In the background

[motto]

Another person who used FWD HAR 1s in service that most of us who go to Corowa will remember is Vic Phillips of Conargo.

I seem to remember him saying that they had big problems with failure of the diff centres. Despite the massive axle housing the crown wheel and pinion were just not up to the job and most of their trucks were immobilised due to lack of replacement parts when they were on the PNG north coast.

The Americans came to their aid and supplied them with 1-1/2 ton Chev 4x4s known in Australia as Yankee Joes. These worked very well and when it came time to move on they tried to take them with them. At this point the authorities stepped in and they ended up using the Chevs to push the unserviceable FWDs onto the barges and then abandoned the Chevs on the beach. The FWDs were on strength and the Chevs were not.

That was the story as I remember it anyway.

David