Military Vehicles, July 1996,: Mil veh shows/convoys

Mil veh shows/convoys

ROSS & KAY (fax.rescue@hunterlink.net.au)
Tue, 2 Jul 1996 22:46:25 +-1000

I am enjoying this list so far.
Here in NSW there is an annual 'car fest' with many types of car clubs
invited to display. It is promoted as the Historicar Show and at my last
attendance I was v impressed by the Military veh club. There were 10-20
mixed types. Apc, ferrets, scarab (or whatever it was), jeeps, ambulances(
as per M*A*S*H), blitz trucks, uniforms and WW2 gear displays and some land
rovers with regimental markings etc at work - moving some spare parts, fuel
and helpers etc around the grounds. The mil veh were out in the weather
with their tents and the mud, while MGs, Chevys et al were undercover. You
could see pretty clearly who was enjoying themselves more - the car guys
watch the sightseers carefully- "Don't touch the car!!!" - while over in
the mil veh compound it was a scene as people got in to the vehicles to
experience them and try to imagine what these things could do when
required..."look how thick that stuff is!" etc.

On another occasion some years back I had this outlandish or weird or just
'far out' brush with a large mil veh convoy. I wonder if a simimlar thing
has happened to any one else on the list. the scene was a mid winter
weekend. It was a rare snowstorm that made it memorable. It was near
Picadilly Circus BBQ area up in the ranges near Canberra. Five or six
families and their cars and their picnic stuff and their dogs etc were
caught up there with us until the weather/roads cleared... a ranger was
there and we listened to the 2 way radio talk about a car club outing lost
somewhere in the same 50 sq kms as us... the ranger radioed that there was
no sign of them etc. Later, when the novelty of heavy snow is wearing off,
and the kids etc want to go home.... There's a low engine/ motor noise from
down in the valley.. it gets louder and you can make out 'mechanical'
noises...it is still coming 2o mins later - and then this remarkable, weird
'time warp' sight appears out of the gloom: a mil veh convoy -snow covered
half tracks, land rovers, white 6x6s, jeeps, dodges, trailers full of bivvy
gear, 44's, some taut tow cables, drivers in the open weather wearing great
coats, big gloves. goggles and WW2helmets etc etc, it was eye popping. Well
this so called lost 'car club' just kept going by and we all got in our
cars and followed 'em out. The ranger was clearly relieved. We felt safe.
I'll never forget the noise...that was about 1981. Now I know it was most
probably the NSW Mil Veh Association .
RF -mil pics at http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~derf/swb/