Grant clearing the bush

[Mike K]

https://victoriancollections.net.au/...f83e030860557b

[Private_collector]

Wish I had one!

[Mike K]

Gippsland has a history of people buying and modifying WW2 tanks , mainly used for clearing bush or in sawmills . One occasion after the war, a group of three in Shady creek , West Gippsland, formed a consortium and purchases of tanks were made. I've heard the stories of the tanks being driven down from Bandiana or Pucka , usually one tank towed another , maybe a fuel saving idea. There is a local here who, as a kid went along on one of the trips . He said as the convoy of armour went through the little towns, the ground would shake and bottles would fall of shelves in the shops ! I wonder if any of the earthquake sensors were active back then !

[motto]

I've also heard the stories of the tank purchases and ferrying that was done post war. Driving one and towing another I believe they drove right through Melbourne CBD, down StKilda Road and out Dandenong Road.
If driven from Bandianna to Gippsland that would be a distance of over 400 km.
It would have been interesting coming down Pretty Sally which is where the Hume Highway ran in those days. It was the scene of many disasters and exciting rides. Just ask Garry 'Third Degree' Burns who roared through Wallen at the bottom in a low loader with no brakes after pulling the innards out of the air horn valve and dumping the pneumatics. He had pulled too hard on the cord. A pair of runaway tanks doesn't bear thinking about.

David

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by motto

I've also heard the stories of the tank purchases and ferrying that was done post war. Driving one and towing another I believe they drove right through Melbourne CBD, down StKilda Road and out Dandenong Road.
If driven from Bandianna to Gippsland that would be a distance of over 400 km.
It would have been interesting coming down Pretty Sally which is where the Hume Highway ran in those days. It was the scene of many disasters and exciting rides. Just ask Garry 'Third Degree' Burns who roared through Wallen at the bottom in a low loader with no brakes after pulling the innards out of the air horn valve and dumping the pneumatics. He had pulled too hard on the cord. A pair of runaway tanks doesn't bear thinking about.

David

yes Dave

That guy I mentioned , he was in one of the tanks as a kid. He also said that on one occasion during the long drive , a tank got out of control going down a hill and it did a 360 degree spin before they managed to stop it.

I also have a local friend , his dad went to Neerim South primary school and left aged 14, did an apprenteship as a slaughterman . The 1939 bushfires, had him caught in his Willys car up near the Latrobe river . He drove into the river and the fire engulfed the whole landscape , both he and the car survived .

Anyway he joined the RAAF and was selected for pilot training, he was a natural at it . He was flying Stirlings , he towed Horsa gliders to operation Market Garden . I have great pics but don't have permission to publish them . One pic of his crew ( all killed later on ) and another of his mechanics , he had a little camera, it took nice clear pics . The Stirlings were Mk5's , rather tricky to land and take off . The high undercarriage was designed to alter the wing angle to aid take offs , shorten take off distance.