Vehicle parks in Oz

[Mike Kelly]

Came across these pics of vehicle parks during WW2 ..here in OZ

You will spot a few 1938 Chevs with their distinctive GMH cabs .W/O would be 'written off ' , seen on the 38 chevy ute in 059841.

And Some D series Inters ...

Pic 40878 has a line of Bedford Mw's ... Now how did they get here ? They are early aero screen type too. I like the patchwork quilt effect top on the truck in 197827.

All pics are AWM .

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

When you think about it - the AWM pics do reveal that the Australian army grabbed just about anything that was available ... there was an element of desperation .. especially early on .

They had large numbers vehicles of: British, US, Canadian and local pattern. pre war types even ... civilian types aplenty. Varied makes too: Inter, Dodge , Chev, Ford .. and many more...Italian vehicles too, captured in the desert. Was this eclectic menagerie matched by any other army, maybe the Germans .

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

pic 197835 was a park in a Sydney suburb... Dodges and Inters again ... varied models . In the background there is a Jailbar Ford with a soft top cab ..very odd .

99519 ... Jeeps somewhere.
059840 ..... graveyard of cars : a salute to army drivers .
066658 ..... myriad jeeps resting in the aussie bush
027882 ...... more sad symbols of hard driving

[cliff]

I like this one as well from the AWM.

ID Number: 059833
Maker: Keam, Ronald Noel
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: BRISBANE, QLD. 1943-11-05. HEADQUARTERS 4TH AUSTRALIAN ORDNANCE VEHICLE PARK AT MOUNT GRAVATT. THIS PARK CONTAINS AT LEAST 6000 VEHICLES, WHICH ARE CONCENTRATED HERE FOR REPAIR AND RE-ISSUE TO UNITS.

[cliff]

Another from the AWM showing how good our army drivers were.
ID Number: P00165.022
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: NORTH RYDE, NSW, WWII. DAMAGED VEHICLE AT 3RD AUSTRALIAN ORDNANCE VEHICLE PARK, NORTH RYDE. TAKEN BY JOHN GARDENER WHILE HE WAS CAMP PHOTOGRAPHER, OCTOBER 1943 TO NOVEMBER 1945.

[cliff]

Maybe this is why there was so many damaged vehicles

ID Number: P00165.025
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: NORTH RYDE, NSW, WWII. MARCHPAST DURING INSPECTION OF THE 3RD AUSTRALIAN ORDNANCE VEHICLE PARK, NORTH RYDE, BY MAJOR-LESLIE ELLIS BEAVIS, THE DIRECTOR OF ORDNANCE SERVICES AIF 1940-42. TAKEN BY JOHN GARDENER WHILE HE WAS CAMP PHOTOGRAPHER 1943-1945.

[Tony Smith]

Taken from this thread: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=27754

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

The Ryde vehicle park would have been a sight to behold.

The site was actually one of Sydney's oldest military landholdings, but by WW2 had been considerably reduced in size.

The land was selected in the early 1800's as a location well away from civilisation to exercise and train Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery units, and in honour of the ancient Roman establishment for the same purpose that was known as the "Field of Mars" (the God of War), the site in rural Sydney was called Marsfield.

The need to deploy troops on open fields had well and truly passed by the beginning of the 1900's, and most Corps in the newly established Australian Army had retreated to their own insular schools, so Marsfield was slowly subdivided into horticultural and cropping properties.

The Army still held approx 100ac, and it found use during WW2 as the Ryde Vehicle Ordnance Park (Ryde being the name of the area and the nearest township, some 2mi away. Today, this area is known as the suburb of Marsfield). Security would have been "in place", but not that secure that on any Sunday a 12yo boy with a slingshot and an apple in a brown paper bag couldn't have got in and wandered the rows and rows of vehicles. It's just a shame he didn't have a digital camera and notepad instead, as the vehicle types would have been amazing. And not just Dodges!

[Tony Smith]

I wonder if people in those houses have dug anything up in their backyards?

[Ron King]

The well known wreakers in Cooma had at least two air portable GMC chassis at one stage.
The last time I was there they were gone.
I do remember the jointing flanges and a quick release brake line near by.