Surplus No1 Mk1

[303Gunner]

There is a bi-monthly magazine dealing with vintage machinery and vehicles called the Old Machinery Magazine.

In the latest edition, No 200, there is a story about 2 engineers who built tractors and earthmoving type equipment from a shed in Bulahdelah, NSW in the 60's. They were apparently enthusiastic buyers at surplus auctions, as many of their machines used mechanical components from ex-Military equipment, with some of the items mentioned including an ex-Army Pettibone Forklift that saw Vietnam service, Thorneycroft Antar tank transporter, and various Blitz truck parts.

To keep the show going, the pair "set up an International 4-wheel-drive truck with a purpose built workshop body complete with electric welder, 240v power, oxygen acetylene, air compressor, tools and gantry crane with 2 ton chain block".

There is a picture of the truck, and it is a No1 Mk1 Inter, also sourced through disposals auctions no doubt. The body on the rear looks reminiscent of the type fitted to WW2 Marmon-Herrington 6x6 Breakdown trucks, and these bodies, being of a specialist type were often transferred later to Studebaker US6 trucks, and then again to the new Internationals.

What I find interesting is that an apparently functioning "new" International should be suplussed out in the 60's, even though the Mk3 or even Mk4 were being produced in large numbers and brought into service. Have a look at the body with the gantry. Does it look like the type used on the M-H 6x6/ Stude US6? I can see a few external differences, but the fitout sounds similar to what you'd expect.

[john.k]

We bought a couple of MkII s in about 1970,..........but it wasnt uncommon for the army to sell written off vehicles with only a couple of years use...........the MkI&II were quite different mechanically from the later trucks,as well as the pieced up cabs being very prone to rust.,so a very good reason to sell them early on....................the commonest cause of a write off was a banana chassis ,we bought some like that ,and Russ Engineering were able to straighten them out without drama,from memory ,only needed fuel tanks removed................anyway,if you look thru the records on this forum,you can see disposal dates.