coy (VIC), and Bowerbird from the 1st (NSW), but both ended up in Melbourne.

Richard, the two turret baskets on Doug's site were found by Ron Fry (armour collector) and ended up with John as he had the only two hulls still known to exist in Australia. These are pictured on Colin's "Truck of Treasures" on the Border Raiding thread.

Although a very interesting project as 'between the wars' tank technology, knowing their identities, and researching their history and service, makes the efforts all the more interesting.

Jared

[Ryan]

Thank you Jared,
So that makes five known to still exist. Three complete and two partials.
Leaving Five still to be accounted for.

I hope if any are still hidden they don't disappear for good during this present "scrap drive".

[Lynn Eades]

For histories sake, would you like to edit your post.
You have left the "1" off Bowerbirds VAE number.

[Ryan]

Interesting little bit for someones collection.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/RARE-WWII-A-I...QQcmdZViewItem

[colin jones]

I bought the photo to add to my collection.
Colin