Armoured cars and light cars patrolled the deserts, reconnoitred enemy positions and spearheaded the allied advance.
AWM Negative Number: B00707 Caption: Aleppo; November 1918; The No. 1 Australian Light Car Patrol at Aleppo Railway Station.
The men are in Model T Ford vehicles, some of which have Lewis machine guns mounted
on the car, and several are on motorcycles. Photographer: unknown
Armoured Car Sections1st Armoured Car Section
Formed Melbourne 1916. Equipped with three armoured cars built at the Vulcan
Engineering Works in South Melbourne, a 50 HP Daimler, a 60 HP Mercedes and a 50 HP
Minerva. All were armoured and the Daimler and Mercedes were armed with Colt machine guns. Departed Melbourne Katuna. Fought against the Senussi in the
Sudan and Western Desert. Also known as 1st Armoured Car Battery. Became 1st Light Car
Patrol 3 December 1916.
Sudan, Egypt, Western Desert
Light Car Patrols
1st Light Car Patrol
As their original vehicles became worn out from hard use in the Western Desert and
were irreparable due to shortages of spare parts, the unit was reequipped with six Ford
light cars. Extra drivers and motorcycles were provided and the unit became the 1st Light
Car Patrol 3 December 1916. The cars were given names: Anzac, Billzac, Osatal, Silent
Sue, Imshi and Bung. These were traded in for six new Fords on 11 December
1917. In May 1917 the unit was redeployed to Palestine by rail, and served throughout the
campaign there.
Egypt, Western Desert, Palestine
Page created by Ross
Mallett
ross@metva.com.au
Last update 28 June 2010