AWM acquisition?

[Keith Webb]

The AWM's Facebook page is advising the acquisition of a Cab 12 Ford Field Artillery Tractor, although it hasn't hit their website blog news yet.

I believe this was restored by Lloyd McCarthy in Queensland.

As Hanno pointed out on the CMP Facebook group, they're saying some odd things about it's origins and design features.

A new acquisition of the Australian War Memorial is this rare 1941 Ford V8 ‘beetleback’ Field Artillery Tractor or ‘monkey face blitz’. Based on the Canadian Military Pattern chassis of the Second World War, the ‘beetlebacks’ were used widely by Commonwealth forces and a number were supplied by the British War Department to Australian units in North Africa and Great Britain.
The unique shape was derived from a design to make the vehicle easier to decontaminate in the event of a gas attack. This ‘beetleback’ arrived in Australia in 1942 as ‘refugee’ or ‘distress’ cargo; i.e. cargo that was at sea when the British and Dutch territories fell to the Japanese and had to be diverted to Australia.
Though the ‘beetleback’s’ role with the Australian Army was short lived it was a highly regarded vehicle and provided an important alternative for the Australian Army while it developed its new Artillery Tractor No. 8.

Pic is from their post.