AWM acquisition?

[Private_collector]

That's correct, Lloyd did restore this vehicle, and did so to fabulous standard.

Never heard the description 'beetle back' before. Guess a trend has to start somewhere.

[Niels V]

Does any one have any interior pictures of it.
I have heard the therm "beetle back" for many years with regards to the early Morris FAT

[Ed Storey]

I have never understood the fascination of made-up names for vehicles and I find this particularly disturbing when they are being perpetrated by a national museum. What is wrong with calling it what it was, a Field Artillery Tractor?

[charlie fitton]

These folks share a trait with the Brits (logically), in that they have nicknames for everything:

Tinnies

Chippys

Tiffies,

Roos, etc

or mayhaps it"s too hot to use all the letters in a name?

[Mike Cecil]

The terms beetleback and monkey face to describe the FAT and Cab 12 originated many, many years ago as an easy way to differentiate the types. They were terms used by Aust veterans, so I think being critical of the AWM staff member who used the terms in the entry is unwarranted. Personally, I would not have used them: 'Tractor Field Artillery (Cdn)' would have been enough.

I've not heard that the shape was associated with decontamination before - perhaps someone could enlighten me?

The tractor's registration number (British and Australian) is known, and the register entry clearly states it was refugee cargo, but I've not heard the term 'distress' applied to such cargoes before.

I think, overall, the entry could be improved. Keith: who made the facebook entry (I don't access face-thingie....)?

Mike

[Private_collector]

These are all the photos I have. Taken over a couple of years, either on ANZAC day or at the MJCQ event at Canungra, QLD.
p4260140-resized-960.jpg

p4260141-resized-960.jpg

p4260142-resized-960.jpg

p4260143-resized-960.jpg

pa150333-resized-960.jpg

[Private_collector]

pa150334-resized-960.jpg

pa150413-resized-960.jpg

pa150415-resized-960.jpg

pa150413_20160217042823389-resized-960.jpg

pa150410-resized-960.jpg

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

These are all the photos I have. Taken over a couple of years, either on ANZAC day or at the MJCQ event at Canungra, QLD.

Fabulous pics Tony, thanks for posting. I've saved them to file where I can drool over them at leisure!

[Keith Webb]

The post on Facebook was one by the AWM from their official Fb page, shared by another Fb user.

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I think, overall, the entry could be improved. Keith: who made the facebook entry (I don't access face-thingie....)?

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's what I wrote earlier:

Two things (1/2): "The unique shape was derived from a design to make the vehicle easier to decontaminate in the event of a gas attack" - where on earth did they get this idea?!? The back on the original Quad FAT was slanted because it had to carry the gun platform on the back and it could be slid on and off the sloping back easier than from a horizontal surface.

Two things (2/2): "This ‘beetleback’ arrived in Australia in 1942 as ‘refugee’ or ‘distress’ cargo; i.e. cargo that was at sea when the British and Dutch territories fell to the Japanese and had to be diverted to Australia" - was it really refugee cargo, or was it shipped back after doing service with the Australian Army in North Africa? For certain, it was not a diverted shipment to the Dutch East Indies.

[chrisgrove]

Originally Posted by Niels V

Does any one have any interior pictures of it.
I have heard the therm "beetle back" for many years with regards to the early Morris FAT

Here is a picture of the inside (well part of it) of a monkeyface beetleback blitz artillery tractor. Its a lousy picture, taken through a perspex screen at the NZ Army Museum at Waiauru (spelling?), partly because I was not at all sure I was allowed to take pictures there at all. I assume it was a Cab 12, but could have been Cab 11 (if FATs with that existed) as I can't remember. Anyway, I doubt the inside differed much if at all.

Incidentally, Fletcher's book on 'Moving the guns' shows the first prototype of the beetleback (Morris) as being canvas covered; not much chance of carrying a traversing platform and sliding it off from that!

HTH

Chris

[Niels V]

Thanks for the picture, I can see from it that I need 4 more rifle clips,,,,, Darn

[Lynn Eades]

I would seriously doubt that the gas attack was anything to do with it.
....Or at least would like to see proof.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

I would seriously doubt that the gas attack was anything to do with it.
....Or at least would like to see proof.

I checked the design branch records and see no indications of this. I'll have to read through them further and see if there is a section on decontamination in general.