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 The best known driver of Australian Army Land-Rovers | |
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The best known driver of Australian Army Land-Rovers | |
Bush Tucker Man: The Vehicles!I am no exp[ert on the Bush Tucker Man, Les Hiddins, but watching the tv series' as a child, the vehicle that he drove is the one thing that sticks in my mind. In fact there were different vehicles driven in each of the three Bush Tucker Man television series. Something that we had not captured here on REMLR before, so I thought I should add some information about each vehicle. Pre BTM TV SeriesThere is some photos and footage of Les on Australian Army training films driving, wait for it, an Army Toyota Landcruiser! I know that the thought of it is sacraligeous, but that is the facts of it! Series 1 - Army registration 48-001 and 101-228In the first series Les drove a General Service Land Rover with registration 48-001 towing a No.5 Trailer with registration 101-228. The registration is one that sticks out to many for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is easy to remember, secondly, 48-001 is actually one of the Initial Production Vehicles, the very first General Service if you like (not counting trials vehicles). For more information, visit the Trials, Prototype and Land Rover Development Vehicles page. In 2013 Land Rover 48-001 was preserved at the East Point Military Museum in Darwin by the Australian Army. |
  Copyright: Australian Army |
 Copyright: Australian Army |
 Copyright: Australian Army |
Series 2 - NT Registration 254This time around the vehicle in question was another Land Rover General Service With Winch. However in this instance it was purchased by the Defence Public Affairs Department in Canberra for use by Les Hiddins. Why 254? it was the lowest registration number that they were able to get and they wanted it to be as recognisable as 48-001. What became of 254? that is not precisely know, it is thought that it re entered regular Army service and was issued an Army Registration out of sequence for it's age once filming was completed. It's vin was SALLDHAZ1BF572917 |
Series 3 - Queensland Registration 577-AZUFur the first time, Les got a vehicle with a roof. This time his vehicle was a Land Rover 110 Perentie, specifically a Carryall Personnell. However this time the vehicle was painted white and never served with the Australian Army. Originally registered as OLE-980 in NSW, this vehicle was built at the same time as the initial production vehicles, and is one chassis number higher than it's Army brother, 48-007. This vehicle had been retained by Land Rover as an Engineering Development vehicle. More information about it can be found |
 Copyright: Glenn Smith |
 Copyright: Glenn Smith |
 Copyright: Glenn Smith |
 Copyright: Glenn Smith |
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