33 years on...

[Keith Webb]

Forgive a little sentiment here, but it's been 33 years and some 3,000km away I last sat in the seat of this C15A Signals Van.



Here's another shot from today...



And one from a couple of years earlier in 1974:

[NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)]

Hi,
The pic is not working

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)

Hi,
The pic is not working

Is this old girl:



She's a genuine uncut body (they say they have the doors too)... but it is sitting on a cab 13 F15A chassis.

Completely unrestored, but what an excellent start for a project, eh?



These vehicles (and more) are at the Beck Military Museum at Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland.

They're not for sale of course, but full marks to the owners for saving them.

[Keith Webb]

There is this beauty - a Ford F15-based S1 Scout Car built as reverse Lend-Lease for airfield defence. The only other one I know of belongs to Bob Shutt who has restored it.

Looks like something out of 'Mad Max' (AKA 'Road Warrior').

[aj.lec]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Is this old girl:
She's a genuine uncut body (they say they have the doors too)... but it is sitting on a cab 13 F15A chassis.

Completely unrestored, but what an excellent start for a project, eh?

They're not for sale of course, but full marks to the owners for saving them.

Do you think they would notice it missing if you grabbed it and dropped it off at my place on the way back home Keith

How did you go being back behind the wheel ?

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by aj.lec

Do you think they would notice it missing if you grabbed it and dropped it off at my place on the way back home Keith

How did you go being back behind the wheel ?

A) The excess baggage may be a problem with Jetstar.

B) Bloody thing wouldn't start and they had parked a Mack in front of it.

[aj.lec]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

A) The excess baggage may be a problem with Jetstar.

B) Bloody thing wouldn't start and they had parked a Mack in front of it.

What can you say , "Bugger" on both counts

The s1 certainly are a different looking vehicle

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by aj.lec

What can you say , "Bugger" on both counts

The s1 certainly are a different looking vehicle

Is of the single F15A built of the breed.

[Ganmain Tony]

Fantastic pictures Keith....

What was attached to the gun tractor? (possibly a gun methinks duh!)

Is there a younger version of the driver in any previous photo?

[Howard]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Is this old girl:

They're not for sale of course, but full marks to the owners for saving them.

Wow that 'beetleback' has me (and young Errol) salivating!

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Ganmain Tony

Fantastic pictures Keith....

What was attached to the gun tractor? (possibly a gun methinks duh!)

Is there a younger version of the driver in any previous photo?

The one with me in it is of course a sigvan, but I thought you may have been interested to see the cab 12 FGT. It was attached to a limber and 25-pdr as it should be. Wouldn't you love to have that little ensemble.

I don't think I have a younger pic of me in the vehicle but may have one of the friend who's dad owned it at the time.

[Ganmain Tony]

No its a dumb truck anyway!!!

Sometimes I think you get too much pleasure out of being tormenting so snd so Keith.

[Ganmain Tony]

In all seriousness the beetleback appears to have been scorched.

I thought from my previous discussions with you FGT's in OZ were all the OZ built square back ones.

What's the go with this one??

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Ganmain Tony

In all seriousness the beetleback appears to have been scorched.

I thought from my previous discussions with you FGT's in OZ were all the OZ built square back ones.

What's the go with this one??

Yes it has spent a long time in the tropical sun.

The go is there are a small number of survivors here which came back as cargo with our troops from the Western Desert campaign. There are at least five FGTs I know of and seven or so CGTs.

Because they were 'non-standard' they were put into the training role, and there are pics of the Fords in use on the Atherton Tablelands at places like Kairi which is not that far from Mareeba where this one now resides.

Rebuilds of Fords include the Len Watkins beauty in Sydney and Lloyd McCarthy in Gympie.

[king of obsolete]

keith, thansk for the picture of you. the last time i seen you was in the dvd recapping of the movie "Back of Beyond".
in the great white north, on a cold winter night when the temperature is -45C, we toss that dvd in to the player and sit and watch. it warms us up seeing you guys out having fun in the heat, LOL.

nice complete vehicles there and glad they have been saved.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by king of obsolete

keith, thansk for the picture of you. the last time i seen you was in the dvd recapping of the movie "Back of Beyond".
in the great white north, on a cold winter night when the temperature is -45C, we toss that dvd in to the player and sit and watch. it warms us up seeing you guys out having fun in the heat, LOL.

nice complete vehicles there and glad they have been saved.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

Hi there Joey!

How's things in your summer up there? Great to see you here again.

You'll be interested to hear it is the depth of winter in the far north of Australia with daytime temperatures struggling to reach the 30C mark and plunging down to a freezing (for the locals) 14 at night.

Glad to hear my DVDs have such a warming effect on you guys way over there.

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Yes it has spent a long time in the tropical sun.

The go is there are a small number of survivors here which came back as cargo with our troops from the Western Desert campaign. There are at least five FGTs I know of and seven or so CGTs.

Because they were 'non-standard' they were put into the training role, and there are pics of the Fords in use on the Atherton Tablelands at places like Kairi which is not that far from Mareeba where this one now resides.

Rebuilds of Fords include the Len Watkins beauty in Sydney and Lloyd McCarthy in Gympie.

To say nothing of being in the western desert as well.

Its a beauty & is definitely the one I would love to add to my vast collection.
I remember you showing Howard & myself some footage of these in a parade after the Allied victory in Africa in front of good old Winston, all with limbers and cannon (presumably 25 pounders) it was a magnificent sight.

[king of obsolete]

keith we are having a wet cool summer up here. i have never seen it rain this much. also trying to save some cmp parts from a fellow who is sleaning up his yard.

do you have a snail mail adress and i'll toss on of my books in the mail to you for "free" for all you have done over the years in keeping these old vehicles alive.

info@kingofobsolete.ca

thansk
KoO
Published Author

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

These vehicles (and more) are at the Beck Military Museum at Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland.

Here are some more pictures of this museum's collection: https://picasaweb.google.com/Donning...TheBeckMuseum#

"Everyone should have a Dak out back!" - cannot agree more, especially when it is accompanied by a set of CMPs and an Airacobra