Section 2 - M113A1

M113s at BENDEMEER at the end of Ex LANCER CHARGE 2004

It is with mixed emotions that I write about the history of the longest serving RAAC member of the Regiment, the M113A1. Whilst the author has only served for twenty of the vehicles forty years service he and every one he has spoken to about their time spent on this trustworthy steed comment with fondness of the times spent in the often noisy, dirty, hot, cold and second class ride. It was interesting to note that like many other parts of the Regiments history, no official record has ever been made of the vehicles service, something that will need to be rectified on the arrival of the new Bushmaster IMV.

Prior to 1967 the regiment operated a mixture of vehicles, the Humber, the white and ferret scout cars, all of which were wheeled. It seems the more things change the more they stay the same!

In 1967 the Regiment took delivery of the first of three M113s, one to each Squadron location. The Tamworth carrier naturally being named "Beersheba", B Squadron "Baria" ARN 134140 and the Armidale C Squadron Vehicle "Cambrai" ARN 134146.

In April of the same year 9 hand picked soldiers underwent their driver training on the shinny new machines instructed by qualified Cardre Staff. These first vehicles arrived with the .50 cal pintle mount however no guns were initially supplied. Past CO LTCOL Ross Gay recalls "The vehicles arrived with a perfect fitting rubberised cover which did not appear on any CES list and quickly disappeared to the homes of some quick thinking individuals".

These first vehicles had no inter-communication or radio system fitted and although numerous attempts to manufacture home made systems were trialed, they all failed due to the vehicle background noise. This resulted in the light horsemen resorting to what they knew, tying string to the drivers epaulets and steering them in the same fashion as a horse.

By the following September camp the .50 cals had arrived and although no one was qualified on the weapon past CO LTCOL Rod Davies had used the weapon in the British Army and the soldiers came up with there own drills with the assistance of the weapons operators manual!

At the same time in South Vietnam a Gun shield was being developed to protect the crew commander from small arms fire and give weight to steady the gun whilst firing. It is not known when or how many of these made their way to 12/16 HRL. The only example of the type in the Regiment remains on the Fitters Track 134367 to this day, it was removed from Fitters 134370 in 2002 on its return for rebuild.

Further need to protect the crew commander and a second main armament saw the purchase of the "temporary" commercially purchased turret. The T50 produced by the Cadillac Gauge Corporation of Warren Michigan in the United States with either twin .30 cal machine guns or .30 cal and .50 cal machine guns. The Regiments vehicles were sent back to workshops at Bandiana to have the T50 turret modification over a two year period.

In 1970 the Regiment was issued its first M577 Armoured Command vehicle 134483 which it retained until the initial withdrawals.of the M113s for the A3 upgrade project, along with the units other 2 ACVs in 2004.
1980 saw the regiment issued with four fire support vehicles which were a M113A1 Scorpion Turret fitted and a 76mm gun. These vehicles were loved by their crews who had a more comfortable turret, night sight, a big gun with a .30 pintle mount as well and the all important cooking vessel which would allow the crew to cook on the go much to the envy of their LRV comrades. These vehicles however very cramped inside and as such difficult to service and had no living space internally for the crew.

The regiment continued to use the MRV until 1986 when the unit was re-roled as APC and no longer had a requirement for them. These once noble vehicles then sat outside RHQ in Tamworth for two years until they were replaced by M113A1 APCs. A memorial and a rare example of the 48 MRVs made is located today outside the Regimental Museum at Gaza Depot in Armidale.
Other vehicles to serve in 12/16 HRL are 1 by ARVL- Armoured Recovery Vehicle. This vehicles most well known and respected commander being the late SGT Bernie "Tex" Simpson.

The most A Vehicles 12/16 Hunter River Lancers possessed prior to the commencement of hand back for the upgrade programme is as following:

6 by TLCs Tracked Load Carriers M548 or the armoured ute.
1 by Mortar Track
3 by M577 ACV
2 by Fitters Track
1 by ARVL
24 by M113 A1

12/16 HRL has never suffered a fatality whilst operating the M113 family of vehicles although there have been a number of incidents including when SGT Graham Earl Sank ARN 134156 in 1986 at Lake Liddel and CPL J Boyd rolled ARN 134156 360 degrees back onto its tracks at Singleton in 1992.

Technical Data M113A1 (Australia) APC with T50 Turret

Nomenclature: Carrier, Personnel, Full Tracked M113A1
Manufacturer: Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation
Country of Origin: United States f America
Date of Introduction: 1964
Date of Withdrawal: 2007???????
Length: 4864mm
Width: 2693mm
Height: 2528mm
Ground clearance: 410mm
Weight Unladen: 9372kg
Weight Combat: 11515
Ground Pressure: 55kpa
Weight of Belly Armour: 680kg
Track Type: Steel, single pin with detachable rubber pads
Track Link: 127: 63 Left side 64 Right side
Engine: GM Detroit 53 series V6
Fuel Diesel
Fuel Capacity: 360 litres
Transmission: Allison TX 100-1 3 Speed Automatic
Armour: Aluminium with steel turret
Armament on T50 Turret: .50 inch Browning MG
.30 inch Browning MG
Crew; Driver and Crew Commander

Certainly the regiment will farewell the M113 with a lot of fond memories as it moves onto a new chapter with a new vehicle the Bushmaster IMV which just like its predecessor has proven itself remarkable in operations and will take the unit into the 21st Century

Captain Brian Everett