" This site is about the fate of 143 Centurions of the Centurion Family of Vehicles"

Not all were Gun Tanks, there were ARV and Bridgelayers as well!

                                                               

Visit to the Vietnam Veterans Museum
 Late Nov 2008

Below are three photos I saw painted by Barry Spicer -- I thought they were photographs when I first saw them

 I contacted Barry and mentioned that a Centurion in Vietnam would also look nice. He replied that he was working on that at the moment!
I kept in contact with Barry and was able in a small way to assist with information. When finished Barry donated a copy to both myself and the Vietnam Veterans Museum -- see below.
Above is my picture on the wall in my office

When the Museum one was framed there was a section left at the bottom. The painting has been sent back to have an inscription inlet into the matt brown border
"Presentation copy - presented to the National Vietnam Veterans Museum "

This radial motor was a Russian design, made in Poland under license and was fitted to the Nth Vietnam Training and Ground attack Planes

 This restored Rolls Royce Avon Turbo Jet is one of the two motors from the Canberra Bomber that is awaiting restoration

This motor is the second one made in Melbourne under license to Rolls Royce
 
Believe it or not, but that end piece on the nose is hardwood and it is original!

Today I received from Rusty Dyson a complete smoke projectile for a 20 pounder.

A bit of working cleaning it down and repainting but then it should look as good as new

All cleaned down, primed and the first two coats of color applied - some more tomorrow!

Ready to install on the next museum trip

This was a display I made up for the Museum

In time it was put into a case. This became a worry as to remove the glass case required four fit people. Fit people around the museum are hard to find. I decided to display the left hand projectile showing it had been cut in two and made into an ashtray. I later obtained a projectile but could not fit it (the shells are fixed to the base ) and it was to tight to slide in. But hopefully the Smoke projectile will fit in ok. Then the ashtray one can be displayed as it is -- an ashtray, made by I would guess, the LAD / RAEME fitters.

One of the ways I help pay for my hobby is making and selling Swagger sticks

I make them for all units but with the Armour and LAD I have the ends chromed and the sticks painted in high gloss black
All other units are mahogany with polished brass 50 cal fittings

I do not normally make a stand for them but in this case I was donating two to the Museum, a RAAC to represent 1st Armoured Regiment  and the Cav units. And a RAEME one for the  L.A.D without them Armour would have quickly stopped - we owe them heaps.

The Vietnam stickers only go on sticks for Vietnam Vets

I place a silver Armoured Corps button on the rear end of the .50 cal case - they fit nicely

I was quite pleased with the finished items and installed them at the back of the display of the 20 pounders, but I do hope to later move them to a better site

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