Aust. One Ton trailer info. required

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Thanks Diana, I think REMLR has come up with the goods on this one, A loaded Bilby it is.

Mike, Never heard of a RBS70 VLLADS missile pod, had a look on the web, if this is what you mean:
http://future-weapons.org/rbs70_air_defense.php
it strikes m that this would be a well armed marsupial indeed.
Case closed
Rich.

[Mike Cecil]

Richard,

RBS70
V ery
L ow
L evel
A ir
D efence
S ystem

The acronym VLLADS is, I think, unique to Australia (like SRAAW for the M72 LAWS rocket and and MRAAW for the Carl Gustav)

The image on the weblink you gave shows the missile pod sitting on top of the launcher cradle/aiming device/tripod. It's the tubular 'bit' at the top. Note the thicker ring around the end, and its the same at the other end, just like in the drawing of your 'loaded Bilby'. The missile pod is removable/replaceable on the launcher. Each time you fire it, you take off the empty tube, and clip on a new one.

I'd say with little doubt that that's what the drawing on your trailer is supposed to represent. Yep, a well armed little sucker: ask any RAAFie silly enough to fly 'nap of the earth' within range!

Regards

Mike C

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all - the animal is a Platypus which is the unit animal for South Australia. Each state had their own animal and bilbys did not feature.

Bob

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

The Platypus.

Bob

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi again - to me it looks like some sort of shaft or pin. It has a five sided bolt head with corresponding facets running along its length but starting under the bolt head. It doesn't look like any weapon to me.

Bob

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Awful big ears Bob, and a thinner tail?
Rich.

[Mike Cecil]

Bob,

Have to agree with Richard and Dianna on this one, Bob. It's like no Platypus I've ever seen. But just as a test, I showed the image to my wildlife-artist wife, and asked 'what Australian animal do you think that might be?' and her immediate reaction was 'Bilby: only long-eared, long tailed Aussie animal it could be'.

As for the 'bolt', well, the trailer belonged to the Q-Troop (supply troop) of 16 Air Defence Regiment, who exercised regularly at Woomera and Cultana, so an RBS70 missile pod slung over the shoulder of whatever animal it is is appropriate, and the Bilby idea fits with their likely encounters with Bilby's in their training areas.

'Each State had their own animal and Bilbys did not feature'? I agree that the Bilby did not feature, but can't agree that the official Divisional Formation signs from WW2 bear any relationship to 'states' or are 'state based'.

Besides, as Dianna said, this is post war. We see a plethora of different emblems adopted by units: the pig for 5RAR, the Black Leopard for 1st Armd Regt (now a lion), the eagle by 2Cav, Scorpion by 3Cav (carried through to 3/4Cav) and the strutting rooster for 21 Construction Sqn, to name just a few (others).

Mike C