Colin Anderson - RIP

[lynx42]

Hi all,

I have just been advised that Col Anderson, one of the greatest supporters of the earlier Corowa Swim-Ins passed away last week after breaking his leg. He had surgery, but due to his age and other complications he did not recover and died on 20th July.

Col was the recipient of the Mal Mackay Award in 2009 and that was ,I think, the last time that he was well enough to attend.

Col always arrived from Shepparton with something interesting and had an amazing collection of ex. military items. He was always helpful to everyone in the MV society and will be sadly missed

Our sympathies go out to Irene and family at this sad time.

Regards Rick.

[Mike Kelly]

Sorry to hear of this news.

I first met Colin during the VMVC xmas trip to Barooga NSW late 1976. He had his restored bren carrier running and he was kind enough to let us all have a drive of it , I can still see his face cringe with all the gear crunching going on .

He had a particular passion for collecting and restoring Australian pattern military vehicles. He was a teenager during the war and was in the Air Training Corps , he told us he managed a flight in a B24 at Tocumwal. He was a brilliant self taught panel beater and he ran the Shepparton TAFE hobby panel beating classes for some time. He told us during the war he and his parents went on a holiday to Geelong and they did a tour of the Ford plant .

Colin also restored veteran cars , doing this since the late 1950's.

This is a story written by Colin: http://www.oocities.org/vmvc1au/pontiutestory.html

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Sorry to hear this. Never met Colin Anderson, but he was a well known name within our hobby. I think I first read about him in Wheels & Tracks magazine, our prime source in the years Before Internet (BI).

RIP Mr Anderson.

[Keith Webb]

Colin was one of the quiet gentlemen of our hobby, he was often at Corowa which is where I took this photograph of him in his Pontiac.

Condolences to his family and friends.

RIP

[Mike Cecil]

The Long Range Ratting Group is one down!

A true gentleman.

RIP Col.

Mike

[motto]

Colin was what you would refer to as a 'quiet achiever'.
No big noting himself. Each year he would just arrive with something unusual and nicely presented.
One year he turned up with his vehicle running on a gas producer and who could forget the propellor driven VW Beetle he took to Ballarat? No drive to the wheels, an engine in the back seat area and a six foot diameter aluminium prop on the front. It sounded like a Cessna on takeoff when he put the foot down but not surprisingly it wouldn't fly.
He also got a scrapped PIAT working again and we had fun firing it down his paddock using 12 gauge shot shells with the shot removed.
Great days.

David

[Mike Kelly]

A story Colin related to us. During the war his father, a WW1 veteran, was in the VDC, there was a SMLE rifle stored behind a door in the house. Each Sunday Colin's parents would go out for a few hours . Colin would grab the rifle and he and a friend rode their bikes through town with the rifle in clear view. The ammo was found at the RAAF rifle range. Colin said the RAAF chaps had discarded the rounds, just dropped them on the ground and anyone could collect the rounds. Colin made the point that nobody said anything or came up to them while they were firing off the SMLE - different times. 14 year old kids playing with firearms

Shepparton Newspaper 1940:

[Mike Kelly]

This was a scene in Colin Anderson's yard many years ago,almost half a century.

In the early to mid 1970s, Colin had salvaged a large amount of Carrier stuff from Plum's scrap yard at Benalla. Opposite this scene in Colins yard, were two nice original 2 pndr carrier hulls.

Colin was always generous and he sold many carrier bits n pieces to other enthusiasts.

.The No.9 Artillery tractor body , he fitted it onto a C15A chassis and it appeared on a club run. Where is it now ?