Early gun tractors for Australian 3-inch 26 cwt AA?

[Leonid]

Khe-khe... I saw these photos. The first photo shows military parade at Lochinvar, N.S.W. (Date of creation: [ca. 1940], State Library of Victoria). The trucks are something old-fashioned (exactly not Ford Marmon-Herrington 4x4 ) while modernized 18 pdr MkIV guns look nice!
The second one shows artillery practice at Sandringham by 18th Heavy Battery (Date of creation: [ca. 1932-ca. 1938], State Library of Victoria). The tractors are Thornycroft "Hathi", it's clear, while the guns seem to be 6 inch howitzers... However I'm not sure that they were used for towage of 3inch AA trailers for some reasons (at least because only a few "Hathi" tractors (possibly seven) were supplied to Australia in the early 1930s...

Leonid

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

I think this thread needs to be merged with Leonid's thread in the Gun Park Forum as it deals with the same basic subject.

Bob

[lynx42]

SO WHERE ARE those THORNYCROFT HATHI"S NOW????
Records show that 7 came to Australia. There are a few photos around but where are the HATHI's?
Does anyone have any idea just where they ended up. They were still on the books in 1945.
Thanks Rick.

[Leonid]

Originally Posted by Bob Moseley

I think this thread needs to be merged with Leonid's thread in the Gun Park Forum as it deals with the same basic subject.
Bob

Yes, you are right, although I have specially "splitted" my questions to get more replies from more people (this simple trick helps sometimes)!

BTW: is it possible to identify the trucks with old-fashioned cab (the 1st photo)?

Leonid

[Bob McNeill]

Judgeing by the rear axle they are Inters

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Bob McNeill

Judgeing by the rear axle they are Inters

I think Bob is right and they are 1935 International Trucks

[cliff]

The National Archieves of Australia has this photo of a 1935 International Truck whick looks very similar to those Gun Tractors except for single rear wheel rather then dual wheels. Caption reads....

Title : International Truck - Ready for use - Taken at Ocean Island 28 December 1936
Date : 1935
Primary subject : Not Assigned
Secondary subject : Not Assigned
Image no. : R32, VOLUME 124/1427
Barcode : 6445905
Location : Melbourne
Find other items in this series : R32
Series accession number : R32/1

[cliff]

The AWM has the photo below showing 4 of the Thornycroft's parked up. Caption reads.......

ID Number: P00165.019
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: NORTH RYDE, NSW, WWII. VEHICLES AT 3RD AUSTRALIAN ORDNANCE VEHICLE PARK, NORTH RYDE. TAKEN BY JOHN GARDENER WHEN HE WAS CAMP PHOTOGRAPHER, OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER 1945.
Copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
Copyright holder: Copyright Expired
Related subject: Vehicle parks
Related unit: 3 Ordnance Vehicle Park
Related place: Australia: New South Wales, Sydney, Ryde

Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Leonid

The second one shows artillery practice at Sandringham by 18th Heavy Battery (Date of creation: [ca. 1932-ca. 1938], State Library of Victoria).
Leonid

Interesting .Sandringham is a bayside suburb of Melbourne, that pic doesn't look anything like the area , but that said, it was taken in the 1930's and that may be Port Philip bay in the background. One thing, the foreshore ( if it is the foreshore ) looks to be too bare for it to be in that particular region of the bay - the foreshore all along there was and is still quite heavy with coastal vegetation . The only road it could be is Beach road, which follows the foreshore.

During WW2, there was at least one coastal gun emplacement at Sandringham, the site was manned by the VDC ( our version of dads army ) I believe. It would have had a panoramic view of the main shipping channel in the bay.
Mike

[Local Chap]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Interesting .Sandringham is a bayside suburb of Melbourne, that pic doesn't look anything like the area , but that said, it was taken in the 1930's and that may be Port Philip bay in the background. One thing, the foreshore ( if it is the foreshore ) looks to be too bare for it to be in that particular region of the bay - the foreshore all along there was and is still quite heavy with coastal vegetation . The only road it could be is Beach road, which follows the foreshore.
Mike

There is also a Sandringham in NSW on the shores of Botany Bay. The view of the bay in the background of the pic is more like Botany Bay, but the vegetation also appears wrong for that location too, which also features thick coastal scrub and mangroves in the area. Of course, today it's all million dollar houses.