Richard Farrant

On the second year, they asked for transport to pick the staff up from Goodwood House and brought to the circuit for the Sat night ball. When we went up there wth our vehicles, we were sent around the side of the house where there was a petrol pump and each vehicle was given an alloted amount, I forget what it was. My Bedford was the largest vehicle and the staff member filling said to me, "I reckon yours uses a lot, does'nt it?", and I ended up with a double amount :thumbsup:

Brilliant was'nt it? While we were waiting for the guests to arrive, the two Spits, took off into the sunset, looked for all the world like they were off on patrol. Little did we know, that we were to be buzzed.

My camera is not picking up detail on a close up, the engraving has been polished so much over the years, will have another go and if it works, will post image on here.

I agree with that Hanno. I think the square shoulder tyres were known as ND and the later rounded ones as NDCC. Wallace Wade used to show the difference in his tyre advert in MVPA Supply Line.

Jack, I have a plain 18 pounder shell case manufactured in 1917 and it is engraved "1917-8-9" and with the crest of the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps, below that "A.M.T.D." and "FRANCE". It has been handed down through the family and I recollect my grandparents using it to hold the fire irons! I reckon AMTD is Army Motor Transport Depot (or Mechanical ? ).

Hi CW, You are right, it is a Vauxhall, 3499cc, made in 1937, first registered on 24/3/37........checked on Swansea computor shows I know nothing about cars :confused:

Hi Paul, Thanks for telling me about Ted Egan, that was quite an honour for him I would imagine. Keep watching, as there will be some photos I'm sure you can comment on. :tup::

Photos to go with the previous post; 1. Churchill's Head........maybe not that convincing, probably did not catch it at the right angle. 2. Relics laying at the site of the WW2 Banka Banka Staging Camp 3. Convoy crews and Army at the service on site of Elliott Staging Camp 4. Our Land Rover and tent, at Elliott. The guys next to us had a cabin.......with an electric toaster luxury !

Well, someone is reading all this, just reached 1,002 viewings :tup:: At this point, I should tell you what vehicles we had on the convoy, give or take an odd one, as this list was one made before the event; WW2 Willys and Ford jeeps 39 Ford GPA amphibian 2 Blitz 15 cwt truck 9 (this is the Aussie name for a CMP Chev or Ford ) Blitz truck 30 cwt Blitz truck 60 cwt 5 Studebaker 6x6 4 GMC 6x6 Dodge Weapons Carrier 2 Fargo 3/4 ton truck Mack truck Ford 1 ton truck Chevrolet staff car Chevrolet cinema van Chevrolet 1 1/2 ton truck Austin K2 truck FWD HAR-1 truck Chevrolet "lend lease" truck Harley Davidson m/cycle Indian m/cycle Desoto staff car Post war Land Rover 2a FFW 109" ex-Aust. Army Land Rover 2a field ambulance ex-Aust. Army Holden FB ute ex-Aust. Army Humber 1 ton 4x4 truck and 13 vehicles in the Army support contingent ( have I missed any, Rick ? ) Sat. 5th August We left Tennant Creek ahead of the convoy, in order to direct them in for a short stop to a place called "Churchill's Head". This was a rock that from a certain angle looked like a profile of Winston's head and with a piece of metal pipe in an appropriate position, it looked like he was smoking a cigar. This was something spotted by the wartime convoy crews and was a favourite stop, to have pictures taken. It is a small rocky outcrop in a cutting through which the original track followed. Today it is bypassed by the faster, Stuart Highway, hence why we were directing vehicles off it. From here we moved on to the site of a wartime staging camp, Banka Banka. The concrete floors to the huts are still there with names written in the concrete as it was laid. Lots of bits of scrap scattered around, vehicle parts, bits of stationary engines, probably pumps and generators, etc. Even found a 1942 dated oil drum.....empty. Onward to Renner Springs, for lunch in the pub / roadhouse.........the first drink of the day if I recall! After about 250 kms, we reached our overnight stop at a small town called Elliott. Here we would be camping, the first night in the tent. On arrival, we then went up the road to the site of Elliott Staging Camp, again, only a few concrete slabs left. A local lady had organised a short service on the site and had collected a book of old photos taken by the Diggers. There was also a vehicle maintenance depot set up here for the convoys travelling through during the war. In the evening, we went to the local community area, an open building, the climate getting warmer as we head North. He had a BBQ and entertainment from a singer called Ted Egan. This guy played the Fosterphone.....and empty beer cartoon.....then later changed to a VB carton :-D. Used it like a drum, very entertaining . It was here that the first Kangeroo Court was held, by Capt. John Putt from the army team. The "guilty bastard" was one of the GPA drivers, Mal, for running over a roadside marker post. The punishment was to buy a bottle of port to share with his fellow packet members. This was the first of several courts through the trip and there were always a few nervous people in the evenings worried that their little misdemeanors might have been spotted. A great evening..

Hi Graham, I am pretty sure this is the one now in the REME Museum at Arborfield. This one and yours, were both completly rebuilt at the same time, but I think yours was the one that was once at Warnham War Museum.

Brooky, In my opinion, if the HT voltage was same as normal ignition, the system would be better, because it is the removal of contract breakers, that is the important thing with the system. I have fitted Boyer Bransden units that still use the points, but in a very low current, switching mode and they increase performance and starting is better, with out the worries of burning out hard to source parts as the voltage of the HT is unaltered as far as I am aware. This is interesting because I thought the rotor arm failure was a rare problem, but it seems it is not.

Hi Rippo, I think it is probably wise to fit a new rotor arm and cap when you fit a kit, if they look at all aged, cracked or a loose rotor arm. The response to the throttle is amazing, previous hesitation is now known to have been distributor and not carb, as it dissapeared with the kit fitted.

Thanks Snapper, here is today's instalment Forgot to say, the first day's run from Alice to Barrow Creek was 279 Kms. We left Barrow Creek the following day, not an early start, but Dave who I was travelling with, was first away, in order to direct the packets to the lunch stop, which today was to be at Ali-Kurung aboriginal community. This was a bit unnerving as I had visions of Bush Tucker being served up for lunch :shake:. We arrived and got talking to the policeman who was stationed there, a very remote posting. His yard was full of old cars, confiscated for booze running. Alcohol is banned from aboriginal communities. The convoy packets all arrived safely and the meal was a BBQ with salad, and cake afer, so my fears were groundless . Next stop was the Devil's Marbles, but on the way, we had time to stop at Wycliffe Wells, then Wauchope, to sample an ice cold beer. At the later establishment, there was a donkey and goat outside the bar! At the Devil's Marbles, a local guide informed us on this natural feature, they are granite boulders up to six metres in diameter, photo at end of this post. We followed the convoy into the overnight stop at Tennant Creek, which is a small town in a mining area. bit of luxury, stopping in a cabin at the caravan park. We had a layover here on the following day and displayed the convoy vehicles outside the Civic Centre, followed by a parade around the town led by the local police. In the evening, we were invited to an official reception and dinner at the Civic Hall, with transport by bus, so drinking no problem! The second course of the dinner was scones, to represent those given by the Country Women's Association ladies, 50 years before, to the convoy personnel transiting through the town. Next day was another layover in the town, and we took the vehicles to the Primary School and High School. I recollect having coffee and biscuits in the staffroom at the High School. The children were full of interest and were very knowledgable on the history of WW2. Spent the evening in the Memorial Club, made another error of judgement, never drink wine and beer :-D Photos; 1. Ali-Curung, convoy parked 2. Ali-Kurung, lunch time for the "Trackers" 3. Ali-Curung, local kids 4. Wauchope, a few relics outside the pub 5. Devil's Marbles and part of the convoy parked. 6. Tennant Creek, on display at Civic Centre

Hello Rick, I am sorry to hear that Warren is no longer with us, it was good to have a few big trucks along, Macks did feature in the wartime convoys. Any photos you have will be welcomed, please. I spent more time with a video camera.

Neil, That is interesting that you have had trouble with one of these kits on a 6 volt Ford V8. A friend fitted one to his Ford CMP, also 6 volt.......no spark :-(. After checking it over for him , I found that by setting the kit up on the bench with a spark plug and coil, it would spark, put it back on the engine, and no spark,. Unfortunatley he had no starting handle, because I suspected the battery did not have enough power and starter was absorbing so much current, the coil did not have enough. He contact the maker and no real help. In the end the kit was taken off and points refitted. Trouble with the vehicle was that the battery box is not big enough for a greater amp/hr battery. The battery was perfectly alright when on conventional points set up, but would refuse to start on electronic ignition. I fitted a kit to an Austin K2 ambulance and was greatly impressed with its starting and running. I drove it down the road with the normal driver alongside, he said it had never gone so well. A few days later, on their way to a show, the engine stopped abruptly after about 4 miles......the rotor arm had gone to earth, no warning. After renewing the arm it is OK now. This is one thing that worries me, the greater HT voltage might tend to find or create problems with rotors and dist. caps, which on some older vehicles, are getting harder to find.

Ted, I could not make the number out, only L16.. like you. it might be impressed that would fit with the numbers, the third digit might hlep to prove this.

Bit late now, will try and do it tomorrow

Tues 1st Aug 1995 The convoy is set to leave Alice, under strict Army control. We were given a send off by the Minister for Veteran Affairs. But I and my friend Dave, in his Land Rover, were not to leave with the rest. A participant from Victoria with a Dodge 3 tonner had been taken to hospital, not likely to be able to drive, so were were going back to camp to take his wife into the hospital and move his Dodge to a trucking yard for backloading. By the time this was done, we were well behind, so we had a quiet run North, stopping to offer assistance to a Chev C15, he was just checking his tappets! We caught up with the RAEME LAD boys in the roadhouse at Aileron, and thought it rude not to join them for a beer.....and sandwich. From here the next stop was Ti Tree, the convoy had stopped for lunch break there and a school visit. The last MV was leaving as we arrived............so we stopped for another beer ( are you seeing the pattern here ? :-D ). Further up the road, we came across the Army International transporter loading one of the convoy trucks, a Mack, with overheating problems. About 20 kms before our overnight stop, we came across a Jeep and trailer with a generator fault and no power, so towed him into Barrow Creek. This was a place, I learnt a vital lesson, put your tent or campbed up, before you have been to the bar and it is dark :-(. We had an excellent night there, with a good group playing. Trouble was when I decided to turn in, I could not see to assemble the campbed, we were going to have a night under the stars, so ended up in the front of the Landie wrapped in my sleeping bag...... Photos here; 1. My friend Dave's Land Rover 2a 2. Chev C15 - running adjustments 3. Barrow Creek Hotel 4. Kenworth, from the Army School of Transport 5. International S-Liner transporter with Mack onboard

I have more info on this if you are interested.

CW, That car looks like a Packard...........

Bet that bloke on the right can tell a story :-D.

Especially for Jack Before we leave the museum at Alice Springs, here is a photo of Kurt Johannsen's road train assembled, the Diamond T would be "Wog" as it still had the cattle body on it. There are three self tracking trailers on it here. Military content: the trailer bogies were made from Carrier trailers, which were for transporting bren gun carriers. The other photo is of Kurt's car which he used for going out in the bush and desert, it ran on wood. There is always bits of mulga, etc to be found and if gathered up when seen, it could be used as fuel in his gas producer.

Probably using the Navy as cover, and going around checking fuel tanks :-D

Hi Ted, This photo is of a Bedford ML 2/3 ton truck. It has a census number prefixed with "L" so looks to be Army, perhaps it is in use by the Army Fire Service, hence why the photo is titled "towing vehicle".

Did'nt spot that, just checked out Bart's prewar directory to find it