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Post by ngatimozart on May 17, 2013 17:44:21 GMT 12
My son was at Mystery Creek this week and going to and from he passed through Te Rapa. He saw what he thinks is a M48 tank parked in a car yard there. What we were wondering is if this tank is just sitting there or is it a restoration? We are just curious.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 17, 2013 17:49:03 GMT 12
There's a Walker Bulldog tank around Hamilton, perhaps that is it?
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Post by ngatimozart on May 17, 2013 22:05:53 GMT 12
Thanks Dave. According to NZ Army Museum, NZ had them from 1960 until mid 1980s.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 17, 2013 22:18:16 GMT 12
Yes, and from what I have been told, the Army still has a couple of Walker Bulldogs that were converted to recovery vehicles. I don't know if that's still true.
But I don't think there have ever been any M48 Pattons in NZ. There is a genuine T34 here now, it was at Armistice in Cambridge last year and the year before.
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Post by 30sqnatc on May 18, 2013 10:45:12 GMT 12
There has been an ex NZ Army M41 in Hamilton for sale on Trade Me on and off for the last few weeks a steal at just $150k. See www.trademe.co.nz/motors/trucks/other/auction-542784180.htmThere are no longer any M41 based recovery vehicles. Technically the one that existed was only ever a tug tank as all that occured was the removal of the turret to reduce weight and a few very minor mods to place seatn and a radio in the resulting hole. To the best of my knowledge it was later reunited with its turret when it was sold. By the way a few highly modified M48 (and Sherman) tank hulls were brought to NZ as the chassis for Canadian made foresty highwire log haulers. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2013 12:54:06 GMT 12
Thanks for that info Paul.
How many Shermans are there in NZ now, then? I only know of the one in the museum at Waiouru
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Post by 30sqnatc on May 18, 2013 13:58:12 GMT 12
Strictly speaking there are no complete Shermans in NZ that I'm aware of. The one at the Army Museum is actually a Ram, a Canadianifed version of the Sherman. I've seen at last two Sherman hulls that I mentioned above, this one with the older suspension (seen in Nelson) and one with the more modern style see in Tokoroa.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2013 14:38:33 GMT 12
Considering it was NZ's most important tank it's a shame there are none running in NZ.
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Post by 43willys on Jun 2, 2013 13:03:28 GMT 12
Waiouru Museum's Sherman is a runner, the engine was re-built in Hamilton. Its a 9 cylinder continental. We used to drive the Sherman every weekend. We had it for two years here in Hamilton. It was a very hungry gutted thing to feed, but a lot of fun. At the moment one of the guys here in Hamilton has a un-restored Sexton which is a Sherman chassis with a 25 pounder gun. Waiouru's Sherman/Grizzly when we had it in Hamilton  My mates Sexton. It also has a 9 cylinder radial.   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 2, 2013 14:08:08 GMT 12
Man it would be great to see that Sexton running some day.
Did the New Zealanders use Sextons? If yes, whereabouts? Italy?
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Post by camtech on Jun 12, 2013 9:11:13 GMT 12
The Sherman was at one stage recently sitting in the yard of a hire company inn Greenwood street. Gone now, but were there with some other military vehicles.
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Post by shorty on Jun 12, 2013 9:30:20 GMT 12
Is that Reg Gibson's one?
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Post by 43willys on Jun 17, 2013 14:04:31 GMT 12
The Sherman was at one stage recently sitting in the yard of a hire company inn Greenwood street. Gone now, but were there with some other military vehicles. It was the m41 Walker Bulldog that was sitting in Greenwood St. Is that Reg Gibson's one? Yes, The Sexton is Reg's. Here is a photo my son took of the Walker Bulldog at one of our tank days.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 17, 2013 16:24:34 GMT 12
That's a brilliant photo Mike!!
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