History

[Mike K]

Just a short story .

Sometimes you come across a message left over from WW2 ..on your treasured gem of a CMP.

In my case , I found the following scratched into the C8 dash panel :

J.S. Hunter VX65738

Well, here's the guy .. 4th from left lower row .

He was a gun operator in the 2/4 Armoured regiment , wounded in action on Bouganville.

I wrote to him around ten years ago... he lives up near Ballarat .. or he did then. He replied with a short note saying he didn't recall the 'vandalism' of the C8 , as he put it .He did say that it probably happened up at Bandiana where his unit was awaiting demob .. he said they were so bored there .

Mike

[Keith Webb]

Max Hedges has a Chev cab 12 with a couple of soldier inscriptions:



This is the truck:



More pics here.

[Keith Webb]

Name WALLIS, NORMAN WILSTON
Service Australian Army
Service Number QX31014
Date of Birth 27 Apr 1913
Place of Birth BRISBANE, QLD
Date of Enlistment 31 Mar 1942
Locality on Enlistment MUNDUBBERA, QLD
Place of Enlistment BRISBANE, QLD
Next of Kin WALLIS, ORLEAN
Date of Discharge 22 Apr 1943
Rank Private
Posting at Discharge 1 AUST ARMD DIV SEC ARMD CORPS ORD FLD PARKS

Source WW2 Nominal roll

[Keith Webb]

Name SMITH, EDGAR LYLE
Service Australian Army
Service Number NX84191
Date of Birth 12 Aug 1914
Place of Birth LISMORE, NSW
Date of Enlistment 16 Jan 1942
Locality on Enlistment LISMORE, NSW
Place of Enlistment PADDINGTON, NSW
Next of Kin SMITH, VALERIE
Date of Discharge 19 Nov 1945
Rank Lance Corporal
Posting at Discharge 2/14 Field Ambulance

Same source

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Mike,

Amazing bit of history . . . I mean, how often is one able to connect a driver / crew member to a surviving military vehicle?

Hanno

[Mike K]

I found JS Hunter listed as being wounded in action in the 2/4 Armoured regimental history book

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-851179164.../n168/mode/1up

[Mike Cecil]

Mike,

You'll find all of those details in his service file in the B883 series, plus there is a Melbourne Temp file for the same chap but the title does not give a clue as to the content. Both are located here:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...msListing.aspx

Neither have been digitised, and probably will not be until ordered by an interested researcher like you.

I did an article on a lorry several years ago that had a number of names on the dash - it proved an interesting exercise, and narrowed down not only the location of use (due to the intersection between the various names) but also its probably use as local area transport in Alice Springs. It was a very satisfying piece of research which the vehicle owner greatly appreciated.

Mike

[Mike K]

Hi Mike

I did read your article some time ago re: that Chev. truck and the Alice Springs connection . The truck owner must be quite happy as it turned out. A unusual thing to link a vehicle to a specific unit and location.

JS Hunter. I remember writing to Neil Smith , this was pre-internet. Neil provided some basic info including the birth location. Talk about being lucky, I was at the local Post Office and they had a Ballarat phone directory . Sure enough there was a JS Hunter listed with his address. Bingo A letter was my best option , not wanting to intrude too much. JSH replied , yes it was the correct person .

The GPW Jeep I bought last year has a faded 4th Armoured Brigade formation sign on the W/screen panel . Seems that both of my vehicles are in some way connected to the 2/4 th Armoured Regiment . Coincidence or other mysterious stuff !