The National Army Museum’s extensive military hardware collection includes scout vehicles, tanks, trucks and field guns. Explore the history of the following military equipment:
- M41 Walker Bulldog Tank
- Valentine Mark V Tank
- Ferret Scout Car
- 28th Maori Battalion Canteen Truck
- Breech Loading 5.5 Inch Medium Gun
- Ordnance, Quick Firing 25 Pound Mk II
M41 Walker Bulldog
M41A1 WALKER BULLDOG LIGHT TANK
Developed in the USA in 1950 as the Little Bulldog, the M41 Light Tank first saw action in the Korean War. The M41A1 Walker Bulldog first entered service with the New Zealand Army in 1960, where it replaced the World War II vintage Stuart and Valentine tanks. During the 1970′s and early 1980′s the Walker Bulldog was the New Zealand Army’s only tank and they were used in training exercises all over New Zealand. The Walker Bulldog was replaced in the mid 1980′s by the British Scorpion tracked reconnaissance vehicle.
Valentine Mark V tank
VALENTINE MARK V
The first Valentines in New Zealand were equipped with a 2 pounder (37mm) gun which could only fire armour piercing rounds. Because the New Zealand Army wanted a close support tank to fight with infantry, eighteen of New Zealand’s 255 Valentines were converted to carry a 3 inch howitzer which could fire high explosive shells.
Of the 255 Valentine tanks, 100 were Mark II, 74 were Mark III and 81 were Mark V. There were also 11 Valentine bridge layers in service.
Ferret Scout Car
DAIMLER FERRET MKI SCOUT CAR 4X4
New Zealanders used British MKI Ferrets in both the Malaya Emergency and Confrontation for forward observation tasks. The MKI Ferret was withdrawn from New Zealand service in 1978.
28th Maori Battalion Canteen Truck
Te Rau Aroha
Breech Loading 5.5 Inch Medium Gun
The BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun, known in New Zealand as the 5-5 gun, was first developed during the early part of World War Two, but was only of 4.5 inch calibre. By 1941 the barrel had been ‘enlarged’ and the 5.5 inch gun was introduced into the British Artillery, where it first saw action in North Africa. At that time the New Zealand Divisional Artillery did not have a Medium Battery as part of its organisation, so it did not officially use the 5-5 gun during the Second World War. However during the assault across the Sangro River in Italy some New Zealand Gunners were attached to a British Medium Artillery Regiment firing 5.5in guns in support of the New Zealand infantry.
Ordnance, Quick Firing 25 Pound Mk II
The 25 Pounder – as it is more commonly known – began its life on the drawing boards of the British Royal Artillery in 1936, however it did not go into production until the start of the Second World War. The first New Zealand Artillery unit to receive the 25 Pounder was 5 Field Regiment, RNZA, who gladly exchanged their World War One vintage 18 Pounders in England in August of 1940. With the 25 Pounder being mass-produced in England and Canada it very soon became the standard field gun of all of the British and Commonwealth forces. By the end of the Second World War over 12,000 had been manufactured.
View some of the military equipment restoration projects projects being undertaken by the Museum with the assitance of a dedicated group of volunteers.
