Australian War Memorial July 2013 (PART II)

Link to Part I

Continuing my photo review of my visit to the Australian War Memorial. The first part was more about the flying machines. for the second part I'll show the military vehicles and other things.

VW Kubelwagen Type 82

This particular vehicle served with the German Afrika Korps and was brought to Australia from Bardia in Libya. The markings indicated that it was attached to a field artillery unit of the 15th Panzer Division. The vehicle was completely restored in 2009. During this process the vehicle was finished in markings typical of the 33rd Field Artillery unit of the 15th Panzer Division during the period of the Siege of Tobruk between April and December 1941.

The Kübelwagen became one of the most widely used German vehicles of the war, with 52,000 built by May 1945. 

This vehicle was previously restored by No.2 Base Workshop, Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Moorebank, Sydney in the mid 1980's.

BMW R12 750cc motorcycle with sidecar

Fully restored BMW R12 750cc motorcycle, sidecar combination in operating condition. The vehicle has been finished in the early German war scheme of dark grey and has black upholstery. The engine is finished in polished bare metal with black and silver cylinder heads and a black exhaust sustem. Most detail items have been fitted. This includes the front headlight with built in speedometer, rear tail lights and reflectors, front and rear number plate brackets. Three small aluminium discs depicting the BMW logo of the quartered circle are mounted on each side of the fuel tank with the third fitted to the side car. The frame is made from built up steel pressings and some steel tubing which connects the sidecar with the motorcycle. The front end suspension uses telescoping forks with hydraulic damping while the rear end is rigid. The sidecar has leaf springing. The drivers seat uses two vertical coil springs to assist in shock absorbtion while the pillion seat is dampened using a horizontal coil spring. A black ring handhold is fitted for the pillion position. The sidecar has a grab bar mounted for the passenger and behind the passengers compartment is a small storage boot with hinged lid. A tan coloured, leather pannier bag is also fitted. Rivetted to the front top of the sidecar is a small rectangular white metal plate titled 'Krad B' which specifies three different weights in kilograms. The rear and sidecar tyres are Dunlop Universals 4"x18". The front tyre is a Barum 3.5" x 19".

Chevrolet Tiger Truck in Desert scheme

Railway Jeep used in Burma