West Au Merriden museum Sept '18

[CINDERS]

More.....
Of note ;
The helicopter on the left of the Huey they have only recently acquired Type!.
You can see the bulged barrel on the Valentine @16" from the muzzle.
An early Mk A3 Stuart (Honey) with the sponson mounted M.G's welded up in the field as one would wonder who could operate 3 MG's all at once.
The Macchi they have only recently got also from Pearce and are in the process of putting it under cover no internals in the cockpit think it was out side the airbases gate.
They sold a piece of their equipment for $100K to be able to do the improvements & upgrades

[mrclark303]

It's a very interesting museum indeed Ron, it looks like it has a great mix of exhibits, excellent stuff.

Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

[CINDERS]

A nice study of a Staghound.
2nd pic note the 2pdr cannon on the back of a Bren Gun Carrier with the roof open flat plate hanging down where the driver & front gunner are I would not like to be buttoned up with that firing over my head would resonate something fierce in that compartment. It was purported to be an Aussie knock up job as mobile A/T which would be ok against trucks etc but maybe not a panzer MkIV probably in the desert campaign!.
The pic of the Valentine it was unintended my wife should be in the proximity of the muzzle!
The last 2 pics are of a WWII armoured (fully) command vehicle with its trailer I think those are radio hard points on the roof sadly this unit & trailer was sold to a collector and is waiting to be shipped out over East they got $100K for it which will go along way for the museum.
I have never seen one before.

[CINDERS]

Last 2 pics of Merredin for you chaps allot of you here are familiar with this vehicle and have probably been in one on active duty it is well presented it does have the turret but I did not check if it had twin M.G's.

Thanks chaps bit of a mission but it was worth the effort to upload all the pictures as a share, I could have stayed there for a full day to take it all in not just an hour.

[browningautorifle]

I did not check if it had twin M.G's.

Looks like as it has the turret basket and the collection bin and hose...my guess.

[John H Turner]

The Armoured Command Vehicle shown in Merriden part 4 looks like an Armoured Command Vehicle, LP (AEC) 4x4 Mk1 based on the AEC Matador chassis. Mainly used by armoured formation headquarters on the North African, Italian and North West Europe fronts from 1941 onwards. Three were captured by the Afrika Korps in the desert in April 1941 with 2 being used by Rommel's headquarters until the end of the North African campaign.
Might be telling you all something you already know.


John T.

[CINDERS]

No did not know that types name and we were not told all that much about it apart from a command vehicle thanks John.

[John H Turner]

Hi Cinders, I just happen to have an old copy of British Tanks and Fighting Vehicles by B.T. White and The Observer's Fighting Vehicle Directory WW11 Edition by Bart H Vanderveen. Both from the 1970's. That's where I got the info from. Only 416 of this vehicle built apparently so quite rare today I would think.

Regards,

John.