Film Collection Online: Tracks on Sprockets
To complement the release of the film collection online, the film and sound team are creating a series of show reels to give you a taste of the material that is now readily available at your fingertips!
This show reel highlighting tanks and the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) was made to coincide with Cambrai Day, 20 November, the anniversary of the battle of Cambrai. Cambrai Day is the RAAC’s day for commemoration of all who served with past and present with Australian armoured units and is also celebrated by The Royal Armoured Corps and Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps.
The show reel consists of three parts. The first part is made up of clips from six silent Department of Information and Military History Section films from the Second World War. Clips feature the Australian designed and built Sentinel cruiser tank, Grant medium and Stuart light tanks of 1 Armoured Division, Crusader tanks of 9 Division Cavalry Regiment, Matildas of 2/4 Armoured Regiment and Stuarts of 2/6 Armoured Regiment. Completing this series of clips is a trial of a Japanese Type 94 tankette by NX114685 Trooper Brian Edwin Bourke and NX123601 Lieutenant Vincent Douglas Ferns, both from 'B' Squadron, 1 Australian Armoured Regiment. A music soundtrack has been added to these silent films.
The second part has several clips from The Royal Australian Armoured Corps (F00231) a promotional film made in 1958. Featuring are new RAAC troopers kitted out, Centurion tanks and for the time, a high tech training system for tank gunners.
The third part consists of clips from two tank trials of American light tanks, the first for the M-24 Chaffee held in Bougainville, November 1945 and the second for the M-551 Sheridan in North Queensland 1967/1968. Neither tank was accepted for service by the Australian Army.
Please enjoy exploring, researching and, most importantly, viewing our collection.
Links to collection items used in the show reel –
F07029, F01716, F01826, F01670, F01813, F07319, F00231, F07353, F03719