C15A hits pedestrians in Melbourne ANZAC Day march

[Max Hedges]

We are asked by our local RSL to take part in the march each year. This year we had 12 vehicles in the parade and there were no incidents. The vehicles always lead the march so if there is a mishap or breakdown at least the marchers are safe, and we pull off to the side of the road so the march continues safely, the local police look after us well. On lookers are kept clear of the roadway.

We had a 90 year old veteran in our carrier who drove these machines during the war.

Max

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Albury March
We had a dozen or so Jeeps all loaded with diggers unable to march, but not wanting to miss out on their big day. All vehicles followed on after the 4 horses which lead the parade. so no marches in danger of being run over. Embarrassingly we had a jeep starter motor jam at the start, pushed out of the way, passegers squeezed in to another vehicle in quick time.
Kitty Hawk impressed with the victory roll overhead

Wodonga March
the vehicles were scattered through the Parade, this may have been because of too many organisers, WE do not have a say in this.

I hope the media understands that the vehicles invovled in the parade do so only as a means of helping Diggers participate in the March, it is OUR way of saying thank you. It is not a show & Shine for the vehicles owners benefit, in fact we had some jeeps pull out of the Wodonga parade last year because the seats wereempty.

My thoughts are with both the injured marchers and the driver.

On a brighter note at the Dawn Service.
As the bugle played Last Post, the kookabuura's started their own early morning song, it was a terrfifc moment.

Rich.

[lynx42]

This is good news about the Ceylonise diggers. From Australian Associated Press. today.

Ceylon soldiers to march next Anzac DayAAP
April 26, 2010, 7:27 am


The Ceylon ex-Servicemen's Association of Australia will march again next Anzac Day, undeterred by a horrific accident that left six members injured after a truck ploughed into them at Sunday's parade, the group's president says.

Two Sri Lankan war veterans were seriously injured when a vintage military truck driven by a 64-year-old lurched out of control and struck them from behind, opposite the Arts Centre on St Kilda Road about 12.30pm (AEST) on Sunday.

The two men who were originally listed as critical are now in a stable condition.

Four other servicemen who were hit were also taken to hospital, along with the truck's shaken driver and a man on the back of the truck.

The men were all aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Arden Perkins, the president of the Ceylon Ex-Servicemen's Association of Australia, said he was relieved the incident had not been worse.

He said those caught up in the incident were thankful for the people who came to the injured soldiers' aid.

"There's no blame to anybody and we'll all march again next year," Mr Perkins told AAP.

He said two injured members, Kenny Fernando and Ken Pietersz, had been released from hospital.

But Lionel Daniels, Anton Ludowyke, Maurice Gibson and Reg Oorloof remain in hospital, he said.

Mr Ludowyke had a chipped hip and Mr Gibson suffered injuries to his stomach. Both are recovering in the Royal Melbourne Hospital, he said.

Mr Oorloof, a former navy diver, suffered crushed ribs and head injuries from falling under the truck.

He remains in The Alfred hospital, Mr Perkins said.

"He'll survive, he's a navy diver, he's a very fit man," Mr Perkins said.

He said the Ceylon Ex-Servicemen's Association had been marching in the Anzac Day parade for 33 years.

Soldiers from Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, fought with the Anzacs at Gallipoli.

"There's a lot of history there so that's why we take Anzac Day so seriously," Mr Perkins said.

Regards Rick

[cantankrs]

Originally Posted by Max Hedges

The vehicles always lead the march so if there is a mishap or breakdown at least the marchers are safe, and we pull off to the side of the road so the march continues safely, the local police look after us well. On lookers are kept clear of the roadway.
Max

Just heard about it in this thread. Terrible news. I hope everyone pulls through. Nice to read that they won't be giving up marching

Max's description of procedure above sounds wise.

I presume most if not all CMP's are the same in that my F15 has the brake as the right pedal... Since this orientation of pedals is unique compared with probably all other vehicles anyone regularly drives today, I presume it could be problematic in a situation requiring a rapid reaction.

Regards

Alex

[Bob McNeill]

we had three vehicles in the march for the 4 small towns up our way, I understand the problems with crowds, as at Canowindra Balloon Festival some years back a horse bolted and a woman was killed. ( fireworks involved). Only hope this settles down quietly as devastating as it is.
Corowa next year will be the test.

[Harry Moon]

Thats how an accident happened with my truck, gas got hit not the break the first time out with an inexperianced (on CMP's ) driver. Fortunatly in my case it was just a lot of damage to another MV.
Scratch on my bumper. It's second nature to me with my CMP by now as it is the only standard I'm usually in not to mention the only right hand drive.

[Mike K]

The newsreader on the ABC Melbourne evening news Monday ...called the truck a 1942 BLITZ . It could have been a lot worse ...and we all should be thankfull. The media are all over the place as usual ..incorrect facts .

They wanted my C8 in ANZAC day and the club organiser was almost cohersive . I told him I freak out ..too many people and crowds ..I become very nervous and may do a silly thing . I did it from 79 to 83 ..had enough .

MIKE

[Douglas Greville]

They wanted my C8 in ANZAC day and the club organiser was almost cohersive . I told him I freak out ..too many people and crowds ..I become very nervous and may do a silly thing . I did it from 79 to 83 ..had enough .
MIKE

Mike

Speaking of coercion, I have had the same issue, twice in fact. They regard me as a right b*stard for saying no - so be it!
If they are that keen to have a tank/armoured car/truck/jeep then they can get off their b*ms and restore one themselves.

As you say, the coercion gets quite intense and speaking from personal experience can be from some surprisingly influential people at times.

What turned me off anything to do with the public and moving vehicles was promises of crowd control that were all hot air.
It appeared to be a case of saying what ever it took to get me to agree to providing my vehicles and then forgetting the promises.

Just to clarify things, the last event I agreed to go in was NOT an Anzac Day parade, it is an experience I will not be repeating.

Interestingly is the Corowa "parade", which I think is a misnomer, I would suggest a correct description of it would be a "run", "rally" or "convoy". The
fact that it is purely vehicles (and Alan on his push bike) APPEARS to mean that the vehicles are travelling at a reasonable speed and the public stays
on the foot path, there is no mixing of vehicles and people on foot. Effectively, from what I can gather, it is all about the public's perception:
they don't think of the road as somewhere they can be.

If I am wrong, tell me.

Regards
Doug

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Douglas Greville

Speaking of coercion, I have had the same issue, twice in fact. They regard me as a right b*stard for saying no - so be it!
If they are that keen to have a tank/armoured car/truck/jeep then they can get off their b*ms and restore one themselves.

As you say, the coercion gets quite intense and speaking from personal experience can be from some surprisingly influential people at times.

Doug

Believe it or not, but many people in the crowd on anzac day, think the restored vehicles belong to the army , and some of the crowd actaully believes the vehicles are current army and therefore are open to the public to scrutinize etc.. after all, the crowd believe it's our money that paid for them .

I took the command car in one year ... it was on dodgy plates ( no pun intended ) and in those days I looked like a hippy . The cops let me go but the looks from the boys in blue were intense and nasty . Never again I thought .

here's an update on the accident http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...section=justin