Richard Farrant

Mon 7th August We left Larrimah for a short run to Mataranka. No convoy control today as it is only a short run of 77 kms and there are a few military sights to see on the way. The one of note was Gorrie airfield, this was very overgrown, with mature trees, which would not have been there during the war. All the buildings were dismantled and sold after the war. The runway was in good order and it is possible it might still be used occasionally. We were given warnings of not to go far from your vehicle as it is easy to get lost there. The airfield was constructed in 1942/43, The US helped to fund the runway and facilities. From 1943, 14 Aircraft Repair Depot was active there, responsible for RAAF aircraft inc. Hudson, Beafort, Mitchell, Spitfire, C-47, Lightning, Vultee Vengeance, Liberator, Beaufighter.............. We arrived at Mataranka Homestead for lunch, the rest of the day was free to relax as we were camping overnight. Outside the entrance were five M-113 carriers from 2 Cav. Regt., taking part in K-95 exercise. Talking to the crews, it appeared that they were about to move to another location much further North in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and were waiting for transport to arrive. Later some Macks and trailers arrived, photos to follow. There was a thermal pool in the Homestead and many of the Trackers were having a dip......until a large snake appeared in it :shake::shake::shake:. Glad I did not see that. The evening entertainment after the meal was a group called the Chantoozies...apparantly well known over there. Another Kangeroo court was held, but although I remember the victim, I forget his misdemeanor. Weather getting warmer as we get further North........and this is Winter over there

CW is a bit like Baldrick, he has a cunning plan :rofl:

BMC FG actually :nono:

I went to Scout camp with our Troop in the back of a removal lorry, Kent to New Forest in the early 60's, eyes streaming with the diesel fumes, :cry: leaning over the tailboard. Too much wrapping them in cotton wool nowadays.....

Hi Metroman, Great photos :tup:: The thread title is misleading, this is the RE Museum (Royal Engineers) you visited. The REME Museum is at Arborfield in Berkshire (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)

Thanks Paul, :tup:: Just found the booklet giving details of wartime bases along the Track, there were in fact seven camp hospitals along the route throughout the war years. More info on Daly Waters aerodrome.........it was built in 1929 and quickly became a staging point for international and interstate flights as well as the mail run flights. Later it was a staging point for QANTAS DH86 Rapides on the Singapore to Australia leg of the UK-Sydney run. Aircraft using the aerodrome during the war in the Pacific included Hudsons, Wirraways, Spitfires, B-17, B-25, P-40 Warhawk, etc. On to Larrimah and I omitted to say that the US Army had facilities there also, with the 29th and 48th Quartermaster Trucking Companies, Ordnance, Provost and Stores units.

You could be heading for a Red card :-D:-D

CW, Small world.........you know the owner? Apparantly he bought it recently from Scotland ?

Yachting and Boating World forum........:nono: not one that I normally frequent

Could be a Ham class minesweeper, Portisham. On a boating forum, a message was posted on 1-10-08, looking for a mooring at Burnham. It is a coincidence and seems like it might be the same boat.

That was on a previous trip, we did not get in to crocodile territory on that one. Maybe that will be another story

Here are the pics to accompany previous post....... 1. Army roadtrain travelling South. A International S-Liner with 3 trailers backloading another roadtrain. 2. "A Pub With No Beer".......Junction Hotel, Newcastle Waters, opened in 1930, closed in 1975. 3. Army recovering the FWD HAR-1 after it overheated. 4. DeSoto staff car outside Larrimah Hotel 5. Laurie's Chevrolet C30, these trucks are locally known as a Blitz. 6. Hundreds of Galahs on the wires at Larrimah. 7. Old railway crane at the disused Larrimah station. click on pictures to enlarge

That is a German half track gun tractor with the crew body removed, possibly a Krauss Maffee, looks to be about an 8 ton version.

We left Elliott, heading for Larrimah as our next overnight stop, a distance of 234 kms. As usual, Dave and I in his Land Rover, went ahead to direct the packets off the road for the morning halt at Newcastle Waters. We were beginning to see military activity connected with Kangaroo 95 (K-95) exercise, with supply trucks going up and down the Stuart Highway. The Major from the Army team had told us to look out for members of the "Orangeland force", the enemy for the exercise. The public were urged to take part and report anything suspicious. The Orangelanders were actually Australian troops in Gulf War type uniform. Traffic being quite sparse on this road, you tend to observe each vehicle as it passes. While waiting for the first packet to arrive, I had noted several hired Toyota Land Cruisers heading North with only a driver, who appeared youngish. Wondering if it might be "enemy" infiltrating, I mentioned it to the Army and it appeared that other reports confirmed this. Dave and I were to be reported as "enemy" a few days later, by a member of the public, whilst parked outside a silver mine :-D Back to Newcastle Waters, not much there, but a cattle station breeding Brahma cattle. The original settlement buildings now lying empty. We did find the upturned remains of a Carrier, which had been well stripped for parts and sheet steel. From here we drove to Daly Waters for the lunch stop in the pub, also visited the old aerodrome there, which was used by aircraft of the RAAF, Netherlands East Indies Air Force and USAAF during the War. The hangar is preserved and has a small display in there, also the remains of a C-47 that crashed on take off in 1956. We were running behind the convoy packets now, with Army support following at the rear. On the way we came across Bob from Western Australia, with his FWD tractor unit on the side of the road with cooling problems, a short wait and Army low loader arrived to recover the FWD. The driver of this outfit had become known as "The Grim Reaper", although I only recollect him making two recoveries on the run. Seem to recollect visiting the site of an Australian Field Hospital along here, but I did not write it in my diary. On arrival at Larrimah township, we were to stay in the campsite. During the war, a railway from the north terminated here at its southern most point. The convoys from Alice would offload here on to the trains, so it was an important military base during WW2, serving as a railhead and major staging area. There was also a BIPOD facility here, Bulk Issue Petrol and Oil Depot. Lots of traces of all this military activity still to be seen. There was a short service conducted at Larrimah that evening, of one of the army drivers who served on "The Track", as it was called, during the War. He had passed away only recently and another veteran driver scattered his ashes on the rail track. Walking around, the campsite I came across an enclosure surrounded by a wire fence, in the middle was a salt water crocodile, some people said it was not real, but later I saw it move :shake:. After a meal of damper and stew, I spent the night in the tent wondering what if "salty" escaped . Also, outside of the site, was a large part of the wing of a B-25 Liberator, from a nearby airfield. Photos to follow...................

Rambo, I think the last MVT Overlord was in 2004............the split followed so 2005 would have been the first run by SOE. My recollections :confused:.......last one I went to was in 2004 when we went to Normandy from there.

Tim, I don't see MMI, but willhave a guess fom what I can see of the rad, could it be a LGOC lorry, based on a bus chassis. Thinking lorry because of the brush bar on the front and why it would be in MMI...........a WW1 army lorry then?

SS : Steam Ship RMS : Royal Mail Steamer SS Mooltan was part of the P&O fleet, it would have been taken over by the Royal Navy as a troopship I think.

CW, I seemed to think you said before it was indirect, which do not generally cause too much of a problem. ........a mystery , but you will sort it no doubt.

ha ha :-D waiting for you to pull the injector from your Cat so we can have a look at it :coffee:

CW I would say it could be caused by fuel problem. Have you pulled the injector yet? If it is direct injection it is possible for a fault to cause burnt pistons.

I notice this one has more modern wheels. Yes the one I was given was definitely a converted airborne and you could still see "Post Office Telephones" lettering on it. It was well gone and we already had a trailer, so swapped it. GPO may have converted trailers originally then made them later perhaps :confused:

an airborne trailer converted by Post Office Telephones (GPO) for linesman. I was given one once.

The cab is Morris Commercial...........can't tell the rest though :confused:

Hi Richard, You got here at last then

It says 3 pounder on it, could be for a Vickers gun which was mainly used by Navy I think and was prewar, phased out before the end of the war.