FAT cab 13 No 9 resto

[Mrs Vampire]

Hi

I am looking for interior shots of the No 9 Australian Ford Guntractor.

There are a few brackets on the inside and outside I am not sure about. WWII shots or good restos welcome .

Gina

[Mrs Vampire]

Here are a few shots of my FGT.

I have no idea what the slots on the rear drivers side ledge where the spare is stored are for not the bracket with the bolt in it. behind the spare wheel.

There is a bracket on the outside next to the back left door with a pad riveted to it that also eludes me.

Here are some pics with the last being a banner I found in the left storage hatch .

[Mrs Vampire]

the banner. I think it is from a Mobil promotion done in 1960

[Wayne Henderson]

Hi Gina,
The slots are where a plate covers and protects the spare wheel.

Wayne

[Mrs Vampire]

Thanks Wayne...any photos??

[Euan McDonald]

I'm sure you a set of plans😉

[Wayne Henderson]

I sold all my photos to Euan

I did have photos but pre digital days and the photo album was buried with the truck, along with my dreams...

The original drawing explains it very well.

[Mrs Vampire]

True I have the plans....there are lots and lots of them..I wasn't sure what was wot...

A photo of a fully set up rig would be soooo helpful

There are some little cleats and some brackets ...

[Keith Webb]

I took some pics of the AWM's restored composite No9 built using the chassis of 134127 (which is how it is marked) and body 134707, body number 105.
It was restored several years ago by a contract company. Not all the details are correct such as wrongly painted parts and clear coated rear floor, but it is a great thing to have a FGT No9 in the national collection.
Hope these pics are helpful.

[Mrs Vampire]

Ohh very helpful indeed

body and body serial are different ?? my body is 123

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Gina Vampire

the banner. I think it is from a Mobil promotion done in 1960

WOW! A millionaire (in pounds) in 1960 would have been a massively huge prize. Even a Dollar Millionaire in 1966 would have been simply unheard-of. Perhaps the prize was only a give-away of a million Gallons of Super petrol, which would have been a pittance those days.

[Mrs Vampire]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zBCpkAYmoE

A QANTAS Electra so worth a watch

I was underneath today trying to find the serial number...doesn't seem to be on chassis rail near stbd engine mount. I noticed my diff convoy light is in a different place to that on the AWM. Mine shines on the port side of the Banjo . I rubbed the Banjo back and the original white paint is there on the port side and quite a fair way out so the part where the axle outer joins the banjo un to about half way up th banjo .

Also the little red green convoy light switch is still there.Post Army use someone has replaced the Banjo convoy light with a spotlight that illuminates the winch....

[Keith Webb]

The number is normally on top of the right chassis rail adjacent to the engine mount. I've looked and can't see one on mine either. It should also be stamped onto the gearbox bell housing.

[Mike Cecil]

And being a Ford assembled in Australia, the original engine number is the chassis number, so if you have the ARN, it is a straightforward task to obtain the original engine/chassis number from AWM126.

Mike

[Mrs Vampire]

Thanks Mike

I know my vehicle had the Army rego of 134804

are the books sequential so that all I have to do is look up that number??? and what about T numbers??

Taaa

[Mrs Vampire]

does anyone have a view on the markings on the AWM FAT??

Mine is from 21 field regiment RAA . I thought the bi coloured thingy came in after 1943??

and whats with the yellow number circle ??

The disruptive looks about right for 1942/43 light stone and KGJ

[Mike Cecil]

Gina,

ARN 134804 had the original engine number (and therefore, chassis number) 3G47304F. The vehicle was taken on charge in Queensland. It was disposed of from 2BOD (Moorebank? Liverpool?) in July 1957.

My notes concerning the entry are interesting: like many of the No.9 FGT, the model is listed as an 'F60S'. Also, the chassis number entry is left blank: only the engine number was listed, a common occurrence when the engine and chassis numbers were the same - particularly with Ford jeeps, for example.

The AWM example follow's the AMF's post-August 1944 markings scheme, in this case, for 2/12th Artillery Regiment - 2-12 being the unit marking (the '2' indicates a unit originally raised as part of the 2nd AIF) and 74 being the unit type marking, in this case, a field artillery regiment. The background colours of red over blue, divided horizontally, are the arm of service colour code for artillery. I don't remember the Formation to which the regiment was assigned in the late 44, 1945 period - that symbol is only just visible on the flat in front of the left side windscreen, painted in white on a black background. The cam scheme approximately follows one of the issued patterns (as per the instructions at the time) for the period when the vehicle was built/delivered.

The 9/6 is the bridge plate, with 9 being the class when laden with towed load, and 6 being the class laden without the towed load.

It's a long time since I dealt with the instructions to the restorer, so my memory of the specifics is a bit dim. Unfortunately, I departed the AWM on LSL prior to the completion of the two vehicles (F15A and FGT), so the latter stages (of assembly and painting) were under the direction of a conservator.

'T' numbers are generally not listed in AWM126: there are exceptions to that statement, but not for M3 Light, which is the area I think you are most interested in?

Regards

Mike

[Mrs Vampire]

You never cease to amaze me Mike!!

If the scheme on the AWM veh is 1944 why not over all KG3 as per the instructions...or is the supposition that in 1944 it may not have been over painted??

you previously told me the Unit sign for the 21 Field regiment was a red blue horizontal square as in the AWM shot with the number 76 on it....now to decide if that is on the vehicle or on convoy plates...

Hmmm I can't find a 1942/43 shot with convoy plates and which side does the division sign go ...same as the Tank?? which appears to be on the port side on the front and stbd side on the rear....

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Gina,

From memory, we decided at the time to stay with the 'as issued' scheme which follows the classic period images of the No.9, especially as there was no guarantee that the tractor would have been repainted in subsequent schemes as they were issued - often, they were not. The tractor is a type example with no known provenance, hence the above. The cam and markings are simply a generic set.

21 Aust Field Regiment were attached to 1 Motor Division in 1942. In June 1942, the issued signage was 62 in white on the artillery background of red over blue.

By May 1943, the unit formed part of 3rd Armd Div (the re-formed 1 Motor Div) with the unit sign 76 on the red and blue background (as per my previous info to you).

Both 1 Motor Div and 3 Armd Div used the same formation sign of a greyhound over a boomerang, in white, on a black background.

I don't have a record for 21 Fd Regt after August 1944, so don't know where they ended up after 3 Aust Armd Div was disbanded. However, the unit sign would have been 21 over 74 in white on a red over blue background.

All the artillery Unit sign Arm of Service colours red/blue referred to above were horizontally divided, top half red, bottom half blue.

Location of signage is as per the AWM example: front left, rear right. Cannot remember if the No.9 has plate holders on both sides of the rear or not, but generally, the Formation sign was painted directly on the vehicle, usually above the location of the unit sign, while the Unit sign was on the removable plate (which had the word 'PASS' painted on the back, in black, on the vehicle base colour KGJ or KG3).

Regards

Mike

[Wayne Henderson]

I think this truck was represented as 9 Div from memory.
Truck on its own at 6 tons is very full.

[Mrs Vampire]

absolute fabulousness Mike

I will do the 76 over red and blue ...

I cant seem to find any sign of the three holes for tac sign holder... either on the rear or on the front bumper.

I have a few NOS 1942 holders and nothing lines up with what is on the truck.

The 3rd armoured sign on the Tank is the knight on a charger ...were the trucks different?? and would all the same stuff be on the gun??

Its all coming together wonderfully thanks to you..

I figured the AWM paint was most likely a series of overlaid provenance issues with the best representation the outcome.

On my FGT I cant seem to find any evidence of disruptive...much as I want to put that on it.
Given it was first issued to QLD it is nearly fair to place it with the 21st...without toooo much of a stretch.

The gun has had the living hell blasted out of it...so not a trace of any original finish ...but will paint it to match the tractor.

Plan is for blank firing at iron fest next year. So FGT up and running and a job on the 25 pdr...it will be a stretch and a half and we might borrow another 25pdr if ours isn't going.

[Keith Webb]

I cant seem to find any sign of the three holes for tac sign holder... either on the rear or on the front bumper.

On the rear the holder was on the right hand door...

While on the front it was attached to a bracket which bolted onto the truck using the two lower front bolts which also hold the inner part of the mudguard.

[Mrs Vampire]

excellent Keith

I will bolt the front one on the bracket must be in the dwgs


that also resolves some of the cleats I have on the back...but what are those two handle like brackets for ??

[Mike Cecil]

They are, I think, the rear door bump stops.

The Formation sign is the same throughout the Div. I'm away at the moment, and have only limited ref with me, so cannot look into the knight symbol till I get home early Feb. But the ref I have with me on the formation sign are as stated earlier.

Incidentally, in August 1943, 21 Field Regt was amalgamated with 22 Fd Regt and the combined regt elected to join the AIF to become 21/22 Field Regt (AIF). The Unit sign red over blue with 76 remained the same for the combined unit. So my earlier comment that the unit sign after Aug 1944 would be 21 over 74 was incorrect: it would have been 21-22 over 74.

What data do you have on the gun? Barrel make and mark and serial, breech block make and mark, saddle make and number, welded or riveted trail, etc: be interested to know some details, please.

Regards

Mike

[Mrs Vampire]

Hi Mike

the gun is
QF25MkII

MO 1942 p Jacket number L/6998

Cwt8 Lbs4

F16637

Breech 25Pr MkII M.O. 1942

Trail saddle 25Pr No11 Mk1
Trail Carr 25Pr Mk1 l L l

Ruwolt 1942

Reg No 5116

The cradle is the cast type and the trail is riveted.

I Haven't seen a breech with the manufacturer M.O before which I take means Maribyrnong Ordinance factory.

Gun first issued to Qld 21 Field regiment ...I hope as that would tie in with the FAT and the Stuart...

[Mrs Vampire]

another question:

I see the Canberra FAT has the canvas bag for the side curtains...The drawing for that bag says GMH vehicles only...so do I get a bag made or is the Canberra veh incorrect??

[Keith Webb]

I think that in common with a number of the drawings in that collection there was a GM-H version and a Ford version of an item, possibly the page with the Ford version of the bag was missing... there's nowhere else to stow the side curtains on a No.9.

Originally Posted by Gina Vampire

another question:

I see the Canberra FAT has the canvas bag for the side curtains...The drawing for that bag says GMH vehicles only...so do I get a bag made or is the Canberra veh incorrect??

[Mike K]

This example was W/O in 1961