View Single Post
  #9  
Old 29-05-13, 17:13
Mike Cecil Mike Cecil is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Cody, Wyoming, USA
Posts: 2,365
Default

The Army registered 60, all Refugee cargo, in mid-1942 (but they had been held in an OVP for some months before that). All were listed as WOT2D, but we know from the many remains that they were a mix of WOT2D and 2H. Others might have been returned from the Middle East with the AIF in 1942-43, but it is doubtful, and in any case, the qty would have been very small. The 60 mentioned were disposed of in late 1944, mostly to country fire brigades in NSW & Vic (hence the red colour!) Forestry Commission in Victoria, and other odds and sods like the NSW Railways. Remainder went to Ford Australia. The AWM has a very nice restored example (WOT2D) in storage at Mitchell.

The greyhound over a boomerang was authorized for 1 Aust Cavalry Division in early 1942, which then morphed into 1 Motor Division by mid-1942, then morphed again into 3 Aust Armoured Division by 1943.

The square and number 14 is the sub-unit tactical sign for 14 Troop, B Squadron, of the unit the vehicle belonged to.

What is missing is the Unit sign, which appears to have been above the Div sign on the guard. If you can ascertain that number, we can work out exactly which unit operated the vehicle within the Division.

The camouflage pattern is still visible under the red paint, too: the raised 'brushed' edges are quite visible. Paint, in mid-1942, would likely have been KG3 base colour and Light Stone OR Light Earth - it's close to the change over period when LE was introduced, so depends when the vehicle was painted in cammo. Brit reg number is often visible under all the paint on the bonnet or door, so keep looking as you sand it all back and you might get lucky. Otherwise, let me know the chassis number/engine number and I'll see what I might have.

Mike C
Reply With Quote