Military vehicles at QE II museum

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 299, 11 August 1989, Page 19

Military vehicles at QE II museum

After being on display for twelve months the Maori Battalion exhibit at the QEII Army Memorial Museum is due to be dismantled next week in preparation for another display in September.

Originally intended as a six month display the Maori Battalion exhibit was extended as a result of public demand and it is estimated that about 80,000 people saw it. The next display to occupy the main downstairs exhibition hall is to be based on New Zealand's military vehicles. Because of the demand on museum resources to commemorate the 1990

celebrations next year, and to recognise the 50th anniversaries of many New Zealand batallions (formed in 1940 in response to WWII), "there have been many requests" said museum director, Major Dave Mowat last week. The military vehicle display is likely to be a short one and will probably be replaced before Christmas. Among the twenty or so vehicles to be

exhibited are a WWII Sherman tank, a Ferret Scout car, a Scammell recovery vehicle, an armoured personnel carrier, an LPOP (local pattern observation post) and a 'homegrown' Semple tank based on a Caterpillar D-8 tractor! Other vehicles include a field ambulance and several army bicycles and motorcycles. Major Mowat is sure that the forthcoming military vehicle exhibit will have something for everyone as most of the vehicles will be presented in an open to the public demonstration mode.