Leigh and his wife Cheryl drove their 1944 GPW 4200 miles across Australia. Leigh documented his trip with some pics and descriptions. Below is part I. Thanks to Leigh for taking the time to put this together!
Leigh and Cheryl started at point A, east of Melbourne. They drove through)rain northwestward to Adelaide (B), where they joined the group. Together, the caravan started northward, reaching Terowie (G on the map).
The seeds for this trip were actually sown in 1995 when a group of Military vehicle enthusiasts organised a run from Alice Springs to Darwin to commemorate th 50th anniversary of the end of WW2, they would re-enact the supply convoys that ran between these citys during this conflict.
Enthusiasts from all states of Australia and several from overseas responded and over eighty vehicles participated with the Australian Army supplying a further fourteen support vehicles. They also took charge of the convoy that was spread over several miles.
As a result of the success of this event it was decided that a similar event, but on a smaller scale be run every five years starting from a different state every year.
This year was South Australias turn with the convoy of 40 vehicles including 5 – MB/GPW’s, 1 – 1954 Jeep Truck and 1 – 1974 Mitsubishi built Jeep meeting at the National Military Vehicle Museum in Adelaide (who have an MB and a GPA.) For us in south east Victoria this was a 600 mile journey in appalling weather (heavy rain & squalls) before the official start. After two days battling a head wind my long suffering wife, Cheryl and I finally arrived at the start point in our 1944 GPW & Australian Army Jeep trailer, (slightly different to the US trailer) here we had a lay day to meet the other participants and do any minor repairs/gather last minute supplies as we were about to head into country where there are little in the way of services and generally no phone coverage.
Overlooking Barossa Valley
Next morning we set off through the Adelaide Hills and the wine making region of the Barossa Valley on mostly sealed roads to get us accustomed to travelling in convoy, to end up on the Worlds end Hwy (it wasn’t really that bad) at Burra Gorge where we camped for the night.
Burra copper mine Circa 1870.
Burra Mine Engine House.
The following day Mon. Aug. 10th we travelled on to the sleepy town of Terowie, (population 145) where the local Citizens Assoc. supplied us with a BBQ dinner and free camping on the local oval, again it was windy and freezing.
Cheryl next to Terowie MacArthur Monument.
Terowie was a busy staging camp during WW2 and while transferring trains here on 20th March 1942 General Douglas MacArthur made his famous speech regarding the battle of the Philippines in which he said “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”. He subsequently repeated the line “I shall return” in a number of speeches. The event is commerated by a plaque on the now disused railway platform.
Setting up camp at Terowie
Tomorrow its on to Quorn in the picturesque Flinders Ranges. Read Part II here (scheduled for Sat morning)
