John Kettler Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) After the war, there were hordes of unneeded tanks and no tractors, so farmers bought them for as little as 50 pounds each. These days, the former farm workhorse Matilda IIs the dad bought for $250 in 1972 is worth $300,000 NZ dollars each, roughly $210,00 USD. The sight gladdens my treadhead heart. Hope they eventually restore them. Wouldn't that be something? Regards, John Kettler Edited January 11, 2017 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Good to see your attention to accuracy and command of detail remains unparalleled. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I wonder if the gun still works. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnarly Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 18 hours ago, JonS said: Good to see your attention to accuracy and command of detail remains unparalleled. LMAO. I was going to say go nice on John, @JonS , until I watched the video. @John KettlerFYI New South Wales is actually a state of Australia... I think the Aussies on here won't appreciate being referred to as Kiwis.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 (edited) Gentlemen, Since it's clear I got my Southern Hemisphere geography all crossed up, I offer my profound apologies. Additionally, I think I got a bit carried away in the OP title. The reporter said he had his own tank platoon, but didn't specify the exact composition. Thus, he has his own tank platoon, of which one tank is a (very rare) Matilda II. Below is another article on the proud owner, together with some unusual pics of tanks as farm equipment and one tank being restored. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-19/tinkering-with-tanks-and-preserving-australian-farming-history/8017194 The acronym origin of the restoration group known as BATRAC is a hoot. Busted Arse Tank Repairs And Company. Finally, I have to say that, compared to what this guy found in Australia, our scrap yards suck. Get a load of this. Regards, John Kettler Edited January 12, 2017 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 (edited) The first clue was the flag, at time=00:05 (actually, the first clue was 'Matildas', of which NZ had zero. But I fully accept that's a fairly esoteric factoid.) Edited January 12, 2017 by JonS 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnarly Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RenRILqwhJs 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Love that clip The other one is pretty good too - "100% Invadeable" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnarly Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 %100 Too Easy 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 5 hours ago, John Kettler said: ...our scrap yards suck. I don't know, that may be true now more or less, but 45 years ago I knew a young guy whose idea of a great way to spend his time was to go browsing through junk yards. BTW, I personally have one example of WW II vintage tanks being repurposed. About 35 years ago I was out late one night just taking a walk and as I passed a filling station I noticed something peculiar about a mobile crane parked there. I paused and suddenly the picture came into focus, so I walked over to take a closer look and to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. Someone had taken a Sherman and removed everything above the level of the tracks and welded the crane onto it. It was a nicely done job and everything seemed to fit perfectly together, but I was puzzled exactly why it was done. There was nobody around at this time of night to ask, so I never found out any more about it, but the image of it sitting there has stuck in my brain ever since. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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