Medals, tanks, trucks, artillery, bicycles AND combat tractors – our collection is as varied as the roles of our soldiers!

Used by the 2nd Engineer Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Engineers, the JCB 3CX Backhoe Loader was the NZ Army’s previous combat tractor and was in service with the NZ Army for 15-20 years. It was used in support of combat troops and for general engineering tasks, including clearing areas, filling protective bunds, digging gun pits, and road maintenance.

The JCB has seen overseas service in Bosnia, Bougainville, East Timor, and Afghanistan, as well as used in support of MAP (Mutual Assistance Programme) initiatives in the Solomon Islands. 

We can get an idea of this combat tractor’s overseas service: UN white paint exposed below the front window indicates this was the backhoe that went to Bosnia, and a sneaky ‘Desert Rat’ symbol of the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Tobruk has been spray painted on by Australian soldiers indicating it also went to East Timor.