Leopard Tank Help

**Pickles2** · 9th June 2014, 08:50 AM

I've been to the Tank Museum at Pucka. A VERY good display. When we went there, there was a very large, & very friendly, ginger cat, sitting on the counter, in the office!
Pickles.

**Epic_Dragon** · 9th June 2014, 01:06 PM

im not sure what type the tank is that cruises around the paddock. only seen it when I have been driving past and there is no space to park up on to have a look and talk to the owner. im assuming it's one of the ww2 types you mention. thanks for the information. very in depth

is it up to the rsl to look after the tank they were gifted? id volunteer to help look after it if I knew who to contact. paint brush and rust buster would go a long way. that stuff saved my panel van for all the years it was out in the weather!

**Epic_Dragon** · 9th June 2014, 01:06 PM

where is pucka? definitely have to go there one day

**THE BOOGER** · 9th June 2014, 01:44 PM

Pucka or Puckapunyal is the middle of vic home of the RAAC training centre and museum
Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum - Puckapunyal Australia

well worth a visit if you can plan a visit around march you could meet up with one of the AULRO/REMLR visits during corowa military veh rally

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scrUSqRXF3E

not a tank but most civies call it a tank

**Epic_Dragon** · 9th June 2014, 05:13 PM

sensational video

thankyou! haha! being in victoria ill definately be goign there

oh cool! around march sounds like a great time of year to go!

**Don 130** · 9th June 2014, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Your information is not completely true.

The Leopard tanks and the M113 are the first armoured vehicles that are not being sold by the Australian Government. Apparently the hulls of the M113 are still owned by the US Government and they therefore control who gets access, including other countries. Also a majority of the M113A1 have been lengthened and upgraded to M113AS3 or M113AS4 specification and will remain in service past 2020.

Most of the Centurian fleet (101) were sold by tender to a single person. A couple of dozen off those were sold to the US to be disguised as M1 Abrams for use in the movie "Courage Under Fire", a few dozen more were scrapped and the rest are in private hands around the country.

There are numerous WWII types in private hands and there are many foreign armoured vehicles privately imported to Aus, however it is very difficult to get through the import restrictions and paperwork.

The Tank Museum at Puckapunyal has an annual operating budget from Defence that does not include appropriate funding for maintenance of the collection and being in Seymour there are limited volunteers available to even regularly wash the collection. Particularly those stored in the weather.

I know of a bloke who had lots of tanks bought from the government. He sold most of them, but I think he's still got a couple in the shed. A lot were sold without turrets to be used a bush tugs for various tasks. Some sold to other armies and some to movie makers. I think they had thirsty petrol engines, perhaps the centurions?
Don.

**Lotz-A-Landies** · 9th June 2014, 07:12 PM

If its the same bloke he still has a centurian: training tank; an armoured recovery vehicle; and a bridge layer, apart from a couple of other armoured vehicles. (Plus a shed full of spares)

The engines were 12 cylinder Rolls Royce Meteor engines, almost the same as the Merlin in the Lancaster, Mosquito and Spitfire but without the supercharger. You'd be thirsty if you had to push 50 tons around!

LOZZA s1 · 30th August 2014, 06:09 PM

They sure were thirsty, when I was a young Soldier in 8 RAR I did an exercise in Pucka with 1 ARMD Regt we use to ride on the back of the Cents , I remember the Tankie telling me they get about 4 gals to the mile, send you broke if you owned

**LandyAndy** · 30th September 2014, 09:47 PM

Hi Dan.
Was in Geraldton over the weekend.Got you a couple of pics of the Geraldton Leopard.

Andrew

MKC · 21st December 2014, 10:22 AM

Posted previously: " The Leopard tanks and the M113 are the first armoured vehicles that are not being sold by the Australian Government. Apparently the hulls of the M113 are still owned by the US Government and they therefore control who gets access, including other countries. Also a majority of the M113A1 have been lengthened and upgraded to M113AS3 or M113AS4 specification and will remain in service past 2020.

Most of the Centurian fleet (101) were sold by tender to a single person. A couple of dozen off those were sold to the US to be disguised as M1 Abrams for use in the movie "Courage Under Fire", a few dozen more were scrapped and the rest are in private hands around the country."

If I may offer some further information: The first batches of M113A1 were purchased by Australia direct from FMC and are not subject to US State Department rules. Later batches purchased under foreign sales agreements through the US Dept of Defense are subject to a State Department end-user agreement, which means they cannot normally be on-sold without approval of the US State Department. The difference is administrative: I doubt it will make any difference as to how the surplus (after the upgrades are completed) are disposed of, which won't include disposal to the public. A number are slated for retention as museum pieces under the Army History Unit's Significant Vehicles project.

The total number of Centurions (all types) sold was 105, to a company, not an individual: Combat Vehicles Australia had three directors/partners. The total Centurion acquisitions by Australia was 150, of which 143 received registration numbers, and 7 were reduced to spare parts. So 38 were retained and ended up as gate guards, museum pieces and hard targets.

The total number of Centurion gun tanks exported to the USA for making the movie Courage Under Fire was 12.

The engine in the Centurion Mk5 was a Meteor Mk4B, and in the Dozer a Meteor Mk4BH. All the Meteor Mk4 series engines were built by Rover, rather than Rolls Royce. While the Meteor is based upon the Rolls Royce Merlin aircraft engine, its development and manufacture as a tank engine was carried out by Rover.

Regarding the Leopard images at Geraldton, these show ARN 27709, which was allocated to the Canberra Services Club. If that's the case, does anyone know where ARN 29399 is, the tank originally allocated to Geraldton RSL??

Thanks

MKC

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