Australians at War & Volkswagens

1,769 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 4 Sep 2008, 8:44 pm

#667751

Guys,

I was just doing a search on the Australian War Memorial website for some pictures of my brother, when I decided to do a search for Volkswagen.

This is what I came up with

http://cas.awm.gov.au/TST2/cst.acct_master?surl=637039353ZZZVCDMCWBETT72663&stype=3&simplesearch=&v_umo=&v_product_id=&screen_name=&screen_parms=&screen_type=RIGHT&bvers=4&bplatform=Microsoft%20Internet%20Explorer&bos=Win32

It occurred to me that some of these guys would be the first Australians & some of the first people outside of Germany to have ever driven a volkswagen. I was thinking "lucky buggers" then I remembered what they were actually doing at the time these pictures were taken.

Cheers

Brendan

Calling all NSW Mid North Coast Veedubbers

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Mid North Coast VW

ancientbugger Custom Title Time!

1,986 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 4 Sep 2008, 10:55 pm

#667788

Would have been great fun to play silly buggers in those kubels but when someone's shooting at you somehow destroys the moment!👎

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Sep 2008, 8:07 am

#667831

Yes the Australian soldiers of the 9th Division, AIF, fighting Rommel's Afrika Corps in North Africa in 1941, were the first Australians to see (and, sometimes, capture and drive) the VW-based Kubelwagen. About 15 years ago we did manage to track down some veterans who had personal experience with captured Kubelwagens. Often they were put to use by the Aussies as transport and medical evac vehicles, with large red crosses painted on the side. Often they would be driven into 'no mans land' between the front lines, to rescue wounded soldiers. The old soldiers said that the Germans were pretty good at not shooting at the Red Cross Kubels driven by Aussies, but the Italians often took shots at them.

The Australian 9th division pulled out of North Africa once the Germans were defeated at El Alamein in 1942, and were then sent to New Guinea to fight the Japs. Materiel like the captured Kubels had to be simply left behind in the Libyan desert.

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra does have a Kubel in its collection, which is in restored condition, and is usually (but not always) on display in the North Africa gallery. The Australian Army did bring a Kubel, and two 1945 Beetles, to Australia for evaluation just after the war. The Army put the cars to an extensive testing program. The Beetles were auctioned off in 1946; it is possible (but not certain) that the Kubel is the one now in the War Memorial. The Army put forward an official proposal to make the Kubelwagen in Australia, which resulted in Len Hartnett visiting Wolfsburg in 1948 to try to get the machinery required, as war reparations. Not surprisingly, nothing came of this.

kombikim disfunctionally capable

1,521 posts · joined Dec 2002 · 5 Sep 2008, 4:05 pm

#667905

relating to this, but not just VW, my father was in the 9th division - supplies for both Axis & Allies were difficult, so both sides used to scavenge, repair & use whatever vehicles they could, there were many occasions in the intense darkness of night or blinding duststorms, where people got lost, then rejoined a convoy, only to find that they were in an enemy convoy, some escaped, some didnt. Dad drove a VW once, but usually Lancia trucks

Please, I need drivers side window regulator (winder mechanism) for my '54

volumex Officially Full-On Dubber

389 posts · joined Jul 2005 · 5 Sep 2008, 10:21 pm

#667946

My grandfather was also in 9th division, and his brother was in 6th division. Attached is what I think may be a Kubel in Tobruk, and also the highlight of his time in Tobruk - when a shipment arrived with beer and they got to have 1 bottle per 3 blokes.

Resized. Hi-res version of the first photo is here: http://lancia.googlepages.com/kubel.jpg

greenbug70 Seriously Crusin Dubber

103 posts · joined Nov 2003 · 6 Sep 2008, 2:25 pm

#668016

my father also served in nth africa with the 9th division, a cavalry unit (black berets) made up apvs tanks m/cycles such was the reputation of these men, hitler asked rommel if he could have anything what would it be, his reply....... a division of these australian soldiers..... and as has been mentioned they returned to australia retrained for jungle warfare up on the atherton tablelands and then sent to the islands, and in true aussie style they did jack up against their commanding officers before they left because they felt they were holding them back through their (officers) lack of training. my father actually wrote a book about his recollections "albury to alamein".

proper preparation prevents piss poor performance