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British 'refugee' vehicles in Australia


goanna

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Hi

I found some interesting info in the Australian army registration books , these books are held at the AWM and are online .

Ships loaded with vehicles on board were heading for Singapore when the nips overran Malaya. The ships were diverted and the vehicles were unloaded at Australian ports . I have found MWC's,  WOT2D's , Austin K2Y's and more.  The WOT2's were disposed beginning from late 1944 , I have seen a few of these ex-bush fire brigade examples over the years. Some of the MWC's went to fire brigades as did Morris CS8's.

 

 

 

WOT2D-1.JPG

WOT2D-2.JPG

Edited by goanna
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Hi i saw your post about this on another site when i searched through the ledger i found 15 bedford MWCs Australian army registration numbers 50277-50291 intrestingly tha Australians recorded the trucks engine numbers which the  british RLC archive keeps no record of ,did the Australian army use many bedford MWs

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2 hours ago, landrover nick said:

Hi i saw your post about this on another site when i searched through the ledger i found 15 bedford MWCs Australian army registration numbers 50277-50291 intrestingly tha Australians recorded the trucks engine numbers which the  british RLC archive keeps no record of ,did the Australian army use many bedford MWs

At least one MWC was shipped to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea  , and it was used by a searchlight unit there in 1942 .  I think some of the refugee vehicles stayed in vehicle parks for the duration.  They were a odd bod bunch and didn't see much service in the Aust. army.  They were surplused/ sold beginning in 1944  to Govt. departments or purchased by the parent company eg Ford,  Morris , GM in Australia, then sold through the   dealerships to farmers and other essential users

Edited by goanna
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  • 5 years later...

Looking through the Australian Army vehicle registration ledgers I have found: vehicles listed as refugee cargo.

 

Morris C8 2 pounder Portees ( approx. 30) 

Thornycroft Searchlight trucks X 6  reg. 50213 - 50218 

Albion House type workshop and Breakdown trucks   50201 - 50209 

Bedford OY ( approx. 10 ) 

Albion recovery truck 6wh. 50264

Leyland 6wh Recovery and B/down trucks 

Bedford MWC Water tank trucks 50277 - 50291

Canadian Ford FGT gun tractors 50293 - 50302

Dodge 3 ton GS 

Dyson  Sound ? Locator 

 

wandin-1.jpg

wandin-2.jpg

CS8-fire.jpg

Adelaide Nov 1944.jpg

monty.jpg

Edited by goanna
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