| Place | Asia: Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | 136120 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra |
| Conflict |
Vietnam, 1962-1975 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Australian War Memorial exhibit displaying a Centurion Tank prior to the redevelopment of the ...
Description
Australian War Memorial exhibit displaying a Centurion Tank prior to the redevelopment of the Western Courtyard. This Centurion tank is representative of the tanks used by the 1st Armoured Regiment in the Vietnam War. It was originally attributed to a particular crew and displayed with a plaque showing their names, however later research revealed that it is made up of a composite of parts. The hull bears mine damage.
Centurion Tank 169080 operated in Vietnam with "C" Squadron First Armoured Regiment. On 15 September 1968, 169080 was damaged by a mine which exploded under the rear left corner of the fighting compartment. The tank was returned to Australia and rebuilt using a replacement hull from a tank sourced from New Zealand. The tank on display is an externally complete display tank based upon the original damaged hull of tank 169080. The rebuilt tank 169080 which returned to service in Vietnam after the rebuild, is now displayed at Wadsworth Barracks, Bandiana, Victoria. The tank shown here was originally displayed at the Memorial from 1972 until the Western Courtyard was redeveloped in the 1980s. In 1993 this Centurion tank was donated to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Puckapunyal by the Memorial.