Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[cliff]

29/46th Battalion (East Melbourne Regiment/ Brighton Rifles)
29/46th Battalion (East Melbourne Regiment/ Brighton Rifles)
After the First World War the defence of the Australian mainland lay with the part-time soldiers of the Citizens Military Force (CMF), also known as the Militia. The Militia was organized to maintain the structure of the First AIF and kept the same numerical designations. The Militia units were distributed in the same areas the original AIF units were raised. Thus Melbourne’s 29th Infantry Battalion was the “East Melbourne Regiment”, while the 46th Infantry Battalion was the “Brighton Rifles”. Both battalions were raised in 1921. In 1930 the 29th was linked with the 22nd Infantry Battalion, forming the 29th/22nd. Although it was separated several years later, the 29th and 22nd maintained a close history, as both battalions and the 46th were part of the 4th Brigade and served together during the Second World War.

When the war started in September 1939, the 29th and the 46th held numerous training camps. However, with Japan’s entry into the conflict and a run of victories in South East Asia and the Pacific, the battalions’ training intensified and in March 1942 the 4th Brigade was sent to Queensland. In August the 29th merged with the 46th, thus forming the 29th/46th Infantry Battalion. The 4th Brigade, composed of the 29th/46th, 22nd, and 37th, spent just under a year in Queensland, first at Warwick and then Caloundra, Mount Gravatt, and in mid-September in the Maroochydore-Mooloolaba area.

In March 1943 the 4th Brigade was transferred to Milne Bay in Papua and spent the next 16 months in the islands. While at Milne Bay the 29th/46th carried out intensive jungle training, conducted patrols, and was used as a source of labour for work parties. In March the 4th Brigade joined the 5th Division. But it was with the 9th Division that the brigade would go into action, returning to the 5th Division later in the war.

In September the 29th/46th and the rest of the 4th Brigade left Milne Bay for Lae in New Guinea. Moving by landing craft, the brigade was to protect Red Beach and support the 9th Division during the Huon Peninsula campaign. The 4th Brigade saw extensive service in New Guinea. After patrolling the rugged country behind Sattelberg, from December to April 1944, the 4th Brigade followed the coast from Gusika to Lakona and the 29th/46th captured Fortification Point. Between April and August the brigade garrisoned the Madang area and carried out numerous patrols.

In September the 29th/46th returned to Australia and, after some leave, regrouped at Strathpine in Queensland for further training. However its stay in Australia was brief and the brigade returned to the islands in January 1945, this time to New Britain.

Rather than carry out a major offensive against the Japanese, the much smaller Australian force used active patrolling to confine the Japanese to Rabaul and the Gazelle Peninsula. The 5th Division’s two other brigades, the 6th and 13th, were the first to arrive on New Britain, in November. During the campaign, the 6th Brigade carried out most of the Australian advance, establishing the line across the Gazelle Peninsula. The 4th Brigade arrived at Wunung Bay, on the southern shore of Jacquinot Bay, where it was based for the next 12 months. The Japanese threat to the area was minimal and the 29th/46th spent most of the time training, as well as patrolling.

Following Japan’s surrender, the 4th Brigade moved into Rabaul, as part of the occupation force, in September. With the war over, the ranks of the 29th/46th gradually thinned, as men were discharged or transferred. By March 1946 most members of the battalion, who had sailed to New Britain in the previous year, were discharged or awaiting discharge in Australia. In June 1946 the 29th/46th Battalion was disbanded.

http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11313.asp

[Private_collector]

Don't mind at all Cliff.

Makes it easier for me to find possibly

Guess the graphic will be the platypus & boomerang then!!!!

[cliff]

The formation sign would be the 9th division platapus over a boomerang on a black base as they operated in NG under the 9th division. will work on the unit sign tomorrow. Below is the vehicle layout of the markings of Aussie vehicles

[Private_collector]

The floor plate bolts, originally stated to be 'unavailable' have now arrived from Statewide Fasteners & Engineering Supplies in Brisbane.

statewidefastener.com.au

70 cost a whole $8.72c
Postage was $9.00c

Hmmmmmm!

I also ordered 70 nuts to suit. These they failed to send but they are in the invoice. Email has already ben sent.

Has anyone else ever had the thought their CMP (or other) project must be posessed or carries a curse? There seems to be runs of bad luck to weather until smooth sailing returns.

[Private_collector]

Attachment 48221
The passenger door is definately the worst of the pair. This is just one of the areas that needed attention. All the others are minor by comparisn though.
Attachment 48222 Attachment 48223 Attachment 48224 Attachment 48225
This was without doubt the most complex repair I have had to weld so far. I do not consider myself a 'good' welder, but plod along and get there in the end. In this case, the end of the day. All up, the repairs took around 7hrs.

As you see from the first (corner) repair patch, I have used the grinder to cut two half moon holes which were welded directly to the thick backing plate, adding extra strength and rigidity. Additional holes were also drilled into the original metal piece, and the new strip of folded door skin was tacked in three places to the other repair patch and I later decided to drill this and plug weld to the frame.

More to come in a minute.

N.B: Why the sodding hell aren't the photos showing properly? All I see is the name of the files, but they open up OK!

[Private_collector]

passenger door damage 4.jpg passenger door repair 5.jpg passenger door repair 6.jpg
As usual, the area around the lock was cracked on all corners. Of coure i'm getting used to that by now.

driver door hinge contact.jpg
I started reassembling the drivers door today too, and found that the bloody top hinge would STILL cause a stress force on the door before it was properly closed, because the hinge contacted an area of door skin along the recessed area. This was easily fixed by carefully removing (sounds better than "Grinding") a little of the hinge thickness. Now I will need to respray the hinge when painting the passenger door.
passenger door repair 7.jpg
With all welding now completed, tomorrows job will be the panelbeating and application of plastic filler. I can't escape that on this door. There is just too many small dents to be sorted any other way.

I will be in town tomorrow A.M for some sandpaper and other minor supplies (groceries etc) so no work will get done then. The afternoon should be sufficient to finish the bodywork, and hopefully it will be under primer by nightfall.

About 20min ago, I noticed I had an email from one of the Gympie Woodworks Museum chaps, regarding the rifle blocks. Apparently he has been working on these for me and will now need me to supply my spare SMLE butt for fabrication & test fit. Cool!

[Private_collector]

passenger door repair 8.jpg passenger door repair 9.jpg passenger door repair 10.jpg passenger door repair 11.jpg
A couple of hours spent filling & sanding, more filling, more sanding. Fair result but not as good as drivers door.
passenger door repair 12.jpg
Getting the little line straight plagued me, and i'm not convinced I got it good enough. The bit furtherest away from camera was/is the wabbly part. It doesn't really show up well in the photo, but it's there! I gave that an extra coat of spray putty for a really good block sand tomorrow.

Paint on tomorrow, as usual..weather permitting.

I spoke with the fellow who made my rifle butt blocks, today. They are ready and I will pick them up Monday.

Phil, it was your plans that he worked from, and I also sent him one of the photos you had posted on 11th March. Thanks again.

[Private_collector]

passenger door primed 1.jpg
The passenger door was rubbed down by 1030hrs and I was ready to setup for painting. Door was hung up and wiped down with prepsol. The weather was looking unsettled and there had been light drizzle off and on.
passenger door rained 2.jpg passenger door rained 1.jpg
The rain stopped and clouds looked a little friendlier, so I mixed the paint. Thats where things turned decidedly NASTY. Rain returned, got heavier, clouds got blacker and wind started. And there's 700mls of paint thinned with hardener added, and I was damned if I would waste it. I had used this tarp before, when painting the cab frame, but then it was to keep the sun/heat away, not rain. Got the tarp in place and started spraying. All went well UNTIL the rain turned monsoonal and the wind carried spray back under the sheltered area. This paint is just so forgiving. No more than 10min (max) after last coat applied, the spray mist started getting on the freshly painted door. I kept the air-dust gun moving the water around on the surface until weather cleared, then got the door into the shed as fast as I could.
passenger door painted 1.jpg passenger door painted 2.jpg
After blowing off the remaining water droplets, I saw no rain damage on the paint.........anywhere!

[Private_collector]

The drivers door is now attached properly. More on the door later.
To get the proper fit I had to:
door bolts.jpg
Shave the hinge bolts to correct thickness.
windscreen frame packing.jpg
Pack the windscreen frame so it didn't stick out the side too much.
door shims.jpg door shims 2.jpg
Shim the door for better clearance. Two shims top, and one at bottom. Yes, I know they look a bit rough in places, but you don't see those parts. Heres a little wrinkle, when I made the second & third ones, I shaped the cut-outs sloping slightly downwards. That way they sit in place nicely, without moving around.
door dash gap.jpg
That was the only way I could get a decent clearance between the door and dash panel. At one point it touched strongly. I was not always able to actually see the touching point, so I would slip a piece of paper down there, and when it moved freely I knew it was clear. Now it's well clear, thanks to the second shim in top hinge and moving the dash itself as far away as I could.

This evening I met the guy who has made two rifle butt holders for me. He is one of the woodworkers from the Gympie Woodworks Museum. BLOODY HELL!, WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB. Far better than I had dreamed they would be. He is a true craftsman. The holders are absolutely exact in every way, sloping base and all. When I went there this evening, it was first time he was able to have my spare rifle butt to check the fit. It was a tight fit and he wants to 'tweak' them a little before handing them over. I can't wait to show them to you guys!!!!! I have already asked if he would be interested in making more for sale and he is thinking on it.

More to follow.