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.

[Private_collector]

That's correct, Lloyd did restore this vehicle, and did so to fabulous standard.

Never heard the description 'beetle back' before. Guess a trend has to start somewhere.

[Niels V]

Does any one have any interior pictures of it.
I have heard the therm "beetle back" for many years with regards to the early Morris FAT

[Ed Storey]

I have never understood the fascination of made-up names for vehicles and I find this particularly disturbing when they are being perpetrated by a national museum. What is wrong with calling it what it was, a Field Artillery Tractor?

[charlie fitton]

These folks share a trait with the Brits (logically), in that they have nicknames for everything:

Tinnies

Chippys

Tiffies,

Roos, etc

or mayhaps it"s too hot to use all the letters in a name?

[Mike Cecil]

The terms beetleback and monkey face to describe the FAT and Cab 12 originated many, many years ago as an easy way to differentiate the types. They were terms used by Aust veterans, so I think being critical of the AWM staff member who used the terms in the entry is unwarranted. Personally, I would not have used them: 'Tractor Field Artillery (Cdn)' would have been enough.

I've not heard that the shape was associated with decontamination before - perhaps someone could enlighten me?

The tractor's registration number (British and Australian) is known, and the register entry clearly states it was refugee cargo, but I've not heard the term 'distress' applied to such cargoes before.

I think, overall, the entry could be improved. Keith: who made the facebook entry (I don't access face-thingie....)?

Mike

[chrisgrove]

Originally Posted by Niels V

Does any one have any interior pictures of it.
I have heard the therm "beetle back" for many years with regards to the early Morris FAT

Here is a picture of the inside (well part of it) of a monkeyface beetleback blitz artillery tractor. Its a lousy picture, taken through a perspex screen at the NZ Army Museum at Waiauru (spelling?), partly because I was not at all sure I was allowed to take pictures there at all. I assume it was a Cab 12, but could have been Cab 11 (if FATs with that existed) as I can't remember. Anyway, I doubt the inside differed much if at all.

Incidentally, Fletcher's book on 'Moving the guns' shows the first prototype of the beetleback (Morris) as being canvas covered; not much chance of carrying a traversing platform and sliding it off from that!

HTH

Chris

[Niels V]

Thanks for the picture, I can see from it that I need 4 more rifle clips,,,,, Darn

[Lynn Eades]

I would seriously doubt that the gas attack was anything to do with it.
....Or at least would like to see proof.