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Send-off
a blast
By Cpl Corinne Boer
Edition 1171, July 26, 2007 |
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| On parade: A Leopard tank during its final send- off at Robertson Barracks. |
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THE Leopard proved why it had remained in service for 30 years as it demonstrated its firepower one last time at Mt Bundy on July 9.
The cool wind howled at Mt Bundy and stirred a fine red dust that blew into the eyes of onlookers.
The dust was used as an excuse when some members of the audience wiped away a tear as the Leopard was taken out to the range for the last time.
Just as the wind shifted direction, so did the future of 1 Armd Regt.
It was a symbolic scene at the firepower demonstration as the Leopard faced a ferocious enemy.
The tank stood firm and held its ground as it fired a volley of powerful shots into the distance. As the battle progressed, the mighty Abrams rolled in from behind and took over from the Leopard.
The Abrams finished off the enemy with just a few lethal blasts that shook the ground as the rounds were expelled.
Many soldiers have had a career which parallels the Leopard’s life span. 1 Bde Commander Brig Craig Orme joined the Army in 1978 when the first Leopards came into service. His first job was as a troop leader at 1 Armd Regt, responsible for commanding three tanks and 12 soldiers. Brig Orme said the Leopard is a little like owning your first car.
“My first car was a 1968 Holden station wagon that I called Clive. I bought it in 1979 and I have a lot of fond memories of my old Holden,” he said.
“My first Leopard tank was called Beowulf. I did my degree in English literature and I learned that Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon poem, one of the first poems ever written. It was about a warfighter who was a hard man in ancient times.”
A couple of Leopards will be mounted on concrete blocks and placed outside 1 Armd Regt HQ while the remaining tanks have been put into storage to await disposal.
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