Lost Armour in Australia.

[mrclark303]

As a connected subject, I remember seeing the wreck of a WW2 Ford truck in Crete back in 1980's.

I have a picture I think, must dig it out and upload it.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[bigduke6]

As a connected subject, I remember seeing the wreck of a WW2 Ford truck in Crete back in 1980's.

I have a picture I think, must dig it out and upload it.

Reminds me of a pic of an abandoned Kubble Wagon that my brother found on one of the Greek Islands he was on many years ago, going of memory it was still in good condition ......... just wonder what its like now if its still there........they start at around £50,000 these days

[henry r]

not exactly lost, but there is a warehouse full of armour in my town in northern nsw.

from what i remember inc a restored universal carrier, a restored ferret scout, a m113, poss a centurian and at least 4 ww2 era tanks. 2 under restoration and two (grants?) awaiting restoration.

plus various trucks and the shells of a couple of carriers outside.

i didn't get a chance to look around but as you can imagine my jaw hit the floor when i saw them.

you still see the odd CMP about the place too, they aren't as common as they used to be though.
i knew of 3 fords? (2 f60's and a shorter/shortened truck) and 2 dodges on a farm but the old guys who owned the place sold it a 2 or 3 years ago and i believe they may have been scrapped.

there are also 3 (maybe 4) ww2 jeeps slowly deteriorating of a property 20 or 30km out of town. people have tried to buy them but they are not for sale.

[Peter Laidler]

In ther mid to late 60's a whole lot of our RNZEME recovery vehicles and other odds and sods were all WW2 CMP or Chevvy stuff. The light wreckers were single winch and jib while the big 6 wheel chevvys were twin boom - something that I'd never come across before and a bit daunting as I was also one of the allotted stand-by recovery crews. Later when I went back there were a couple of ex REME Bedford light recovery vehicles

[Peter Laidler]

Maybe BAR or Muffer can answer this. But regarding putting bigger guns onto vehicles. There were trials to put the 81mm mortar into the back of the 432 (your M113 APC's) and all sorts of things were tried to spread the recoil over a greater area. I'm sure that if the egg heads had stayed awake in their school physics lessons their grown up teacher would have told them that whatever you do, the recoil WILL always have to go somewhere and in the case of the big mortars, it's downwards. Within a few days or so the suspension and hull of the 432's were totally knackered. The same MUST apply to big guns mounted on other things like bren gun carriers. If the chassis or vehicle is made to take a big gun and designed that way, then fair doos. But not otherwise I say!

Dis Oz and Canada try M113's as mortar platforms

[browningautorifle]

Dis Oz and Canada try M113's as mortar platforms

Yes, we had the M113 with 81mm mounted. We never saw them here, just in Germany. Yes, they cracked the frames of the M113 and nothing could be done. The US had them as well and 4.2" as well but can't imagine a different result. After that we left mortars on the ground.

[bigduke6]

I worked on them in Batus Peter, "The Bulldog" just the mortar side of things, including seats and racks. They are showing there age, not sure if any are in service anywhere else.

[muffett.2008]

Yeah Pete, we played with fitting 81mm Mortars, similar to the 120mm fitted ones, even tried fitting onto TLC's.
We had a fair bit of success with our Saladin Turrets and Scorpion Turrets on the FSV's.

[bigduke6]

Bit of turret fitting below and one of the 432's just in off the car park, me in the previous days snowfall, -32 IIRC.

[Macca]

I’m sure I recall at least 2 or 3 DUKW’s underneath the Captain Cook bridge in the late 70’s or early 80’s.