Military Vehicles, July 1996,: War & Peace Mil veh and ramblings
War & Peace Mil veh and ramblings
Ross & Kay (fax.rescue@hunterlink.net.au)
Sat, 6 Jul 1996 10:22:01 +-1000
Hope your summer lasts to July 20/21 for the War & Peace show. Sorry to
say that we don't belong to any Mil veh clubs. I would be proud to know him
(Jim Baxter, Sydney). What an effort! I am presuming it's a 'Chevy Blitz
truck 4x4'....and at <10mpg, half way round the world is a lot of petrol!
It must be an excellent example...that reminds me about -oh ohh here I go
rambling off now..
* (a) our local aero club (Tiger Moth capital of Aust) has a veteran member
who is currently flying in a commemorative type Air Show with all the old
'planes somewhere in The United Kingdom Of Great Britain. He had his Tiger
Moth dismantled and containerised and sent by sea (DHL?). I have'nt heard
any other details yet..
* (b) I attended a local gov vehicle auction: just to look not buy...a
'Bushfire' fitted LR SWB 1968, a hardtop with no special fittings other
than extinguisher holders, went for $1900 (thats a genuine 28 yrs before
'retirement') BUT ALSO , (true), a WW2 Studebaker 6x6 truck - still
roadworthy -with its wind out front windows etc and 16" bar tread tyres,
it's seat springs showing, a battery master switch and ignition switch and
little else in the way of instruments that was working. The wooden boards
were falling off, BUT if it was say a 1943 ... thats 50+ years in service!
I could see the many coats of red paint it must have had over the
years...and some running repairs using fence wire - full of charms- it was
yours for $1600 near as I can remember. (Background. After the BAD
bushfires of 94 the Bushfire Voluntary Brigades around the State had at
last been given funds to modernise it's 'fleet' - a misleading term because
a typical little township out in the ranges will have 50 to 150 locals, a
general store, a pub, a community hall, a tennis court, and a shed on the
main road housing the local bushfire vehicle thats as old as the hills but
with low mileage and fully maintained by volunteers... so the scene to
imagine is vintage vehicles in various shades of red paint dotted around
the countryside, rarely used in anger, and paraded every year at the local
'Biggest Udders' Festival and the mandatory
Santa-on-a-truck-throwing-lollies-to-kids-at-Xmas-ritual or whatever
...bigger towns have better vehicles like Isuzu 4x4 tankers etc and urban
Fire Brigades are all together modernised) . PS on this subject our local
Army base has a Series 2a lwb still in service as a bush run around. It's
in one of the paddocks for fun or training or something (hopefully not
artillery training) and is very rough. This concludes todays "Only in
Australia Dept".