Soldiers of the Australian Tank Corps - circa 1930s
 

Here's a photo of some soldiers of the Australian Tank Corps - circa 1930s.

Its not often you see them in patrol blues uniform. Note what appears to be a tank badge above the NCO rank stripes.

Plus and AIC officer in the picture as well.

Enjoy!

Mick

Mick, I wonder if this is a cadre from 1 Lt Tk Coy for the formation of 2 Armd Car Regt in 1938 or so.

Why -
1. note the colour patches, these are elongated height wise, the long lighter strip probably being the central red of the light horse armoured car triangular colour patch, rather than the elongated horizontal rectangle of the Australian Tank Corps.

2. The man in khaki is a WO2 AIC member, below his SSM 3rd Class brass crown in wreath badge is another badge which on close examination appears to be more like the armoured car arm badge than the tank arm badge (which in any case I can find no evidence for the issue of the latter even though it appeared in PVCNs).

Keith

Hi Keith,

It certainly is a possibility of being a cadre for the 2nd Armoured Car Regiment.

The original photo is in the Tank Museum @ Pucka.

I'll see if they have any more information about it.

Mick

Mick,

Have been looking at some photographs given to me in 2000 by the Australian Army Armour Museum for a project I was working on, including a colour photo, and it is clear that 1st Light Tank Company wore their colour patch as an upright rectangle. I can't work out whether it is green or brown to the front, but it is very definitely upright and not horizontal!

So this photo is almost certainly of NCOs of 1 Lt Tk Coy, probably 1938/39.

Cheers, Keith

Thanks Keith - good to know.

Mick