Tanks & Lasers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 442, 30 June 1992, Page 9

Tanks & Lasers

If you want your Scorpion Tank, or maybe your Ford Festiva serviced, Scottbase service department has the man. Paul Turner has a wide experience in vehicle maintenance to his credit, including

working on the latest high-tech car motors to fixing Scorpion Tanks out in the Waiouru Army training ground mud. After completing his mechanic's apprenticeship at Webb's Motors in Turnpage 13

Tanks & Lasers

From page 9 Raetihi, he joined the Army, spending 18 months at Burnham, three years with the Queen Alexander Light Aid Detachment at Waiouru, then six months at Trentham in Upper Hutt. While with the Army he gained his A grade certificates in diesel and petrol engine mechanical engineering. He also has his dual fuel certificate, so can handle a wide range of mechanical repairs and maintenance. It was with the QA Squadron detachment that Paul worked on tanks and other heavy

machinery. The unit had its own armoured vehicles, and would follow the squadron on its exercises, carrying out maintenance in the field, on tanks, heavy trucks, and Landrovers. After leaving the Army Paul went to Wanganui, where he worked as a "ciwy street" mechanic for two years. He moved back to Ohakune October last year, and took a break from his trade, working for the family subcontracting business, that works for Winstone's pulp mill. Working in a brandnew building is a far cry from grovelling under diesel- driven

tanks in the icy Waiouru mud. Most of his work for Wanganui Motors will be regular servicing, (interval servicing). "If people keep that up most cars don't suffer major breakdowns. Nowadays if the product's looked after properly it stays in good condition." If major repairs are called for at Scottbase, Paul has two options. Someone comes up from Wanganui to help him, or the car is taken to Wanganui to be worked on. "I'm not a one-man band - I've got the full support of a City Ford workshop in Wanganui Motors."