Australian surplus auctions

[cliff]

Most of the AIF units returning from the middle east did in fact bring their vehicles back with them. I have one or two AWM photos showing vehicles returned from the Middle East being un loaded and also refurbished here in Australia.

Then most of these same units were shipped to New Guinea and the Pacific and had vehicles allocated to them there as required. Most were Jeeps, US GMC-CCKW's and of course CMP's. The exceptions were the RAAF construction units and squadrons who took their own vehicles and construction equipment with them and bought it home again later. Also there were specialist units like survey units with map making equipment on vehicles and of course the Printing works carried on a few CMP semi trailers.

But all in all most of the Mid East vehicles ended up staying here in Australia. Most would have either been sold bit by bit to the civilian population or scrapped. Photos taken in Japan in 1950 show vehicles lined up ready to be loaded into ships and taken to Korea but the majority show US GMC-CCKW's 6X6 trucks and a few CMP's.

The Photo below is Bandiana Australia in 1946 and shows Studebaker US6 trucks of which Australia had a lot of. These would have been purchased out right by the Australian Govt. and not sent as Lend Lease as all Lend lease material had to be returned to the Americans or destroyed as part of the lend lease agreement.

cheers
Cliff