DARWIN’S “BURMA ROAD”

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 257, 29 July 1942, Page 5

DARWIN’S “BURMA ROAD”

Motor Transport Record .(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 23. The vital needs of the Allied forces at Australia’s northern operational bases are served by the world’s greatest motor transport system. In less than t-wo years its trucks have covered almost 1G,000,000 miles. War supplies and troop reinforcements are carried. Main section of the service is over the G2O miles gap in the railway from Alice Springs, right in the heart of the Continent, to Darwin. Workers toiled day and night throughout the winter of 1940 to make the roads. They were given 90 days to do the £500,000 job. It was finished in 88 days. Over this road Army trucks now cover 3,000,000 miles a month. An Army transport company of thousands of men, with headquarters at Alice Springs, runs the convoys. Nearly half the men are truck drivers; the remainder man the depots at. which the trucks are serviced and repaired. This strategic road through the centre of the country did not assume full importance till the entry of Japan into (he war. During the first month of convoy operations (September, 1940) the convoys covered 250,000 miles at a cost of almost scvcnpeiiee a ton mile. Last month’s 3,000,(K)0 miles were covered at a cost of less than 34d. a ton mile. Some of the trucks which made the first trip are still grinding over the road. They are running without mudguards or engine-hoods, but (heir motors are still up to the job. Modern ears can travel over the great highway at speeds up to GO miles an hour. The lorries keep to a maximum of 30. At one stage tyres were being worn out at the rate of 1000 a month. In four months, £SS,OOO was spent on tyres. But this rate of replacement has been reduced considerably. All damaged tyres and scrap rubber are now brought south for reclamation. Parts from wrecked trucks are used to keep other vehicles on the road.

Some time ago dismantled locomotives and rolling stock were trucked over the route to the northern railhead. They have been assembled and now carry to Australia’s northern defend" bastions the materials of war brought to them by the Army’s motor