FAREWELL THE GRANTS

In February 1956, 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles participated in a 2nd Armoured Brigade camp at Puckapunyal. Other units of the Brigade included 4/19 Prince of Wales’s Light Horse, 2nd Armoured Brigade Engineer Squadron and 2nd Armoured Brigade Signals Squadron. All units included voluntary enlisted soldiers and national servicemen.

Soldiers of 8/13 VMR were drawn from the regional centres of Albury-Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla, Euroa, Yarrawonga and Corowa as well as the surrounding rural districts of northeast Victoria and southern NSW.

M3 General Grant tanks of 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles at Puckapunyal February 1956. It was the last camp for the Grants. They were replaced by the Centurion Mark 3.

M3 General Grant tanks of 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles at Puckapunyal February 1956. It was the last camp for the Grants. They were replaced by the Centurion Mark 3.

It was to be the last occasion that the two armoured regiments of the Brigade used the M3 General Grant tank which had been their main armoured fighting vehicle since 1948. The Grants had been imported from USA in 1942 to equip the Australian Armoured Division. All up about 500 were received so were in plentiful supply for RAAC units post-war.

The camp received extensive press coverage in the Weekly Times of 15 February 1956.

Brigadier H H Hanner presenting presenting Staff Sergeant R J Roberts, Orderly Room Sergeant of the 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles with his British Empire Medal (BEM )at Puckapunyal February 1956.

Brigadier H H Hanner presenting presenting Staff Sergeant R J Roberts, Orderly Room Sergeant of the 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles with his British Empire Medal (BEM )at Puckapunyal February 1956.

Brigadier H H (Tack) Hammer, ex 2/48 Bn and 15th Inf Bde, commanded the 2nd Armoured Brigade and Lieutenant Colonel Tom Fogarty, ex 2/8 Armd Regt, commanded 8/13 VMR. Squadron commanders included Major Norman Whitehead MC, ex 2/6 Armd Regt, and Major Reg McDermott ex 2/8 Inf Bn.

Following this camp, the Centurion Mark III main battle tank became the primary fighting vehicle of the armoured regiments. The Centurions however were not so numerous as the Grants had been, there being only enough CMF training tanks at Puckapunyal to equip a squadron. So subsequent annual camps were conducted on a squadron basis.

Soldiers of 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles inspecting a Centurion Mark 3 tank after it had given a demonstration of its capabilities at camp Puckapunyal February 1956. Viewers were impressed and declared it a ‘super’ tank.

Soldiers of 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles inspecting a Centurion Mark 3 tank after it had given a demonstration of its capabilities at camp Puckapunyal February 1956. Viewers were impressed and declared it a ‘super’ tank.

The General Grants tank became surplus to military requirements. Many were sold at disposal sales, converted into bulldozers and ended their life rusting in a farmer’s back paddock

Training with Centurions for 8/13 VMR lasted only two years. In 1959 the regiment converted to a cavalry role and was equipped with Ferret Scout Cars. The regiment did however return to the tank role in 1966, this time with Centurion Mark V vehicles.