A Lorry By Any Other Name

A Lorry By Any Other
Name…
Laura Kennedy, Australian War Memorial
Alison Wain, Australian National University
Initial Concept Design
Dingo Scout Car
Kübelwagen
Pak 40 - German 7.5 cm anti-tank gun
Ford Marmon Herrington 11T tractor
Artillery Trailer No. 27 Mk 1
25 pounder field gun
HMAS Sydney Carley Float
Tobruk, Libya 1941
Two 20/65 Breda model 35 20mm anti-aircraft guns of 8 Battery, 2/3rd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment,
are loaded into a Chevrolet lorry.
The battery was frequently moved to provide anti-aircraft cover for artillery batteries and troop movements and was known as
‘Stokes Travelling Circus’, after their Commanding Officer, Major Phillip Stokes
Tobruk, Libya 1941
A gun crew of the 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment in action with an
Italian Breda Model 35 20mm cannon mounted on a Chevrolet lorry.
Chevrolet 1941 Model 41/E22 General Service lorry
Final Concept Design
Dingo Scout Car
Kübelwagen
Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun
BMW motorcycle and sidecar combination
Chevrolet 1941 Model 41/E22 General Service lorry
with a Breda Model 35 20mm anti-aircraft gun
mounted on the tray
HMAS Sydney Carley Float
Gallery 1
Would a barrier layer work?
Japanese 1934 Type 94 Tankette
Microcrystalline wax
Lockheed Hudson Mark Bomber
Gum arabic
Any other options?
The eBay Lorry
Conflict Resolved?
It looked like the lorry in the historic images
Alleviated issues of overpainting
Alleviated concerns about lack of physical barrier
How to present a convincing case for change
where there is a need to protect the integrity of
a relic while meeting display requirements?
What do the public want?
What do stakeholders expect?
How do these considerations factor into the decision
making process?
How does the presentation style affect the visitor
experience?
Conserved as found
Repainted to look new
Repainted to look used
Would visitors, seeing a vehicle that looked
freshly painted, feel that it lacked authenticity?
“Do you like to see
these objects
restored as new?”
At the Memorial,
79% said no.
“You get an idea of
how close the pilot
came to death when
you see all the
machine-gun marks
and the bullets.”
“I prefer it when
they look old.
Because (if it is
restored) I don’t
know whether it is
real.”
What impact would the use of a lorry that had no
known provenance, let alone provenance from
North Africa, have on the integrity of the display?
“You think of the
history, and where
it’s been, and who
else has touched it,
and historically
what it went
through.”
Is there the potential for visitors to take away the
false impression that the lorry had actually served in
North Africa, and did it matter if they did?
The desert war was one of movement. During 1941, this
was fast and fluid as the battle front moved back and forth
along the coast of North Africa. The combatants used a
variety of vehicles to move troops as well as to carry
supplies and equipment, along the hot, dusty roads of
Libya, Egypt, and Syria.
This Chevrolet was the type of general service lorry that
saw extensive service with Australian forces in the Middle
East. They were also used in Malaya. Modified vehicles
also served in Australia and Papua, mainly around Port
Moresby, until they were later replaced by purpose-built
Canadian and American vehicles. [SP01542]
Chevrolet 1941 Model 41/E22 General Service lorry
Manufacturer
Chevrolet
Country of origin
USA; Australia
Year
1941
Crew
1 driver
Engine
in-line 6-cylinder
Would the purchase of an unprovenanced lorry for
display start a trend of acquiring objects to meet
short-term display goals ultimately degrade the
cultural value of the collection?
Our Classification System
National Collection
AWM Collection
Prop
Exhibition Fit-out
Spare
A Spare?
Gallery 1 – installed and
open for business.