FGT No8 movie

[Keith Webb]

This was shot at Monegeeta during the war and shows a Ford FGT No.8 Aust with a gun, not sure what sort happily bouncing along a track. Unfortunately the source video was a copy of a copy of a copy on VHS so it's pretty crappy, but the content is rather interesting.

Have a look.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Ford FGT No.8 Aust with a gun, not sure what sort happily bouncing along a track

25-pdr Short Mk I (Aust) or "Baby 25-pdr"

Great video!

H.

[Keith Webb]

I thought it might have been one of those.

The crew would have been making use of the grab handle on the passenger side and rope handles in the back!

Notice the X in the tac sign holder for Experimental?

[Gunner]

Hi Keith:

I can't open the video but in artillery circles the "X" tac sign is usually the BC or CO depending on the background. Not likely to be on a gun tractor but who knows. Can yoou make out the background on the tac sign? If its red over blue its the CO if its blue with a red corner its a BC: upper right is the senior battery going clockwise to upper left is the junior battery.

Cheers! Mike

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Gunner
Hi Keith:

I can't open the video but in artillery circles the "X" tac sign is usually the BC or CO depending on the background. Not likely to be on a gun tractor but who knows. Can yoou make out the background on the tac sign? If its red over blue its the CO if its blue with a red corner its a BC: upper right is the senior battery going clockwise to upper left is the junior battery.

Cheers! Mike

Hi Mike

The footage was shot in Australia at the Monegeeta proving ground and the tractor is a No8 (Aust) and the X in Australian terms was only used to denote a vehicle on test.
The video is MPEG-1 format which should be universal. Perhaps your media player needs an update? It is also in black and white and is of poor quality, but it's all we have. I have another still image of the same FGT on my site. It was taken at the same place. Here's a link to a large picture of it without the tac sign. And here's the front view.

The pic below is of a F15A with the tac sign I'm talking about.



It comes from a page about an interesting power to weight trial carried out to bring a CMP to the same power to weight as a Weapons Carrier.

[Mike Kelly]

I was up at Ballarat today , in a yard in the back streets , I came across the cut up remains of a No. 8 or 9 art tractor body . I took some pics of it .

In the same yard a complete K5 truck , $200 .

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

The body is scattered around a yard , its in a suburb of Ballarat somewhere . its so badly cut up I cannot
tell if it was a Nu. 8 or 9 .

My neighbour bought 3 thames vans at this yard , I was scrounging , as you do . Not much salvagable on the gun tractor body .

Mike

[Keith Webb]

You weren't kidding when you said cut up!

Looking at the crew seat locker there seems to be some smooth floor attached which could indicate Chev No9. The remains of the right hand wall behind the seat looks like the No9. Possibly it was one of the 40 or so NOS bodies.
Were there any locker catches present? They would give the final clue as to the manufacturer.