Finds from a market

[Lynn Eades]

My questions are;
What particular body / truck model is the second one. That would be a nice one to own.
Does the last one have wheel adapters?, as that is a non std wheel. I would not have expected that in military service.
Interested to hear from Keith or a Tony (or anyone who knows)
Nice photos. It does feel a bit special when you come upon old photos that are so individual.

[cliff]

2nd photo is a #8 (Aust) gun tractor

1st pic truck on Right I think is a #9 (Aust) Gun Tractor

[Tony Wheeler]

Excellent find Cory, well done. Euan's father found a similar series of photos at Camberwell market last year, also showing gun tractors at what appears to be Pucka. I suspect they're part of the same series. I'll leave it Keith to post them.

Your top pic shows two FGT9s. The one on the left is difficult to identify but the Canadian front fairleads are a giveaway, and I believe the No.9 peaked roof is just visible. The front bumper has been replaced with a late model bumper (small holes).

Middle pic is a CGT8.

Bottom pic is impossible to identify, except to say it's a Chev. Front wheel is a dual with the standard CMP spacer, and the only CMPs fitted with duals in WWII were tippers. However in post war years they were used on Chev No.6 gun tractors sometimes, so given the context of these photos I suspect that's what it may be. The extended mirror arm is also indicative.

[Keith Webb]

These are part of a series of photographs, most likely from the same seller - Euan's father in law found some of the same group of arty tractors but different angles about a year ago at the Camberwell market. I'm fairly sure the one on the left in the top photo is the original one photographed new outside Wesley in 1942 as the ARN was visible in one of Euan's father in law's pics. Both in the first image are FGT No9s.

The second one which Cliff identified is a CGT No8, and the one with the odd looking wheel is most likely a No6 CGT, many of which were re-equipped with the same dual wheels as the tippers.

[David Dunlop]

Some very interesting vehicles in these photos.

You also have a gem there with a few full names of some of the soldiers in the photos. Might be worth the effort to trace them and see if it leads to more information about the photos: When, where, etc..

David

[Tony Smith]

The reference to "Regular Army driver" might suggest that these pics are from either a CMF or Nasho Arty unit on their annual Ex.

[Mike Cecil]

Both 2 Field Regiment and 15 Field Regiment were CMF units operating in Victoria in the late 1940s/1950s/1960s, and both used 'Tractors, Artillery (Aust)' 8 & 9 during annual camps. During the 1950s, the Regular Army field artillery units were using GMC CCKW353 as their deployable artillery tractors, which were then replaced in 1959/60/61 with Studebaker US6 until the International No.1 Mk.1, 2, and 3 came along (then later the 6x6 F1).

One image states 'Pucka 1950' which would fit with either of the CMF units mentioned. CMF and Regular army units stationed elsewhere used training facilities in their home states, so I think it is pretty much confirmed that we are looking at 2 or 15 Fd Regiment. 2 Field operated out of Batman Avenue Depot and with batteries in country centres such as Colac. 15 Field were in Dandenong. Note the absence of markings on the vehicles, and the gloss finish. The absence of markings is indicative of vehicles drawn from the 'pool' for an annual camp. The gloss finish is indicative of post-war repainting in BDG gloss.

The two units were amalgamated in the late 1960s(?) to become 2/15 Fd Regt, and still later, with 10 Medium Regiment (based in Geelong) to become 2/10 Medium Regiment - something of a misnomer as it was actually a composite regiment with both field (105mm How)and medium (5.5inch then M198 155mm How) batteries.

Mike C