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DISPATCHES DISPATCHES DISPATCHES Victorian Military Vehicle Corps Inc. A 5955 DISPATCHES DISPATCHES DISPATCHES


Victorian Military Vehicle Corps December 2015 Victorian Military Vehicle Corps december2015 Victorian Military Vehicle

Victorian Military Vehicle Corps december2015 Victorian Military Vehicle Corps Victorian military vehicle



Victorian Military Vehicle Corps December 2015 Victorian Military Vehicle Corps december2015 Victorian Military

Vehicle Victorian Military Vehicle Corps december2015 Victorian Military Vehicle Corps Victorian military vehicle

Office Bearers

President: Rod Mills Email [email protected] [email protected]

President’s correspondence addressed to,

PO Box 1209 Kensington 3031

Mobile 0409359949

Vice President; Bevan Fenner

Mob. 0438 362 027

(03)59443937 AOMC Delegate; Bevan Fenner

Secretary: Gordon Edwards

(03) 93768208 Mob 0422567287 PO Box 1209 Kensington 3031

[email protected]

Notice: All correspondence to the secretary. Closing date for the newsletter is the 20th of each month. Issues and or

questions about Imitation Firearms contact me. CH

renewals to me with stamped self addressed envelope.

Treasurer: Ray Edsall-

(03)94352346 Mob 0487299181 160 Yan Yean Road

Plenty Vic. 3090 [email protected]

Vehicle Inspection Officer Euan McDonald

14 Diamond St. Eltham: 3095 Mobile 0419 362 479.

(Inspection of vehicles for CH registration,

may incur travel costs to the member) [email protected]

Committee Members

Ben Hemmings

[email protected]

Mob. 0418 102 572

Cameron Reed

[email protected] 0403030480

Michael Gurkin

120 Windermere Dr. Ferntree Gully Mob. 0417115842

CO-OPTED MEMBERS

Editorial staff: Gordon Edwards / Russell Hughes

/Russell Sloan

ANZAC day Co-coordinator: Ian Austin

Quartermaster: Paul Jeffery. Tel.0418333847 Catering Officer: Gary Crowley

Meetings held at Rats of Tobruk Hall, 44 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park the first Tuesday of the month 8pm. No meeting or newsletter in January.

The annual subscription ($50) is payable in advance on or before the 1st

September. Any member who has not paid their annual fees by the 20th September will be deemed un-financial.

Reminders for CH Vehicles To legally participate in the CH Permit

scheme, and to lawfully drive your vehicle on the road, you must be a current financial member of the VMVC. Please carry a correctly completed

CH permit book with you on all outings. If not, you may be booked for

driving an un-roadworthy and unregistered vehicle. E. McDonald. Vehicle inspection officer.

Facebook; for a club member to have access to the user group they

must; 1. Be a member of facebook and 2 .Message Rod Mills to be

granted permission to be a member of the group.

http://www.facebook.com/vmvcaus

Official VMVC Website: www.vmvc.org.au Webmaster: John

Wilson Mob. 0408 642241 Visit the VMVC message board on

G503 website.

OPERATIONS

December Tuesday 1st Dec. 2015 General Meeting Tobruk House 44 Victoria

Avenue, Albert Park meeting commences at 8:00pm

Saturday 5th December St Thomas Mores (Mountain Doo), arrive 7:30 a.m. leave 4.00 p.m contact Roman Schroder

[email protected] mob 0408118369 St Thomas More Church 17

Reynolds Lane Belgrave This is situated opposite the Police Station up

on the hill, and at the back of the car park to the shops.

Sat 5th Dec 2015 Aussie Disposals open day Times arrive 8:00am leave after 3:00pm and everyone who participates with their vehicle

until then receives a $50 Voucher, no more than 10 which will go to the first ten arrivals. Shop 345-353 Sth Gippsland Hwy Dandenong,

Sun. 6th Dec 2015 Gisborne classic MC and vehicle show

held once again at The Steam Park, Webb Crescent, New Gisborne

between 10am and 2.30pm Contact Gordon 0422567287

Sunday 6th Dec. Numurkah ‘Show Us Ya Wheels’ military

theme to mark the ANZAC centenary. Overhead RAAF F18,

Roulettes. Jim Wickem’s P51 Mustang and the Spitfire out of

Temora. Showusyawheels.com.au

Sunday 13th Dec 2015 VMVC Christmas Party at John Belfield’s Museum 456 Hallam Belgrave Rd Narrie Warren North at

10 am. The club provides BBQ, bread and soft drinks; members are

requested to bring a salad. John has an extensive military vehicle collection to view; he also conducts a tour of the back paddock treasures after the

awards ceremony. Questions? Contact Gordon 0422567287

2016 -January No meeting or newsletter in January. The secretary

will be away during the Christmas break.

Sunday 17th Jan 2016. RACV Melb to Mornington Great Australian Rally- supporting Peter Mac Hospital.

Mornington Racecourse, option one drive straight there and set up

display with the club or register on [email protected]

Tuesday 26th January Australia Day celebration Domain

Gardens City you must pre-book for this event. Meeting Toorak

Rd between Hope and Park St. South Yarra, we will be leaving

meeting place at 8:30am sharp. Contact Gordon 0422567287

February Tuesday 2nd Feb. 2016 General Meeting Tobruk House 44

Victoria Avenue, Albert Park meeting commences at 8:00pm

Sun 7th Feb 2015 HMAS Castlemaine museum ship visit Gem Pier Williamstown. Arrive 10:30 am Depart 3 pm Contact Gordon 0422567287

14th Feb 2016 Picnic at Hanging Rock Macedon Ranges and District Motor Club. display of vintage, veteran, classic, modified and restored vehicles including cars, trucks and motorcycles along with Rods – 25 years

and older. Come and join the event and witness the showcase of these cars

from the past [email protected] Sunday Feb 21st 2016. Vic 4X4 Show 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Melways map 119 G7. Wandin Park Equestrian Centre 305 Victoria Road, Wandin North. Victoria 3139

Sun 21st Feb 2016 Yarra Glen Swap Meet and classic car display Yarra

Glen Racecourse.$15 per car Ian Ross 98900524

March Tuesday 1st March 2016 General Meeting Tobruk House 44

Victoria Avenue, Albert Park meeting commences at 8:00pm

4th, 5th & 6th of March 2016 Whittlesea Agricultural

Society Autumn Rally.

13th March Tyabb Air Show

Sat 19th March 2016Corowa swim-in weekend

http://www.corowaswim-in.org/#!downloads/c1ak8

Calendar Sunday April 10th, 2016 Castlemaine Swap Meet

1st May 2016- All American Car Show Flemington Racecourse.

Entry from 9am food, refreshments available, music, children’s

entertainment.

14th, 15th, May 2016 Heyfield Vintage Machinery Rally Gordon st.

Reserve Heyfield.

mailto:[email protected]



http://www.facebook.com/vmvcaus




http://www.corowaswim-in.org/#!downloads/c1ak8





President’s report - Sometimes because of your Military Vehicle are invited

to work with interesting people or do something out of the

ordinary. We I’ve been fortunate to get a movie job with my

Humvee along side David Bush in his. For those of you who have

done movie or TV work because of your vehicle would know they

can be long days and not all goes to plan but it is a great

experience.

I’ve been lucky to have been in 5 productions and this one they are

asking me to Paint my Hum-vee into Desert Storm Tan for a week

long Afghanistan theme shoot. They have given me a temporary

sacrificial coating that after the job can be removed but we will see

how that goes. The hum-vee isn’t a smooth surface with plenty of

nooks and cranny’s so if it doesn't come off looks like I will be

changing the color scheme to desert with a permanent coat, Time

for a change maybe :). Also others at the moment in the VMVC

are enjoying a period shoot with their Jeeps around the 1960s

Australian Army theme. Just another perk of being a VMVC

member.

The Avalon Air show this year was a big production for the

VMVC and Gordon and I Have been asked to a presentation of

awards luncheon in December were we will wave the flag for the

club.

The next air show is 2017 so we will start planning next year if

you’re interested in helping out in planning drop us a line.

After hearing the sad news of the 2 re -enactors that died in their

WW2 Hellcat Tank, at an live shoot display in Oregon in the States

in Oct it makes me aware that we while enjoying our hobby we

must always be aware of potential incidents and keep it safe.

Don’t forget to put our Christmas party on your Calendar on the

Sunday the 13th of Dec .We will be at John and Pat Belfield’s at

456 Hallam Belgrave Rd Narrie Warren North at 10 am. A BBQ

will be supplied (BYO Salad) and a look at John’s Collection is

always a great time for a catch up and some club awards hand outs

See you there President Rod Mills :)

Minutes of VMVC Inc. A5955 Meeting held on Tuesday 3rd. Nov. 2015 at The

Rats of Tobruk House Meeting opened by the. President at 8 pm. Welcomed members to

the November meeting which occurs on Cup Day, he stated that he

hoped all your gambling activities had proved fruitful.

Apologies; R. Cove, B. Munford, M. Bursell, A. Morris, M.

Strickland, A. Seymour, P. Bishopp, J. reed, M. Gurkin, K.

Newsome

Present; 32

New members in attendance; Mark Apterman- Jeep owner

Previous minutes true and correct,

Moved. B. Salter Seconded J. Belfield

Correspondence In, JLT Insurance renewal, ROTA Christmas

party invitation, Rough Tracks newsletter

Dues; C. Myers, P. Robinson, P. McHendrick, R. Hughes,

Correspondence out

New name tags, newsletter, rego renewals

Moved J. Brooksmith Seconded D. McCallum

Treasurer’s report

Balance as of 3-1-15 $7,184

Less Post and Printing – newsletter $675

Less Club Insurance renewal $674

Less Amphitheatre Camp $150

Less Stamps and envelopes $30

Term Deposit $12,000

Fifteen members haven’t paid; they did not receive the last

newsletter.

Moved D. McCallum Seconded I. Jarrott

Aomc; None this month, next Monday is their AGM.

General Business

Euan McDonald –club permits for trailer investigated fee

structure on Vic-Roads website, $24 for CH trailer instead of $75

full fee you can ask for a refund- check you CH trailer registration.

Rod, Ian Tankard donated a RAEME trailer to the club, thanks to

Ian, on that note we need a land rover spare wheel, tyres needed for

replacement, Peter will look for new tires, looking for a place to

store, need a RAEME trailer canvas.

-Vehicle name tags, if interested $10, Rod will take orders

-Thank you to John Belfield for running the Christmas party at his

place again this year.

-Jack Neville we will donate $150 to him, for the great weekend

bash at amphitheatre.

John Brooksmith- In the last newsletter a story on armour car

operations in the Geelong area there is a Rex family connection.

Past events

-Sunbury Truck Show Recreation Reserve, report in newsletter.

-Healesville Heritage Festival report in newsletter.

-Dookie Military Rally, Mick. Morrisey went on Saturday lot

quieter than other years, 6 Jeeps, trucks and Land-Rover. Fired up

a Spitfire engine on a trailer. Club should have a crack at this event

next year to reignite it. Anthony went on Sunday there were a

couple of Weapons Carriers.

-Tops off rally Scoresby Paul Bishopp took his Dodge Truck and

Mick Gurkin went along as well.

-Weekend camp at Amphitheatre-report in newsletter. Rod spoke

about this event stated that it was well worth the effort and that

more members will attend if it is run again.

- Lake Goldsmith Anthony Ick was there, as well as all things

steam there was an interesting ACCO truck that was a prototype

design of the series.

Coming events

Nov. 8th Truck Show

Nov 11th Remembrance Day Heidelberg Repat Hospital

Nov 11 2015 Wangaratta Remembrance

Nov. 14th Bendigo Swap meet.

Nov 20th air show on 21st 2015 War birds down under, Temora

Sunday Nov. 22nd Cruden Farm family fun day

Saturday 5th December St Thomas Mores (Mountain Doo),.

6th Dec 2015 Gisborne rotary presents classic MC and vehicle

Sunday 6th Dec. Numurkah ‘Show Us Ya Wheels’

13 Dec X-Mass party

5 Dec Aussie disposals

Restoration up dates.

-Auto car decided to restore as a wrecker, researched showed that

the vehicle had been a aircraft recovery crane on Tarawa during the

war, belonged to a US Marine Corp photograph reconnaissance

unit, will take a year to restore, the cab has been sent to Simon

Allen. Probably his greatest challenge, Peter the sand blaster spent

a couple of days blasting away at it. – John Belfield

-Bought David Gibbs Mark 3 ACCO drove it home took a number

of hours he remembered why he left the Army during the cold,

noisy, windy, slow journey. Paul Dekmetzian

Meeting closed 9 pm- But not before Gary provided a birthday

cake from Naz’s birthday we all sang happy birthday to him

The question came up

on the weekend as to

how long I have been

involved with the

VMVC, here's a photo

of me in the Growse’

brothers gun tractor

with Alf’s Jeep behind

at the Watsonia open

day in 1979- Alex

McPherson Disclaimer The statements and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the members of the Committee of the Victorian Military Vehicles Corp Inc. We do not take responsibility for any statements, advertisements, notices, letters or opinions that are published. Such are published at the risk of the contributor who accepts liability for any intended publication. Writers of articles provide their suggestions as general information only and accept no responsibility if you choose to follow-up their suggestions. All contributors agree to indemnify the publisher and warrant that the material is accurate and is neither deceptive nor misleading, in breach of copyright, defamatory or in breach of any laws





Q –Store

Club Items for Sale 50 year cloth patch $8

VMVC Car sticker 2@ $5

VMVC Epaulettes $12

Square Jumper Badges $5

Round Logo Jumper badges $5

VMVC Red Shoulder Flashes $5

VMVC Metal Hat Badges $5

VMVC TAC Stickers $3.00

Small TAC holders metal $3.50

Small TAC plate metal $2.00

Club Base ball caps $12

CH rules booklet $5

Club lanyards $5

Contact the Quartermaster Paul Jeffery Items need to be

pre-ordered with Paul, delivered on meeting nights or by

post at your expense Tel.0418333847 [email protected]

Members Help and Technical Information

Members requiring technical advice or information, send

enquires for insertion into the newsletter. Include a name,

contact address and telephone number.

Useful contacts

Redline Engine Service Reconditioning specialist.

Ian Petersen - Ron Geddes (03)-59792802 HASTINGS

Eastern Bearings Knoxfield. Phone; 9764 2922 Bearings

and seals to suit Blitzes; same for Jeeps.

Mobile on site canvas work all types only needs a power

point call, Matt Strickland Mob. 0407818378

Panel beater repairs / remanufacture /Jeep panels all soft

skin military vehicles. Factory located Castlemaine area.

Simon Allen 040-2220 367

Jeep parts and repairs, rebuilds, military vehicle

workshops. Andy Seymour 0400-260522

[email protected]

Stencils & graphics bevanart.com.au (03) 53825429

Olive Drab paint in stock Mirror paints 110 Dynon Rd

West Melb. (03)93760449 [email protected]

Marathon Jeep spare parts Co. (02) 67628666 MV Spares (Jeep/ Harley) www.mvspares.com +61 2 9654 2412

MILSPARES;(Jeep spares) [email protected] 048811184

Discounts- show membership card at the following

businesses and receive a 10% discount; Aussie Disposals,

Repco, Bays Auto Paints 29 Yuilles Rd. Mornington

59763381, Hearns Hobbies City.

Campbellfield Collision Repair ph 9357-0308. Repairing

and re-spraying of military vehicles.

Vintage Wiring harness Ringwood 9870-0583

Ariel Batteries 660 Smith St Clifton Hill supply original

rubber case 6v batteries that can be rebuilt Contact: Gerald

Heaslip Ph: 9481 5731

S. G. Leslie-shock absorbers 19 Mologa Rd Cnr. Orthia

Ave. West Heidelberg (03) 9459 2859 W.W.2 Truck Parts Hervey Bay Q. Jeep, Dodge, Studie, White,

GMC, Chev and Ford parts and manual (07) 41244075

[email protected]

Wilson Carburettor service Airport west T.93303216

Headworks-cylinder head repairs-Murrumbeena 95685226

Central radiator centre Fairfield 94582741

Dodge Parts- dodge@vintage powerwagon.com (USA).

2For Sale; ACCO ex army Mk 3& 4 parts new and used

including rolling cab chassis $5500 the lot all or

nothing. Mansfield, Tim Caffin 0427077572. 2FOR SALE 1957 Daimler Ferret MkII, with turret, periscopes

and spares. Only one owner since bought at Army surplus auctions

c.1974. Mechanically complete and in good condition, always

stored in a shed so very clean with no rust. Very limited use on- or

off-road since bought, run-flat tyres in excellent condition (aside

from the foam / fabric cushions which are perished). Awesome

paddock-bomb or 'big kid toy' - driving around full speed

(forwards or reverse) with hatches closed is sensational

fun!!!Spares include various radio parts, manual, periscopes, old

batteries, cover-plates, ammo-boxes, jerry-cans, tools. Photographs

available here

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ygk7sg8rmyk2tjo/AADT1JuFeaBa66faByfg

9llta?dl=0 Price $15,000 or reasonable offer. Available in Burwood,

Victoria. Phone Terry (WA time) on 0404 684712

2For Sale; Series 2 1962 military land rover includes original user

manual, spare parts manual etc all in mint condition. The landy

starts but with effort and needs body resto and probably the

electrics re-done. The seats have been re-upholstered so interior

not bad. I also have another bull bar and tail gate. Located

Wantirna South Best offer Stephanie, p: (03) 983-27 7776

2 For Sale Land rover / Jeep trailer, high quality re-build with

many desirable features for off roading or touring, located

Wantirna area- best offer Stephanie phone (03) 983-77776.

2For Sale; 1944 jeep &trailer; ww2 jeep British airborne

configuration , has been in the club over 20 years 6 cylinder ford

XT 220 log head engine and a CJ gearbox while not the most

original under the bonnet she is a great little jeep and a real goer

the ONLY one in the club with the correct airborne fittings tho

airborne steering hub does not come with jeep I do have the plans

to make your own or just put the normal nut on club rego also sale

includes a no 4 Australian trailer no 168531 $20,000 ono Greg

Nicholls 59777349 before 8.30 at night

For Sale; Blitz. Truck- best offer As you can see it is pretty well

down. The

lower cabin

wood is

rotten, but

inside the

roof appears

to be sound.

All the outer

panels are there, with little rust. I’m sure the roof and upper door

panels will go again. The rest are at least good for patterns. As a

panel beater for the last 40 years or so, I know it would be easy to

steel the body. It wouldn’t be original, but the same shape and

form could be kept. It is fairly complete (mechanically). The

motor doesn’t work, but turns over, the distributer doesn’t look

good and the air cleaner is missing. Tom Flintoff, 0409663724

[email protected]

Wanted; 1. Metal Panel Lights knob. 2. Raised letter metal choke

cable X 2. 3. Keyed Ignition for a Willys MB. 4. Keyed Ignition

for a Ford GPW. 5. Type 1 AutoLite Speedometer. 6. Mallory

Filterette for a Ford GPW. Thanks Richie 0430038223

Wanted; LP1 Bren Gun Carrier side storage locker/tool bin for

LP1 restoration project Any other LP1

Bren Gun Carrier parts appreciated

Darrin Wright 0411 483 213

Wodonga area

For Sale; New Jeep body, tub,

guards, bonnet, windscreen rear seat

frame also old fuel tank. Located Maldon $4,000 Kim 0419892157

For Sale; 2XUS Jerry cans & nozzles $100, 1X Aust jerry can $20,

1X 25pdr ammo can $30, 1X Jeep canvas roof $25, 1Xsafety strap

$20, 1X set rear seat cushions $40, 1X Jeep shovel $60, 14X TAC

sign holders small $5 each, 1X NOS drivers waterproof coat

medium $50, Military Jeep T. Richards, Jeep goes to war W.

Fowler $10. Jimmy 0425721289




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https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ygk7sg8rmyk2tjo/AADT1JuFeaBa66faByfg9llta?dl=0

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Bendigo Swap Meet

I had arranged to meet Bevan at Thunder dome servo early

Saturday morning, Bevan was uncharacteristically late, explaining

that the trip down from the mountain was a slow one due to poor

driving conditions.

We started the trip up to Bendigo behind schedule, so we floored it

and reached speeds of in excess of 50 mph! On the way up we

meet with Don Ashton and Dave Mottram who had just arrived at

the show grounds when we arrived.

The club had been given a special invitation to attend this event as

part of the ANZAC centennial. There had been a fair response

from members, luckily for the club Ron Fry had made the extra

effort and arranged to display his recently completed Bren Gun

Carrier inside the Hall and his Mack semi trailer and cruiser tank at

the hall entrance. This had required multiple trips from Seymour to

Bendigo by him.

The other quiet achiever was Ian Ledwidge who appeared to

transport the bulk of his Museum down from Moama to the event.

So the organizers were pretty pleased with the large numbers of

Military vehicles inside and outside the Hall.

Queensland Jeep club members displayed their vehicles as well,

namely a command car and 6X6 Jeep.





Drivers and vehicles

Ian Ledwidge Hum-Vee

Series 1 Land Rover

110 Land Rover

Jeep

Welbike

Ron Fry 1945 NM Mack 6X6 and trailer

Cruiser Tank

Bren Gun Carrier

Bevan Fenner MB Jeep

David Mottram Dodge Command Car

Don Ashton 110 Land Rover

Gordon Edwards MB Jeep and Trailer

BSA paratrooper bicycle

Queensland Jeep Club Command Car,

X6 ambulance Jeep

Also on display Indian MC

GP wagon

Munga – military

Munga -civilian

Also around; Ian Mastin, Bill Mullins, Rick Cove, Brett Munford,

John McGillivray, Simon Allen, John Wilson, Robert Ferguson

Of course the Bendigo swap meet is reputed to be one of the

biggest events of its kind in the country and on the day it certainly

seemed to live up to its name, with masses of stalls and items on

sale, mostly auto related but all sorts of weird and wonderfully

things for sale. We had the best seats on the day as we had free

entry and reserved parking right in the middle of the event. I asked

the organizers if we could have the same spots next year, but he

said they normally have a different theme vehicle display from

year to year.





Hawkei armored patrol vehicle hits the mark for Australian military October 05, 2015

It wasn’t named after a superhero, but it was designed to carry

real heroes.

The Hawkei PMV (Protected Military Vehicle) is the

Australian Defence Force’s newest recruit. The department

just ordered 1,100 of the new light armored patrol vehicles for

about $800,000 each.

About the same size as the U.S Military’s new Oshkosh L-

ATV, the 15,000-pound Hawkei is similarly protected from

both ballistic and roadside explosives thanks to a V-shaped

hull design and armor constructed from ceramic composites

and steel, but is still light enough to be transported into action

by a CH47 Chinook helicopter.

The Hawkei was developed by a partnership between Thales,

Boeing and armor specialist Plusan. Its name is taken from a

species of death adder snake, and relates to the larger

Bushmaster PMV currently in use.

The 4x4 truck can carry four-six passengers and rides on a

fully independent double wishbone suspension system. It’s

powered by a Steyr six-cylinder turbo diesel that sends 260 hp

and 450 lb-ft of torque to the wheels via six-speed automatic

transmission. Its top speed is 80 mph, and it has an operation

range of up to 373 miles.

Specially-designed cargo trailers are part of the package, and

Australian officials expect the vehicle to be adopted by some

foreign militaries, as well. It will primarily replace the Land

Rover Defender-based vehicles currently in use by the

Australian Defense Force when it is deployed in 2016.

Remembrance Day 2015

Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital VMVC members Alf Brooks

and John Underwood attended the commemoration.

Lake Goldsmith

I spotted this ACCO at the Goldsmith rally. He claims it’s a

prototype. Look at the photos and please reply as it could be

interesting. - Anthony Ick

Albury

Saturday, 31 Oct 15, was a local display at the Westmont

retirement home. Commenced at 1000h until 1400h.

This display has been running for the last few years and has gained a

bit of attendance along the years, especially with a number of

competing events held on the same weekend in the area.

They also have some local farmer’s market stalls and other

community groups.

Being close to home and local, I try to get some of my vehicles out.

Weather was forecast to be late showers, well they cam early at about

1100h and ease off just prior to the end. Unfortunately, the rain kept a

few people away and those that did attend, left early.

I made an effort to get 3 of my vehicles out for the display, and

thanks to a friend and his Dad, I managed to get the Bren Gun

Carrier, Jeep and Dodge down there.

Drove the Bren Gun Carrier there, which was quite a thrill and

attracted quite a bit of attention.

The organises did not fully appreciate the turning ability of the

Carrier, where they proposed for me to park may have caused some

damage to the car park, so opted for a nice lawn area under a tree.

Military vehicles present where the Bren Gun Carrier, Dodge, my

Jeep, another Jeep and a Ford blitz tipper.

There were about 40 other cars and 15 bikes in attendance.

They provided morning tea and lunch to those that brought vehicles. -

Darrin Wright





Note; I received some unfavorable emails on the Women’s

Army Corp Sergeant, so could I apologise in advance and

again promise that it will never happen again. Gordon





Restored M4A3 ‘Sherman’ tank returns to NYS Military Museum

National Guardsman Jonathan Bishop helped restore the

M4A3 “Sherman” tank that was moved into place outside the

New York Military Museum on Tuesday. The biggest, heaviest armament in the New York State

Military Museum’s collection rolled into place Tuesday with

the arrival of a newly-restored World War II-era “Sherman”

tank.

The 30-ton weapon is on permanent display after being

worked on by soldiers at Fort Drum.

This particular M4A3 tank’s history isn’t known, but ones like

it were used in Italy and Central Europe including some of

World War II’s most decisive engagements including D-Day

and the Battle of the Bulge.

“It’s awesome that it’s sitting here and I had something to do

with it,” said National Guardsman Jonathan Bishop, a veteran

of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The tank was previously

located in Carthage, Jefferson County, before coming to the

military museum where it sat outside in storage for nearly a

decade. Two years ago, it was taken to Fort Drum where

soldiers painstakingly restored it to its original condition.

“We stripped it right down to bare metal,” Chief Warrant

Officer 3 Robin Steele said.

First, an apoxy primer was applied to seal the metal and

prevent rust, followed by a chemical agent resistant coating –

an outer paint, in standard army green coloring.

Broken parts had to be welded, too, and Fort Drum soldiers

found accessories to go with it such as a mounted 50-caliber

machine gun on top along with axes and other tools.

“It’s an incredible piece of history,” museum Director

Courtney Burns said. “It’s an icon of World War II. Hopefully

it increases the building’s visibility and curbside appeal.”

Steele said German Tiger and Panther tanks used during

World War II were bigger and more powerful while Shermans

were lighter, important for getting them overseas, more

maneuverable and could fire more rapidly.

The Sherman had a five-man crew – commander, gunner,

loader, driver and co-driver who also fired a forward facing

30-caliber machine gun.

“They really rocked when the main gun fired,” Steele said. “I

bet the machine gun was really loud inside, too.”

Although much smaller than today’s modern M-1 tank, the

Sherman’s interior compartment is about the same size

because the M-1 carries more ammunition and is heavily

loaded with computerized equipment, Steele said.

It’s doubtful this tank saw combat, but the restoration includes

markings for Company A, 191st Tank Battalion, in honor of

its distinguished service during World War II. The company, a

New York National Guard unit, used M4 tanks during the

invasion of Italy at Salerno in September 1943.

The company was also part of the Allied landings at Anzio,

Italy in February 1943 and in August 1944 it invaded southern

France as part of Operation Dragoon and fought its way into

Germany.

The battalion had been formed by taking tank companies from

four state National Guards and combining them into one

battalion. Company A was originally known as the 27th Tank

Company. At the end of World War II it was the only

surviving National Guard tank battalion out of four organized

for the war.

More than 40,000 M4 Shermans were used during the war, the

most of any one kind of tank. The army got 19,247 of them,

another 1,114 went to the Marine Corps and 17,814 were

supplied to the British, Canadian and Free French armies,

along with 4,102 to the Soviet Union.

Healsville festival

4 Jeeps attended

Ian Hobbs and his brother Trevor

Charlie Schroder and wife Maryanne

Allan McAlister and wife Cheryl

Jos Van Berkel and wife Fran

We arrived early as they wanted all displays to be

ready by 9am. There was really nothing for sale

other than food.

There was an assortment of vintage steam driven

tractors and trucks. Some of these were driving

back and forth, so it was interesting to see the

ancient vehicles in motion. An interesting extra was

a small steam driven vehicle that was imported from

India as a novelty.

Although it was a 2 day event we were there for the

Saturday. We were told that Sunday is the busier of

the two; we still saw reasonable numbers for the

day

I had taken some video on the day, but forgot to

take photos. The one below is the only one.

Cheers, Jos





Is this Cummins 1942 Dodge Power Wagon the coolest six-wheeler ever? Ken Brubaker,

Winslow Bent and the team at Legacy Classic Trucks in

Wilson, Wyoming, have been kicking out some incredible

restored and customized vintage Dodge Power Wagons over

the years, and one of the latest and greatest is this 1942 Dodge

WC-63 Power Wagon 6x6.

The rig was built for a customer, who "wanted something a

little different," says Winslow, the founder of Legacy Classic

Trucks. A little different is what the customer got. This isn't

just a faux 6x6 with only one rear axle driving—this is the real

deal. "We wanted a true 6x6, not a dummy axle in the rear,"

says Winslow. To accomplish that end, the team at Legacy

Classic Trucks procured a World War II-era '42 Dodge 6x6

chassis and quite simply civilianized it with a '46 Power

Wagon cab and cargo bed.

So was it hard to fit the '46 cab and bed? No and yes, in that

order. "Putting the Power Wagon Cab on the military Dodge

chassis could not have been easier. It was fitting the bed that

was tough," Winslow says. To complete the task of fitting the

cargo bed, the team had to undertake some creative

engineering. And when the bed was mounted, it's not like

Winslow and his team could saunter over to their local Dodge

dealer and grab a pair of rear 6x6 fenders. They had to use

more creative engineering in that area, too. There was a lot of

creativity utilized in this rig.

We had a chance to see the Power Wagon in action in Moab,

Utah, and it was a sight to behold. From the sweet sound of

the Cummins to the slinky rear suspension as it crawled over

rocks, the truck worked as well as it looked.

Read on to learn more about this cool machine. Oh, and

Winslow says, "We have enough parts to make three more of

these trucks." So if you want one, you'd better act fast. And

bring $150,000. Yeah, sometimes cool isn't inexpensive.

Dodge never produced a civilian 6x6 that we know of, but we

think that if they did, it may have looked like this. The crew at

Legacy Classic Trucks did a great job with the flow and

fitment of the body in relation to the 6x6 chassis.

The front axle is the stock 8 3/4-inch ring gear unit and uses

5.83 gears. The factory drum brakes were retained but the

brake system was re-plumbed with a dual-circuit system and a

GM hydroboost was added. The steering system uses a '50

Power Wagon pitman arm (due to space) and Saginaw

reverse-swing power steering (due to the fact that the steering

system is behind the axle).

The NP200 dual-output T-case is divorced from the '98 Dodge

truck-sourced NV4500 five-speed manual transmission. This

T-case has a 1.98:1 low-range ratio, and of course, it's

manually shifted. The team at Legacy Classic Trucks wanted

to use a four-speed transmission, but with the 5.83 axle gears

and the rpm range of the Cummins turbodiesel, top speed

would've been limited without overdrive.

Here you can see how the rear driveshafts travel from the T-

case to the axles. The axles are the stock units with a 8 3/4-

inch ring gear diameter, drum brakes, and 5.83 gears. All total,

the truck has five driveshafts.

The rear suspension consists of a single leaf-spring assembly

on each side of the rear of the truck and the axles are fastened





to each end of the leaf-spring assembly. This assembly

"bobbles" on a center axis. This is original to the WC-63.

"After 70 years, of sitting, the suspension got right back to

work," Winslow says. He goes on to say that the benefits of

this suspension is that "the rear axles can bobble and walk to

match terrain."

"Spinning five driveshafts and three axles is no easy task,"

Winslow says, but the Cummins 3.9L 4BT turbodiesel engine

gets it done. "The little Cummins has the perfect amount of

torque [and] the torque and turbo whine is sublime," he notes.

The engine sits on custom motor mounts that include vibration

isolators from a forklift application. The team also installed a

2-inch body lift not only to aid in fitment of the body to the

frame, but also to isolate the cab from engine vibration. The

Cummins exhales through a mufflerless 3-inch-diameter

exhaust and the 'plant is cooled by the original Power Wagon

radiator, along with a single electric 18-inch-diameter Spal

fan. The NV4500 transmission bolted right to the engine

without the need for an adapter.

The rig rolls on 36x12.50R16LT Interco Super Swamper TSL

Radial tires that are mounted on Budd split-rim wheels.

Winslow and his team fabbed the stock-looking rear fenders

from a set of triple-axle trailer fenders. The fenders underwent

a lot of work including shortening and narrowing to match the

style of the factory front fenders. The cargo box bedsides also

had to be modified to accept the fenders.

In case six wheels won't get the truck through something,

there's a Warn 16.5ti winch.

Mounting the wood-floored '46 Power Wagon cargo bed to the

'42 WC-63 chassis turned out to be one of the biggest

challenges, but it was overcome by creative engineering.

Among other things, the team had to remove 24 inches of

frame from the rear of the truck. The end result looks like it

could've rolled off the assembly line. Located in the front of

the 9-foot-long, 50-inch-wide bed is a custom 38-gallon fuel

tank.

Vehicle: '42 Dodge WC-63 Power Wagon

Build time: 9 months

Drivetrain Engine: 3.9L Cummins 4BT turbodiesel I-4

Transmission: NV4500

Transfer case(s): NP200 two-spd

Low range ratio(s): 1.98:1

Crawl ratio(s): 64.8:1

Front axle/differential: Chrysler/8¾-inch ring gear, 5.83

gears

Rear axle/differential: Dual Chrysler/8¾-inch ring gear, 5.83

gears

Suspension Front: Leaf spring, Monroe shocks

Rear: "Bobble" leaf springs, no shocks

Steering: Saginaw reverse-rotation power steering

Tires/Wheels Tires: 36x12.50R16LT Interco Super Swamper TSL Radial

Wheels: 16-inch Budd split-rim

Miscellaneous Lighting: 7-inch halogen, 2-inch cowl lamps





Truck Show 2015- Yarra Glen

Well we had a great time on Sunday, what about you? I put this photo

of a Peter built Truck in for the President, who had a family picnic to

attend.

We met at Lilydale as in later years and it was a quick run up to

Yarra Glen the weather was excellent, just the day to be driving in a

Military convoy through the vineyards. We were allocated a pleasant

spot under the trees that provided welcomed shelter through out the

day.

As it was the Truck Show, there were some superbly restored

vehicles to admire, the day was spent wandering the rows of vehicles,

eating BBQ and gossiping. This truck was particularly interesting- a

Mack 5 Ton AC Chain Drive, the oldest Mack truck in Australia built

in 1923.





Driver and Vehicles Gary Burns Toyota Land Cruiser, Moke

Trailer

Don Ashton 110 Land Rover

Alex McPherson, Ben Hemming 110 Land Rover

Ian Hobbs Jeep

Adrian D’Argaville RAAF Moke


Gordon Edwards MB Jeep

Len Schutt Chev Blitz

Mike Gurkin Ford Blitz

Cameron reed Ford Blitz

Rick Campbell-Drury Jeep, No4 Trailer

David McCallum Jeep

1943 Bliz

Also around, Euan McDonald, Carl Krankshaw





Tanks for the memories! Armoured vehicle is turned into a HEARSE so military enthusiasts can go out with a bang By Lucy Crossley

Army veterans are being offered the chance to go out with a

bang after a military enthusiast built a funeral hearse out of an

old tank.

Nick Mead, 54, from Helmdon, Northamptonshire, spent six

months converting the shell of a FV432 armoured personnel

carrier into a funeral car in order to give servicemen and

women the perfect send-off.

After spending £3,000 refurbishing the vehicle with armoured

glass and installing the interior of a Ford Granada Cardinal

hearse, the father-of-two joined forces with a funeral director

to offer the tank to families of war veterans and military

enthusiasts for their loved ones.

Army veterans are being offered the chance to go out with a

bang after a military enthusiast built this funeral hearse out of

an old tank

Families are able to book the converted FV432 armoured

personnel carrier to carry their departed loved ones instead of

the usual hearse

'I think it will appeal not only to servicemen and women but to

tank enthusiasts - as well as extroverts,' said Mr Mead.

'It is an iconic British Army vehicle which has seen service in

Afghanistan and Iraq.

'We would like to think any army veteran would be honoured

to go to his funeral in such a magnificent tank.'

Mr Mead began creating the 'tankhearse' three years ago

because he knew he wanted his own final trip to be in a tank.

But when he discovered his tank-driving instructor Graham

Collins was critically ill with cancer he sped up the project so

it would be finished in time for the 70-year-old's funeral.

'I cracked on with it and I've never known a project come

together so quickly,' he said.

'The most important thing was for his final trip to be in a tank.

I hope I did the old boy proud.

Mr Mead spent £3,000 refurbishing the old vehicle with

armoured glass and installing the interior of a Ford Granada

Cardinal hearse

Mr Mead began creating the 'tankhearse' three years ago

because he knew he wanted his own final trip to be in a tank

The FV432 armoured personnel carrier was first used by the

British Army in the 1960s for moving troops on the battlefield.

Mr Mead's company Tanks-A-Lot has performed six funerals

with the vehicle, which costs £1,500 to hire, plus the cost of

haulage to the location.

The former butcher, who sold the family shop to work with

tanks 20 years ago, even sent his mother, Ivy, off in his

creation when she died aged 90 of natural causes.

He said: 'I'm not sure if she was a big fan of tanks.

'But your mum's always a fan of you isn't she? So we had a go

and it was perfect.'

The FV432 armoured personnel carrier was first used by the

British Army in the 1960s for moving troops on the battlefield.

The model has seen service in the harsh environments of both

Afghanistan and Iraq.

At their peak, in the 1980s, more than 2,500 FV432s were in

use by the Army, but that number has now fallen to 1,500 as

updated carriers replace older vehicles.

Second hand models are popular with enthusiasts due to their

relative low cost, compared to other military vehicles.

Funeral manager Simon Fisher, from Midcounties Co-

operative Funeralcare which has teamed up with Tanks-A-Lot,

said: 'We aim to take all requests into account and I've no

doubt that Tankhearse will appeal to tank enthusiasts who

want to make a last trip in one of the iconic vehicles they love

so much.'

Mr Mead's company Tanks-A-Lot has performed six funerals

with the vehicle, which costs £1,500 to hire, plus the cost of

haulage to the location





NOT YOUR AVERAGE FUNDRAISER

6/11/2015

This event was to raise funds towards a powered wheelchair and modifications to the existing wheelchair for my stepdaughter, Kiah who lives

with Cerebral Palsy. Having held various fundraisers for specialised

equipment for her, we decided to invite the VMVC to participate and see how things panned out. What better way of raising funds than to make a donation

and have your photo taken in a Military Vehicle. That was the basis of the

VMVC participation. Even though this event was held at Ecoplayscape in Ferntree Gully, the play

centre equipment was closed and more family focused. There was meat

tasting which was market research for the Beef Board and did not cost anything other than time by the participants to pre-register on-line. This was

challenging for us as we had to get a 60 people to commit to the meat tasting

on the night. If we could achieve this, $1000.00 was donated towards Kiah’s equipment needs. Nutri-Metics, Australian Sweet Co and Your Inspiration At

Home spices participated and donated a percentage of all sales and orders.

There was also wine tasting with bottles labeled specifically for Kiah with her photo on them, once again, with a percentage of orders and sales going to

Kiah. There were also door prizes and a silent auction of items donated from

various businesses. It was very much a community event. Live entertainment was provided by Nancie Schipper who has just had her first album release.

As for me, I spent the day watching the weather radar to see if the rain was

going to continue as the Land Rover was stripped down to the roll bar with the windscreen down. Nothing displayed on the Radar at 11:30 between here and

Adelaide, yet it was raining outside so the decision was made to go bush

Tucker man configuration on the Land Rover with the roof on and sides up. I drove the Landy out to the Play centre to find Rod already there with the

Hummer. It was a quick “Hi” before jumping in Shelley’s car to come and get

the Yamaha XT600, which Kiah has claimed as hers. Mind you, I handed her the registration papers so she could pay the bill which did not work in my

favour. It wasn’t long before Euan showed up in his Jeep and Ben came to do

the meat tasting and later drove the Land Rover back to our house to assist with the vehicle shuffle. It took a while for people to start getting involved in

our vehicles and it seemed to get busier as the sun set. There was drizzle until

towards the end of the event and it was pretty full on for the 3 hours. The VMVC raised $22.85 and the final figures for the fundraiser are not in yet but

estimated to be approximately $2,500.00 towards the $30,000 wheelchair so

there will be more fundraisers to come in the future. Vehicles attending;

Hummer Rod Mill

Jeep Euan McDonald 110 Land Rover Alex McPherson /Ben Hemmings

Yamaha XT600 Kiah Haysom/Alex McPherson

Amphitheatre

Jack Neville stokes up the Wiles Cooker.

Jake Neville was kept busy cooking for us throughout the

weekend, thanks for the dinners.





Rod, Bevan, Andrew and I decided to make the trip up to

Amphitheatre on Thursday, so as to avoid traffic and for Rod

to maximize his four wheel driving time in the Mule, true to

form the moment we had arrived and set up camp he was bush

bashing in his new toy.

Jack and Jake Neville had generously opened their bush

hunting lodge to their friends and clubs, it proved to be an

ideal location. Within easy driving distance for our vehicles

and plenty of room to bivouac and maneuver. One of the

highlights of the set up was Jacks Sawyer cooker which

provided us with endless hot water and tasty meals. Jack had

improved the original design with a steam whistle which

altered us to the presence of food and made sure no one

nodded off in front of the roaring camp fire.

The road trip to Stawell was great fun, we were convoyed all

the way on back roads and tracks so it was` quite an

adventure. We arrived at Russell Altman’s engineering

complex, not only does it have a magnificent collection of

British military vehicles spread across twenty acres but there

is also the heavy engineering workshops set up to service the

mines in the local area. We were taken on a tour by Russell

and Wally, we were even provided with a morning tea.

After this it was off to Stawell.

We visited the lookout that gave a commanding vista of the

local area, some went to view the mine shafts others to go four

wheel driving, but the less adventurous went to pie shop, then

a back roads trip home, if you look at the map you can see we

actually covered quite a few miles that day.

Saturday night was the roast dinner, again thanks to the Wiles

Cooker. There is nothing as good as food cooked in the old

wood oven of the cooker. Lots of eating drinking and talking

ensured the night passed pleasantly. Probably did a lot of other

things that I have omitted but suffice to say it was a great

week end manly thanks to Jack and Jake Neville, thanks guys.

Vehicles and Drivers

Rod Mills, Andrew Richards Hum-Vee, Trailer and

Mechanical Mule

Gordon Edwards MB Jeep


Brett & Chris Munford Dodge Command Car

Sharon Coates, Steve Fisher Jeep

Cameron Reed Blitz Truck

Jake Neville Jeep

Jack Neville WOT Truck

Russell, Helen Altman Army Bus, Champ

Wally Bowers Austin Champ

Paul Bishopp, Peter Reynolds Dodge Weapons Carrier

Also present; Brad Wooding – The Land Rover club was there

with mostly modern non-Military type land rovers and

therefore of no interest, although the drivers made excellent

drinking and eating companions around the bonfire.





Brett Munford’s photos- Amphitheatre

This picture embarrasses me, Bevan stands on the summit of a

mighty precipice next to his jeep, I was following him in mine

but the first hiccup of the engine lead to a hasty retreat.

Rod made it to the top driving the mule; he is probably

ringing me to find out where I have got to.

This proves Brett made it, but unfortunately the pub was

closed.

Russell Altmans workshop

Malcom and Russell’s interest in all things British is obvious,

this finely restored Humber truck caught Rod and Bevan’s

eye.

Champ number one, after an international search Russell and

Malcom discovered this rarity in the back paddock, but with a

replacement engine which had concealed its rarity. It is

currently being completely restored, with the aim of

displaying it in a museum that is under construction, I can

hardly wait to see the finished product.

Shed after shed of Champ parts new and used, most of the

vehicles in the paddock have been stripped of useable parts

and placed in storage. As well as this lots of NOS have been

sourced and purchased by these enthusiasts. I’ve never seen so

many Rolls Royce engines in one place. It was an inspiring

sight which had the effect of making one seriously consider

buying a British vehicle!





Champ graveyard- Russell Altman’s

My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'

victorian military vehicle corps december 2015 victorian ... 2015/2015 december vmvc.pdfcatering...

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