Impressed? Not very!

[Lang]

Nobody in Australia had anything "taken" nor were manufacturing facilities "seized".

The required vehicles, and there was only relatively small number until war production got underway, were all paid for at the current Blue Book rate.

Manufacturers all bid for production on a commercial basis and many of their normal civilian products ceased, to cater for the huge war volume. Government inspectors identified and coordinated capabilities and bidding was often restricted to selected organisations - or even just one.

They also had to justify the consumption of raw materials for non military or civilian basic items and if it was deemed not in the interests of war production they would be denied or reduced access to purchase.

Despite all the PR about everyone pulling for the war effort nobody lost money and most manufacturers look back on the war period as a licence to print money. Wars are very expensive undertakings!

Lang