August 2011 - Victorian Military Vehicle Corps

―Rough Tracks‖
The magazine of the
AUSTRALIAN EX-MILITARY VEHICLE
COLLECTORS SOCIETY INC
August
2011
Thanks Bill for sharing
An Article from Mr. Bill Sjoblem.
Monthly Meetings are held at Campsie RSL, 25 Anglo Road, Campsie, On the first Tuesday night of each month at 2000 hrs
Page 1
AMVCS Committee 2011/2012 - New, new, new !
PO Box 221 Gladesville NSW 2111
http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/amvcs_nsw/
President
John Oldenmenger tel (02) 4572 5672
Mob. 0425 253 253
Vice President
Secretary/ Editor Ken Whyte tel (02) 9625 5748
Mob 0418 260 013
Treasurer
Neil Cameron-Smith tel (02) 9484 8862
Public Relations
David Goodman 9593 3300 or 0418 382 082
Club Plate Registrar
ALT/Delegate
Lawrie Winney Tel (02) 4578 1531
Email [email protected]
Mob 0419 230 828.
CMC Delegate
Gary Beers
First Aid Officers Certified - Jan Thompson tel (02) 9969 7607 Mob 0412 078 096
And Chief Corowa Information lady
For Sale
Club banners are
3‘ x 2‘ @ $15 each
Flags are 3‘x 2‘ @ $20
each
Orders are being taken
Page 2
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL MEETING OF THE A.M.V.C.S. HELD AT CAMPSIE R.S.L. ON
TUESDAY 2nd AUGUST 2011
General Meeting Opened at: - 20.15
Apologies: Les Bell, Fred Reeves, Phil Rider, Carlo Paola, Bill Sjoblem, Garry Nisbet, Tony Playle, John O’, Glenn C.
Visitors: Brian Healey
Minutes from Previous meeting: – All had read, proposed Jan Thompson, Mick J
Correspondence In: was passed around.
(1)
President’s report: - John O‘ absent (Ken Whyte stood in) However John O faxed the following report:- As the outgoing President, I would like to thank the committee for their work that has been done over the last year. The year gone by
started off with the sudden and sad loss of Maurine Bell, and although he was not a member we also lost George Davies.
An original North-South truck driver from WW2, he has been part of our club since back to the track in 1995. On a
brighter note we saw a fantastic 2 day display at the Williamstown air show, a combined effort between AMVCS and 2
Newcastle clubs. Then of course the debate and eventual voting of replica weapons to be or not to be allowed on members vehicles. The outcome will discussed in the normal meeting, once a new committee has been established. I would
like to thank Dave Taylor for standing in and handling the election of the new committee. I urge every member to consider to take on the job, somebody has to do it. I have now done this for 8 years + 1 year as secretary + many years vice
president. Surely somebody in our club has the capability to run a meeting and steer the club with other committee members in the right direction. It has always been a pleasure to be on the committee, however due to my work, running local—country, interstate, it becomes very hard to be at all the meetings, and fulfill all the requirements as a president. If
need be I will stand another year but we have to have a vice president that can attend the meetings as I may be away
many times. I do apologise for not being at the meeting but again this what my work situation brings along.
Vice Presidents report: - Ray was absent
Treasures Report: - Bank figures were $5,602.19 in the main (cheque) account and $6,196.19 in term deposit account. Invoice
from (1) Ken W for printing of July magazine, postage, paper, toner, etc and for flags, banners etc $338.64. (2) Lawrie Winney
$90 being for registrars costs. Approval of cheques Proposed Dave Argyles & Seconded Gary Beers including approval of
Treasures report
Public Relations Report: - Glenn C. absent - new trips passed around - Calendar amended
Club Plate Registers Report: - 3 New items, several renews (RTA want mud guards on towed vehicle
Editor/ Secretary:- Still needed Members input on photos and trip reports. Had received some but greedy and wanted more
C.M.C report: - meeting last Monday week, 1800 cars going to Eastern Creek. Lamborghini club of Oz applying for affiliation
been around 17 years, 40 member with 200 cars. A club donated $100 to Robert Shannon foundation.
General Business: (1)
Voting on replica weapons - returned 90 in favour, against 36, 71% positive. Pass mark of 75% not achieved. Constitution stays as is.
(2)
Roly Davie - Blue Mountains has asked for 4 vehicles for VP day—asked for permission to attend—No objections received.
(3)
Was there was a bill for Sandra Loggan JP - Ken W not aware of any cost. John had a posting cost only.
(4)
Jan - KVE Corowa 6 x 6. Motor event in town, the week before, just check your booking if at airport. Council to maintain WC‘s at the airport. Brian Healey will do daily news letter in Corowa. 3 trips arranged to date. Trucks on show in
Rosehill on 17-19 May 2012. Victoria 2 weeks after Corowa Military event - Contact Jan for more detailed info on the
above
(5)
Western Sydney Historical Truck club - 28/8/11 - Truck Casula to Yass - Saturday 8am start at ―Uncle Leos‖ servo
(6)
Manly Army has packed up and gone, now looking for items for the museum - contact Sydney Harbour foreshores or
Alan Lark on 9522 4815 for more information or leave message
(7)
Q/ what was happening about Pintinjarra(?) - still happening - further info to come
(8)
Any news on new military club from Yass. Mark Serrant has put together a new club and we welcome them.
(9)
Roly Davie - Springwood Salvo‘s have asked for 4 vehicles for Fathers day - asked for permission to attend - No objections received
Meeting closed at. 20.52
Next meeting 6th September -
The AGM was held directly after - please refer to page 10 in this magazine
Page 3
MANOEUVRES FOR 2011/2012
Month
August
Event
Date
Notes
Coordinator
13-14th Arms Expo Penrith Panthers
14th
Campbelltown‘s Soldiers Settlement
Museum - see page 9
Waminda Ave
Details: 02 46 26 2022.
21st
Shannon's Eastern Creek @ $12 per
ticket - our lap time is 10.15am
No more camping
John Oldenmenger
Corrected date
28th
British Car Display - Kings School
Only Brit cars
September
10-11th NW Swap meet - Gunnedah show
ground
Call Ross on 0428
506 807 for info
11th
70th Birthday party for Jeeps
[email protected] Mitch Holland
11th
Broke Village Fair
11th
Orange Blossom Festival Classic Car
Display
Contact Trevor 9686
7999 for more info
At Bull & Bush Hotel,
Baulkham Hills
18th
Burwood Spring Festival
2 August
Ken Whyte
17-18th Clarendon Classic Machinery Rally
(dinner available Sat Night $30?)/ Club
inspection day
Camping ok - free
Laurie
25th
Castle Hill Showground $5 per vehicle
October
Land Rovers Club 2011
14-16th Qld Jeep Club Bash, swap meet
15-16th Dookie Military Vehicle Rally, Main St,
Dookie, Victoria
Free
Contact Sol 0427 538 667 or 03
5828 6224
15-16th Menangle Steam Huff & Puff Day
November
Ken Whyte
23rd
Convoy for kids, charity run from
Huntingwood to Olympic park + display
30th
Chevalier College, 566 Moss Vale Road, $10 per vehicle, opens
07.00 hrs
Burradoo, NSW
TBA
Canberra War Memorial trip
5th
Cooma Motorfest tel 02 6450 1742 for
more information
Everybody to come !
Ray Kickert
Newcastle
Www.mbccc.org.au
11-13th Memorial service at North Head Museum with NAS
20th
All German Show & Shine Day
26
Club Christmas Party $20 per head
January
27-29
Guyra showground - Military Vehicle
rally
March
12-18
Corowa Swim In
March -April
30-1
Military Heritage Weekend - Mitchell
Shire Council
May
17-19
Trucks on show, Rosehill Gardens
John Oldenmenger
2012
Page 4
WEAPON OF THE MONTH
The Pigeon-Guided Missile
American behaviorist B.F. Skinner hit on a novel
idea for the war effort when he came up with the
idea for ‗Project Orcon‘ (which stood for organic
control), which was his attempt to produce the
world‘s first pigeon-guided missile.
The control system had a lens attached to the
missile which projected an image of the target to
a screen. Three trained pigeons would then peck
at the target on the screen and where they
pecked would determine where the missile hit.
As long as they pecked the center of the screen
the missile would remain on target but if they
pecked off center, the missile would change
course, as long as two of the three had it right
though, the target would be hit.
The National Defense Research Committee put
$25,000 for research into the project but despite
this, for some unfathomable reason, the US military didn‘t take the idea too seriously. On the 8th
October, 1944 the project was canceled, the official reason given was; \‖further prosecution of
this project would seriously delay others which
in the minds of the Division have more immediate promise of combat application.
(and who, may I ask,
has not been bombed
by a pigeon in a park,
somewhere !?)
Page 5
Lost at sea: one bomb, highly dangerous
A large second world war
bomb washed up on an
English beach last week,
causing panic and evacuation of a seaside town before it was towed out to
sea for safe detonation.
But the relief is short
lived. The bomb detached
from its leash and was
lost, unexploded.
The 1,000lb German SC
shell, from 1942 bomb is
thought to be one of the
largest ever to have
beached on Britain's coastline with an explosive strength sufficient to flatten parts of Felixstowe's seafront. Royal navy divers admitted it could take weeks to find the "misplaced" bomb.
The bomb was towed out to sea last Tuesday, with the intention of detonating it the same day,
but conditions delayed the operation. Strong currents moved the bomb's position overnight,
and the straps connecting it to the ship broke. The 13-strong team are now using an unmanned
computer-operated submarine called Remus to picture the seabed to locate suspicious objects
for their dives. The 1.72m (5ft 8in) torpedo-shaped device was driven down to Felixstowe
from Scotland, while the divers themselves made the trip from the south coast. Warrant Officer
Robin Rickard, who is leading the dive team, said they were now working 15-hour days in an
attempt to finish the job. Conditions were still said to be hampering the operation with underwater visibility at zero and strong tidal streams meaning the bomb could have moved a
"significant" distance. "We will continue to search until we are told not to," said Hankey. "That
is an operational requirement and if another job comes up and we have been here a month then
we might have to say the bomb has rolled out to sea. But we will continue to search for the
foreseeable future."
Last night, the team said money had not been wasted
and insisted the bomb would be found and dealt with,
however long it took.
Experts from the Royal navy's bomb disposal unit
said ―Anybody who finds the bomb are advised ―not
to touch it as the bomb had the potential to "flatten" a
huge area of the town's seafront if it exploded on the
beach - and cause collateral damage up to half a mile
inland.‖
Members of the public are warned, “if anybody finds the UXB, the worst you could do
is…... to sit on it!”
Page 6
Don‘t worry about the gun….
He‘s got no teeth and could gum you to death !
Members are asked to voice
their opinion of changing
the meeting location, away
from Campsie RSL
Please advice on preferences
Page 7
WW2 Jeeps have extended the invitation
“we will welcome period displays of
other WW2
vehicles, if they base them around the
Jeep. Like a Motor Pool or something.
There is plenty of space for all to
share. And we would love the AMVCS to be
an integral part of the day.
Campbelltown’s popular Soldiers Settlement Museum
Can we please make a big effort and attend the following
on Sunday, August 14. to keep this alive. We need you to
spread the word.
THE Macarthur Chronicle has launched a campaign to save
Campbelltown‘s popular Soldiers Settlement Museum from
closure. The future of the museum at Campbelltown East
Public School is in doubt following revelations the Education Department was looking at options to move the museum or make it
mobile. But volunteers running the museum said all display
items were donated and would need to be returned to their
owners if the museum moved from the school site in Waminda Ave.
The museum showcases hundreds of military artifacts, including uniforms and inactive bombs, grenades and gun
shells.
The multi-sensory exhibition allows students to touch, hear
and smell authentic war items, and has played a big part in
the lives of hundreds of school children based around the
Campbelltown area since it opened in 2004.
Museum co-ordinator Gillian Ludgate said uncertainty over
the museum‘s future would continue until the department
concluded its assessment. ―The idea was for it to stay at the
school for students there, for the wider community and for
other schools to come and visit us,‖ she said.
―Unfortunately I don‘t know what‘s going to happen but the
department wants to try and pack the museum up to move it
around, which isn‘t going to happen because the committee
just won‘t agree to it. We don‘t want it to close but we
won‘t be running it anywhere else and we feel a great responsibility to those who donated items.‖
Historical Society president Jackie Green said changes to
the museum‘s structure would be to the detriment of school
children. ―It would be a tragedy for the whole community
and the whole state if it was forced to close down,‖ she
said.
An Education Department spokeswoman said: ―The school
is undertaking consultation with the school community,
Campbelltown Council, the RSL and a variety of other
stakeholders to assess whether the resources available in the
museum would be better placed in a more accessible community location.
―This would enable a wider community to enjoy the considerable resources in the
museum, as well as freeing
up a learning space for the
school‘s children.‖
The museum has regular
open days. The next one is
on Sunday, August 14. Details: 02 46 26 2022.
Page 8
For those who remember the ANZAC day parade in
Melbourne last year and have access to a computer here
is a very interesting link
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8271561/anzac-parade-truck-driver-fined
A man who drove a WWII truck into Sri
Lankan veterans marching in Melbourne's
Anzac Day parade last year has been fined
$4,500.
Russell Hughes, 65, was convicted of three
charges of dangerous driving causing injury in the
Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday, after
pleading guilty.
The vintage truck driven by Mr. Hughes during last
year's parade lurched forward into eight veterans
from the Ceylon Ex-Servicemen's Association, injuring two critically.
A photo which shows the driver taking photos
through the windscreen of the truck moments before ploughing into the men formed part of the investigation.
Police earlier this year said the man had driven the
truck in 11 Anzac Day parades and was deeply
traumatised by the accident.
Mr. Hughes, from Bunyip in West Gippsland, was
fined $4,500 and his drivers' licence was cancelled
for 18 months by Magistrate Peter Lauritsen.
The RSL banned the trucks from driving in this
year's parade.
The ―Honorable Doctor‖ Lawrie Winney needs to see the following people, with their
Vehicles, for an Annual Check Up & Inspection. Hopefully a good ―bill of health‖ will be
Issued. Please make a booking, as he‘s a busy man ! Inspection day‘s are listed in
the calendar
August
September
October
Roland Davey
Paul Naylor
Gary Cooke
Charlie Dimech
Bill Sjoblom
Roly Davey
John Oldenmenger
Mick Jericevich
Fred Reeves
Lambert Kickert
Paul Tiberti
John Oldenmenger
Ken Whyte
Fred Reeves
Ian Williams
Tony Shorten
Dennis Taylor,
Page 9
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE A.M.V.C.S. HELD AT CAMPSIE R.S.L. ON
TUESDAY 2nd AUGUST 2011
General Meeting Opened at: - 20.58
Apologies: See page 3
Visitors: See page 3
Minutes from Previous AGM meeting: – were read out loud
Correspondence In: was passed around.
Treasures Report: - Treasurer's report was circulated - Income slightly exceeded our expenses by $800– This is qualified by advertising of $720 and donation form Ashfield RSL of $500. We rely on these to balance the budget. Magazine costs continue to
rise. The mag has grown by x3 additional content. Outsourcing of the mag has been looked at. Club needs to look at its funding.
Does the club wish to maintain its mag content? Members voted to keep its larger content Approx 25 members received it by email.
Members encouraged to receive by Email. Maybe need to pay $8 extra next year. Club objective is to inform members, this is
achieved by the magazine. We have approx 150 total members. Proposed by Lawrie Winney, Seconded Dave Argyles.
All in favour
The current committee then stood down.
Dave Taylor took the chair, all positions were vacant, only paid up members may vote. The following were voted in.
Position
Name
Proposed
Seconded
President
John Oldenmenger
Jan Thompson
Dave Argyles
Vice President
vacant
Secretary
Ken Whyte
Gary Beers
Dave Argyles
Treasurer
Neil Cameron Smith
Jan Thompson
Gary Beers
Public Relations
David Goodman
Lawrie Winney
Dave Argyles
Club Plate Registrar
Lawrie Winney
Gary Beers
Roly Davie
Editor
Ken Whyte
Gary Beers
Jan Thompson
CMC Delegate
Gary Beers
Roly Davie
Ken Whyte
Alt CMC Delegate
vacant
First Aid Officer
Jan Thompson
Alt First Aid Officer
vacant
The Annual General Meeting Business: 1.
John O faxed the following report:- On the 25th July the voting for replica weapons on our vehicles closed . The votes have
been counted and the outcome recorded. I apologise for spending the clubs money on this voting (secret ballot) However
this was the only fair way of doing it, as far as I can see it Thank you for your efforts to send your ballot in.
2.
Tom asked where the first kit was. Ken thought John O had it.
3.
Tom said he was going on the winter rally
4.
Thanks was offered to the new committee
5.
Member, Bill, advised of Willys Jeep journey in 1970 from London to Singapore then from Perth to Sydney. He said he
would find his notes
6.
Neil C-S had achieved 30 years service with the club - it was voted that he be elected a Life Member.
7.
Eastern creek had only 3 tickets left. See Neil C-S.
Proposed :- Steven Davies, Seconded Ken Whyte
Meeting closed at. 21.38
Page 10
Now drastically
reduced to
$20,000. Grab
it quick for
BIG
70th
Jeep birthday
party - see page
4
For Sale - Oil filter for Chev Blitz complete kit, pipes, fittings etc .
New filter to fit $80 - Call without delay Andy McFarland tel 9130 2935
Page 11
Page 12
PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH
GI Joe: - US Soldiers of World War Two - The American GIs were a crucial component in the defeat of the
Axis powers - and they had to be tough to survive. Find out what made them tick - and how they kept going through thick and
thin.
Iowa cornfields
They came late to the ballgame by British standards, but they came to play. They were crude, crass and lacking in military finesse
according to Montgomery and other Allied leaders, but they won many more times than they lost. They were a curious mixture of
fervent volunteer kids and caustic older draftees. They were soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines from Iowa cornfields and Detroit
assembly lines. They sweated through eight abbreviated weeks of basic training, and shipped out to help throw back the tidal wave
of Axis aggression in Europe and the Pacific. Life at war for the American GI was essentially long hours of hard physical labour,
painful slogging under heavy weights and tedious boredom - interspersed with moments of sheer gut-wrenching terror. It was a
hard way to live, more like a hobo than a human being, and creature comforts of any kind were hard to find. They were always
hungry and usually moving too fast for field kitchens and hot chow to catch up with the advance. Stomachs shrank and often rebelled at the weeks of steady D and K rations, crammed with calories and carbohydrates, but tasting just a cut above cat food. No
matter what the weather, dehydration was always a concern. Marching made them sweat, and combat left them cotton-mouthed
and croaking. Water was often what they could dip out of a shell-hole. Treated with iodine or halezone tablets to kill the bugs. It
tasted...well, it tasted like nectar if you were parched and shaking after a firefight. Of course, there was always French wine or
Dutch beer to be liberated if a GI was storming through Europe. If he was island-hopping in the Pacific, a little Japanese sake was
said to help kill the intestinal worms that infiltrated through cuts, jungle sores or shrapnel wounds.
Army issue
Reconstruction of US troops in action © GI Joe was never much for sartorial splendour in the field. Unlike some of his Allied
cousins in uniform, regimental insignia and martial trappings were kept to a bare minimum. Usually there was a patch on his left
shoulder that told at a glance what division he served. A muted chevron or two - sewn or sometimes painted - on his sleeves gave
some indication of his rank, but such markings rarely reflected his actual movements up or down the chain of command in a rifle
platoon. In fact, badges or patches tended to disappear altogether, as the GI traded in his original issue field uniforms for replacements at irregular intervals. On his head, the American GI wore a one-pound steel helmet. This was sometimes covered with netting for camouflage purposes. It was one of his most valued items of equipment. That 'piss-pot' served a plethora of field purposes
beyond keeping his head relatively free of enemy shrapnel. It was a wash-basin, cooking cauldron, emergency latrine, entrenching
tool - and even a deadly blunt weapon when combat came to close
quarters. American combat uniforms were a combination of wools
and rugged herringbone twilled cotton, designed to be worn in
layers and usually in a number of non-regulation combinations.
Uniforms for the field were designed with a lot of pockets which,
given the sparse, uncomfortable nature of his load-bearing equipment, was an asset. However, the uniforms were hot when they
needed to be cool and cold when they needed to be warm. When a
GI got wet, he tended to stay that way for a long time. In the immortal words of more than a few GI Quartermaster Sergeants:
'They ain't supposed to be comfortable, they're supposed to last.'
Weapons and ammo
GI Joe's field boots were basically wartime versions of the rugged
brogans familiar to farm labourers and other working stiffs who
spent a lot of time on their feet. The rough-out half-boot was
topped with a canvas legging that inspired monumental and creative cursing when it had to be laced in a hurry. American paratroops were better served by the cherished Corcoran jump boot
and, late in the war, virtually everyone in a line outfit managed to
replace his brogans with a higher, buckle-top combat boot; discarding the legging. There was no Goretex, waterproof poncho or
other warm-fuzzy gear in GI Joe's haversack. He made do with an
oven-like rubberised raincoat and a standard-issue green blanket,
until they got wet and he tossed them aside to lighten his load.
Page 13
And lightening that load was no minor
concern. GI Joe rapidly learned that he
could live without practically anything
but weapons and ammo.
Whether he was armed with the M-1
Garand rifle, carbine, Thompson submachinegun or Browning Automatic
Rifle, the American infantryman understood that the weapon was useless without rounds to fire, and in combat those
rounds burned up quickly. Fire discipline tended to deteriorate in direct proportion to the proximity of the enemy.
So all that 'basic unit of fire for the infantryman'
from basic training went right into the
roadside ditch. Basic webbing ammunition belts and pouches were supplemented by as many bandoliers as the
soldier could carry without falling down.
He stuffed spare clips and magazines in
pockets or clipped them in any handy
place. He relied heavily on the Mk II
fragmentation hand grenade to keep the enemy at bay or bleeding inside a machinegun bunker. So he gladly withstood the weight of
grenades stuffed anywhere and everywhere they would fit. Of course, he also needed his canteen - or maybe two if he'd run across a
wine supply in his travels. He was rarely without his entrenching tool (shovel) or pick-mattock for breaking ground and digging foxholes.
There was a bayonet or fighting knife and usually some sort of rudimentary pack for other items deemed absolutely necessary. However, GI Joe was vastly under-equipped by modern standards.
And that's the way he needed to be, in combat or on the march, because he also had to help with ammunition for his support weaponry. Machineguns were valued tools in infantry combat but they ate ammo at astounding rates.
Everyone pitched in to carry extra ammo cans for the .30 calibre. Bazookas were critical - if fairly useless - against enemy armour
and extra rockets for them had to be carried. Small but deadly 60mm mortars were the rifle company commander's hip-pocket artillery and he wanted plenty of ammo for those tubes, even if his riflemen had to help carry it.
What's amazing but true is that virtually any American infantryman would also gladly add the weight of a pistol either a GI .45 or an
enemy Luger or Nambu to his load. Call it a placebo or security blanket or a hold-over from the days of the Wild West, but GI Joe
liked to have a handgun, even if he was unlikely to ever use it in combat.
Firefights
There were, of course, nights and days on the battlefield just as there were back on the farm or in the cities of America. The difference was that in combat it didn't make any difference.
There were day marches to gain ground, followed by night marches to mask movement. There were night attacks and reconnaissance
patrols to be run. There were listening posts and night defensive outposts to be manned. And there were sentry shifts to be stood with
no regard for the exhausting activities during daylight.
Sleep became a rare and precious commodity, which GI Joe dreamed about - but only when he was wide awake, marching or standing his post. And then - amidst all this frustration, irritation and agony - GI Joe and his buddies ran smack up against the enemy and
the pucker-factor ratcheted up to 'plus four' - or higher.
Small-unit offensive infantry actions on the squad and platoon level tended to fall into two basic types - meeting engagements, in
which adversaries bumped into each other while on the march, and assaults on fortified positions.
The critical issue in each type of engagement was to establish fire superiority over the enemy. This would force them to go to cover
or give ground, and then you could manoeuvre to his flanks or rear to take him in a vulnerable spot.
That's plausible, even admirable, on the sand-table, but in a firefight where rounds are snapping near your ears and the ground is being chewed by incoming rounds, the key is to conquer your fear and do something.
You've got to recover from the shock, force your head up from down, spot the threat and react to it. And that's where GI Joe beat his
enemies in World War Two.
Americans are generally an aggressive, independent, self-sufficient lot, and nothing in their basic training for combat in World War
Two was designed to stifle those characteristics. They knew from their rugged lifestyles on the farms or in their urban schoolyards
that you had to be able to take a punch. Or throw the first one and make it count... in order to survive.
That's how they fought down there in the mud and the blood and the gore. While the colonels and the generals waved their hands
over the maps, GI Joe waved his rifle in the direction of the enemy, and got the job done in a crude and crass manner without much
finesse.
Page 14
THE JAN THOMPSON REPORT -
Here’s the last bit
32nd Annual GPA Swim-In and Ex-Military Vehicle Gathering: Year of the British and European Vehicles
Corowa, NSW. Monday 14th to Sunday 20th March 2011.
Themes for 2012 to 2015
By giving participants an opportunity to suggest a theme we are now able to look to the future and
hopefully people will be able to get a vehicle related to a theme on the road. It is not always the case
that you have a vehicle to go along with the theme and we always encourage people to bring any vehicle they can.
Theme for 2012: Year of the 6x6
Theme for 2013: Year of the Trailed Equipment and Year of the Armoured Vehicle
Theme for 2014: Year of the WW1 and Year of the Ford
Theme for 2015: Year of the Emergency Vehicle and Year of General Motors
Fire Brigade Land Rover – owned by Dave Argyles
This Land Rover was owned by Bob King who purchased it straight from the Army. It was used on the
family property as a standard workshop unit for many years. It then became a Aux fire fighter for
Camberwarra RFS with Bob covering expense and doing the conversion. It was also used as fire protection on the farm too.
The hard top had to be added for heat protection. The extra lighting was taken from new forklifts of
the time. It was fitted with RFS radio of the time. After Bob passed away it was sold to Dave Argyles
and Dave was determined to have it at Corowa this year. The siren could be heard for miles.
1916 Albion A10 – owned by Rick Cove
This vehicle received the People’s Choice Award. The Albion A10, chassis number 361A type BB, was
first laid down on 6th December 1915. It was supplied to the British War Department in February
1916 and saw service in France and Belgium until 1919. It is a 3 ton general service truck, one of
6,000 supplied to the War Office during WW1.
Today there are only about 6 or 7 known to exist worldwide, and it is the only one of its type known
in Australia. Rebuilt by the Albion Company in 1921, it was sent to Australia and we believe it was in
use at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria before WW2. Rick found it at Leongatha in 1972, in a sawmill yard
and it took more than 5,000 hours to rebuild. It has been on the road since the early 1980's as a cab
chassis and once completed it was used in the TV Epic "The Anzacs" and other movies. After being on
display at the Australian War Memorial's Anzac Hall in Canberra for 3 1/2 years, it is now housed at
the Army Museum Bandiana near Wodonga.
Kettenkrad – report by the owner Doug Greville
For my 4th year of Corowa I was finally able to take an MV, a Kettenkrad that I imported partially restored in 2008 and have been working on pretty much ever since. I think I ended up doing about
50km all up on it. There were rides on the riverside tracks and also a combined photo shoot with the
"German" collectors. Obtaining a KK took me effectively 10 years.
One of the more unusual vehicles produced for the German military in WW2 was the Kettenkrad. The
vehicle is best described as a "tracked motorcycle", although this is technically inaccurate. It can seat
3 people. Ketten translated means 'tracks' and krad is the short form of "Kraftrad" and translated
means motorbike. (There is rarely such a thing as a 100% direct translation). Mechanically, it has a 4
cylinder car engine, track brake steering (as well as the motor bike style handle bars, which serve a
similar purpose to the later model English carriers in that small steering corrections don't apply the
track brakes). The tracks are fully rebuild able; there are lots of needle rollers and seals and although
time consuming to do, it means that you don't end up non-mobile with a dead set of tracks which is
an inevitable event with carriers; replacement rubber track pads are dear, but available. Because of
the track design the Kettenkrad is good for up to 44mph = 70kph which to say the least must be
some experience! The German forces used these vehicles for just about everything,
Page 15
including towing airplanes! Supposedly they were the last vehicle to be immobilized by the depths of
the Russian winter. (Information taken from Doug Greville’s website http://www.owningtanks.com/)
1971 Vixen V1 - report by Colin Brown
Corowa 2011, Year of the British and European Vehicle, seemed such a long way away when we were
originally told about it. I have one of the two Vixen military vehicles remaining in the world and am
the lucky one because I get to drive this Vixen, while the other remains static at the Bovington Tank
Museum in the United Kingdom. The 1971 Vixen is one of four that were approved for trial by the
British Government. This vehicle was a prototype scout/liason type vehicle, based on the CVR (W) Fox
Armoured Car. The Vixen project was cancelled by the UK Defense cuts of December 1974. It is powered be a detuned Jaguar 4.2 ohc engine coupled to a Wilson pre-selector gearbox. I decided that
Corowa would be an ideal venue for the Vixen which I've had for some 6-8 years but hadn’t yet taken
it to a show. This was due to the fact that I was unable to get it to charge, which as you can imagine
after that amount of time, was becoming a serious annoyance. Anyway, I went back to Sydney and
discussed the problem with Bill Ryan; Sydney’s resident electronic genius, who didn’t seem to think it
would be a problem. However, after me literally disassembling the entire interior of the vehicle with
him assisting with the various electrical components I think his change of mind about the relative simplicity took effect in approx early Jan. We had done virtually everything: alternators, wiring, main
control box just to mention the major components, all to no avail. We were actually starting to talk
about taking the vehicle down just running on new batteries, something I was loathe to do.
Anyway one morning after a marathon session with Bill we refitted the master control box for what
seemed to be the hundred and fifty fifth time – but probably was really only the 50th time – I started
the engine, and lo and behold!!!! A flicker on the ammeter. Finally after further checking a relatively
innocent looking fuse box, the problem was solved.
During its time sitting on a plinth at FVRDE at Chertsey for nearly 30 years, the Poms had cunningly
designed the box (peculiar to Vixen) with no drain holes. So with 30 years of UK weather, when
opened it disgorged about 1/2 Kg of rust and some very rusted wiring. Once we rerouted all wiring
not to include the box it literally worked like a charm and ran perfectly.
Next came the problem of repainting and getting it back together in the hottest months of the year
which unfortunately fell mainly to me. Mind you, I did receive some invaluable assistance from Bill
Ryan and Phil Hartas without which I would never have made the deadline of March 12 which was
loading day.
The day arrived and the vehicle loaded without a problem and the truck subsequently departed to
load Graham Shirley’s Saladin and Len McCready’s Ferret, again loading proceeded without problems
and it wasn’t until we arrived at Corowa and began unloading there were any slight difficulties. The
Saladin and Ferret unloaded perfectly but unfortunately on the way down from the top deck the
ramps collapsed under the Vixen which
caused some excitement. All however
went well finally and unloading was completed without further incident.
Corowa then proceeded at its normal pace
where when the week ends one wonders
how on earth it went so quickly, and you
never got as much done, and saw as
many people as you should have. From
an owners point of view I would like to
thank and compliment KVE on their overall management of the event and for a job
well done. I think it’s a given that every
vehicle owner who spends many weeks,
months and even years preparing a vehicle and who keep on coming back will
agree.
One Lazy Donkey !
Page 16
FV 436 – Report by the owner Michael Hunt
This machine and another were purchased from the UK Ministry of Defense sales. The Australian Customs and Quarantine regulations seem to be nothing short of a continually changing minefield. The whole
process has taken almost 6 months to complete with us only being able to take delivery of the two vehicles from Customs the Thursday before Corowa, we were unsure as to whether we would be able to get
there with it this year. 43 pages of paper later, we had our vehicles, but not until each was stripped back
to the “last nut & bolt” & oxy-cut inspection holes in all the box sections of the body to satisfy Quarantine
inspection. This added approximately $25,000 to the cost of each vehicle. Customs inspectors were even
convinced the holes for the overhead camouflage nets were smoke dischargers until I obtained a letter
from Ministry of Defense in London to clarify the issue.
The 436 has proven to be everything that I expected it to be. The condition is superb and the performance is spectacular. I am still learning all about this vehicle. When we purchased it there was only 28
miles on the speedo. Upon our return from Corowa there was just on 95 miles on the speedo. The
amount of interest that this machine was afforded was beyond all my expectations and it gave me a
great deal of pleasure to be able to share this with so many interested people. Our whole family were ecstatic to have been given the honor of leading the parade with our new toy. This was the first time that I
have been to this event and it surpassed everything that my son has said it was. A gathering of very
dedicated enthusiasts and definitely a credit to the organizers. We will do everything to be present again
next year and we very much look forward to seeing the video.
Michael wanted a good looking and practical armoured vehicle that could fit on a small truck & the 15ton (approx) FV 436 fitted the bill. The 240 bhp Rolls Royce K60 multifuel engine and 6-speed Allison
automatic gearbox ensured he could give it a good work out on his farm & being a modern vehicle, parts
were not such a problem. The FV 432 series of vehicles are something of a rarity in Australia.
OLD STYLE HARD RUBBER BATTERIES MANUFACTURED & REBUILT
Page 17
VEHICLE OF THE MONTH
D
(a vehicle designed in 1942).
U
("utility (amphibious)‖
K
(all-wheel drive)
W
(indicated two powered rear axles).
The DUKW (colloquially known as duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed by a partnership under military
auspices of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation (GMC) during World War II for transporting goods and troops
over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious attacks. Designed to last only long enough to
meet the demands of combat, productionised Ducks, a modification of the 2-ton capacity "deuce" trucks used by the US military in
World War II, were later used as tourist craft in marine environments. The designation of DUKW is not a military acronym; rather,
the name comes from the model naming terminology used by GMC
Description
The DUKW was designed by Rod Stephens Jr. of Sparkman &
Stephens Inc. yacht designers, Dennis Puleston, a British deep water
sailor resident in the US, and Frank W. Speir, a Reserve Officers'
Training Corps Lieutenant out of MIT. Developed by the National
Defense Research Committee and the Office of Scientific Research
and Development, it was initially rejected by the armed services.
When a United States Coast Guard patrol craft ran aground on a
sandbar near Provincetown, Massachusetts, an experimental DUKW
happened to be in the area for a demonstration. Winds up to 60 knots
(110 km/h), rain, and heavy surf prevented conventional craft from
rescuing the seven stranded Coast Guardsmen, but the DUKW had
no trouble, and the military opposition melted. The DUKW would
later prove its seaworthiness by crossing the English Channel. The DUKW prototype was built around the GMC ACKWX, a cabover-engine (COE) version of the GMC CCKW six-wheel-drive military truck, with the addition of a watertight hull and a propeller. The final production design, perfected by a few engineers at Yellow Truck & Coach in Pontiac Michigan, was based on the
CCKW. The vehicle was built by the GMC division of General Motors (which was still called Yellow Truck and Coach at the beginning of the war). It was powered by a GMC Straight-6 engine of 270 in³ (4.416 L). The DUKW weighed 6.5 tons empty and
operated at 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) on road and 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) on water. It was 31 feet (9.4 m) long, 8 feet
2.875 inches (2.51 m) wide, 7 feet 1.375 inches (2.17 m) high with the folding-canvas top down and 8.8 feet (2.6 m) high with the
top up. 21,137 were manufactured. It was not an armored vehicle, being plated with sheet steel between 1/16 and 1/8 inches (1.6–
3.2 mm) thick to minimize weight. A high capacity bilge pump system kept the DUKW afloat if the thin hull was breached by
holes up to 2 inches (51 mm) in diameter. One of every four vehicles were produced with a ring mount for machine gun, which
would usually have held a .50-caliber (12.7 mm) Browning heavy machine gun. The DUKW was the first vehicle to allow the
driver to vary the tire pressure from inside the cab, an accomplishment of Speir's device. The tires could be fully inflated for hard
surfaces such as roads and less inflated for softer surfaces - especially beach sand. This added to the DUKW's great versatility as
an amphibious vehicle. This feature is now standard on many military vehicles. The DUKW's windshields were provided by GM
rival Libbey Glass (Ford) under the "Defense Plant Corporation" umbrella as a result of Henry Gassaway, one of the GM engineers whose wife's family worked for Libby, and whose test driving broke the first windshields.
Service history
The DUKW was supplied to the US Army, US Marine Corps and Allied forces. 2,000 were supplied to Britain under the LendLease program and 535 were acquired by Australian forces. 586 were supplied to the Soviet Union, and they would build their
own version post war: the BAV 485. The DUKW was used in landings in the Mediterranean, Pacific, on the D-Day beaches of
Operation Husky, Normandy, but also during the Battle of the Scheldt, Operation Veritable and Operation Plunder. Its principal
use was to ferry supplies from ship to shore, but it was used for other tasks, such as transporting wounded combatants to hospital
ships or operations in flooded (polder) landscape. After World War II, reduced numbers of DUKWs were kept in service by the
United States, Britain, France and Australia with many more stored pending disposal. Australia transferred many to Citizens Military Force units. The US Army reactivated and deployed several hundred DUKWs at the outbreak of the Korean War with the 1st
Transportation Replacement Training Group providing crew training. DUKWs were used extensively to bring supplies ashore during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter and in the amphibious landings at Inchon. Ex-US Army DUKWs were transferred to the French
military after World War II and were used by the Troupes de marine and naval commandos. Many were used for general utility
duties in overseas territories. France deployed DUKWs to French Indochina during the First Indochina War. Some French
DUKWs were given new hulls in the 1970s with the last being retired in 1982. Britain deployed DUKWs to Malaya during the
Malayan Emergency of 1948–60. Many were redeployed to Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation of 1962–66. The
Royal Marines still use four of these vehicles for training purposes at 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron, 1 Assault
Group Royal Marines at Instow North Devon. The DUKWs are used for safety to allow the training of all ranks to undertake Drills
for boat work for the landing craft ranks and the drivers undertaking wading drills from the LCU (Landing Craft Utility).
Page 18
This August 15 Remember Victory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as Victory in the Pacific Day, V-J Day, or V-P Day) is a name chosen for the day on which
the Surrender of Japan occurred, effectively ending World War II, and subsequent anniversaries of that event. The term has been
applied to both the day on which the initial announcement of Japan's surrender was made in the afternoon of August 15, 1945, in
Japan, and because of time zone differences, to August 14, 1945, (when it was announced in the United States, Western Europe,
the Americas, the Pacific Islands, and Australia/ New Zealand), as well as to September 2, 1945, when the signing of the surrender
document occurred.
Surrender
A little after noon in Japan Standard Time on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito's announcement of Japan's acceptance of the
terms of the Potsdam Declaration was broadcast to the Japanese people over the radio. Earlier the same day, the Japanese government had broadcast an announcement over Radio Tokyo that "acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation [would be] coming soon,"
and had advised the Allies of the surrender by sending a cable to U.S. President Harry S Truman via the Swiss diplomatic mission
in Washington, D.C. A nation-wide broadcast by President Truman was aired at seven o'clock p.m. (daylight time in Washington,
D.C.) on August 14 announcing the communication and that the formal event was scheduled for September 2. In his announcement of Japan's surrender on August 14, President Truman said that "the proclamation of V-J Day must wait upon the formal signing of the surrender terms by Japan". The formal Japanese signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS
Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, and at that time Truman declared September 2 to be the official V-J Day.
Since the European Axis Powers had surrendered three months earlier (V-E Day), V-J Day would be the official end of World War
II. In Australia and most other allied nations, the name V-P Day was used from the outset. The Canberra Times of August 14,
1945, refers to VP Day celebrations, and a public holiday for VP Day was gazetted by the government in that year according to the
Australian War Memorial.
On August 15 and 16 some Japanese soldiers, devastated by the surrender, committed suicide. Well over 100 American prisoners
of war also were executed. In addition, many Australian and British prisoners of war were executed in Borneo, at both Ranau and
Sandakan, by the Imperial Japanese Army. At Batu Lintang camp, also in Borneo, death orders were found which proposed the
execution of some 2,000 POWs and civilian internees on September 15, 1945.
The Japanese
representatives
aboard the USS
Missouri at the
Surrender of
Japan on
September 2,
1945
The famous Life magazine photograph
taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt on August
14, 1945
Douglas MacArthur signs the formal
surrender of Japanese forces on the USS
Missouri, 2 September 1945.
Page 19
THE BACK
PAGE
Continuing on with “C” for
If you have a humorous picture
that you would like to share then
send in to the editor at
―[email protected]‖
Come on, I need your help to
make this magazine interesting
Charlie - (this is where I need lots of xxx’s—Ed)




Cake and a...(rear end) party - See sxxt fight.
Can anybody drive a tractor? - See Motorbike licence
Canteen medals - Beer or food stains on the breast of a shirt or jacket.
Cams - Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform (DPCU), working dress for Army and Air Force and worn on exercises/
deployment. Also used in the British Armed Forces.
 CDF - Chief of Defence Force; also Common Dog F@#k, use some common sense.
 C-Dubs - Short for CWD, or Combined Working Dress; the obsolete, Hard Yakka-esque dark blue uniform worn by the
Air Force as working dress until the turn of the century. Subsequently replaced by DPCU (see Cams).
 Cent - a Centurion Armoured Fighting Vehicle.
 Chicken strangler - An SAS soldier; refers to ability to live off the land.
 Chief Wheelnut - Refers to a Warrant Officer of the Transport Corps.
 Choco - (Pronounced "Cho-cko") A "chocolate soldier". First used in World War 2 to describe CMF units joining the AIF
units in the war in Papua New Guinea. Many interpretations of the name's origin include the AIF belief they would melt like
chocolate in battle or the fact that they were constantly caked in mud. The name has continued on, referring to current
Reservists.
Chook – A signals operator. The term comes from the days of Morse code communications, where an operator transmitting a
message resembled a chook pecking the ground. 108th Signals Squadron has the famous cartoon chook Foghorn Leghorn as
their unit mascot.
 Chook on a stick - the cap badge of 2nd Cavalry Regiment, - the 2 Cav cap badge is a wedge tailed eagle carrying a
lance in it's talon, with a guidon bearing the word "Courage". Also the term for the American-Australian monument at Russell
Offices, Canberra.
Clacker - The hand-held firing device for a 'Claymore' anti-personnel weapon. (As distinct from the mild Australian profanity
meaning 'anus'.)
 Clinton - Refers to a person with a soft almost fairy like telephone voice.
 Cloud puncher – Refers to the Air defence branch of Artillery.h
 Cluster - Short for cluster fxxk. A individual that has a tendency to get things wrong. Can also be used to describe the
current situation in a negative light. E.g., Exercise Mantail Sword 2005 was an absolute cluster
 Cxck Holster - Refers to mouth EG, "shut your cxck holster"
 Cockroach - An Ordnance Corps (Supply) person, also referred to as a 'ROACH'.
 Cockroach Farm - Term of endearment for 292 Squadron, RAAF; the training and support unit for the RAAF AP-3C
Orion maritime patrol aircraft.
 Coffin nail - A cigarette.
 Conehead - See "Boffin". Also refers to Airborne Electronics Analyst crew members on AP-3C Orion maritime patrol
aircraft.
 Craftie - A private in the corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME) - short for
"Craftsman".
―C‖ words continue on next month.....
Page 20