Fargo

Wool loaded for Sydney, photo taken at Weatherilt's Garage, Parker St. Cootamundra, late 30's.


 

A flash bit of gear with the chrome bumper.

That's why they're all wearing ties. 

Southbound wrote:

Wool loaded for Sydney, photo taken at Weatherilt's Garage, Parker St. Cootamundra, late 30's.


 

QUIZ: Who's Who in the photo?
My guesses: tall guy on left with dog is the property owner - well off, squattocracy type, a little aloof;
Guy standing at truck probably the driver (his offsider should get a smack across the ears for not having paws on the wheel);
Guy squatting is the owner's son - destined to travel with the wool and oversee it's safe arrival; and 
Guy standing right is the prosperous owner of the garage - possibly Mr Weatherilt.

Any other thoughts?

Seems to be a sign on the windscreen ,and the truck looks new .........IIRC ,you wernt allowed to cart beyond the nearest rail ,so I doubt they are headed for Sydney.

Close Allan.

Mr Weatherilt is inside hiding behind the counter.
The bloke with the foot on the bumper has his Tommy gun hidden under the jacket.

Sorry Jon,
wrong again.
That's Dave  Sullivan with his foot on the bumper, Grace and Kitty are inside behind the counter, and that's Terry Sullivan in the squat position. (Note that he's finally out of shorts and in to long pants..)
Norm is the bloke getting in the door, but he's gettin old and has put on a few pounds. 
Not sure who the other bloke is but he could be a german spy....      

About to take a load of wool to Sydney - Weatherilt's Garage, Cootamundra, NSW . GENERAL NOTE
Jim Butter, Not identified, Not identified, George Black
Wetherill's Garage, Parker Street with a Fargo T

Looks like the tubby bloke at the door is Percy "Buck" Weatherilt. Here is his story. Not only was he a motorcycle champion but in WW1 he was Mentioned in Despatches and then awarded a DCM (the consolation prize on a VC recommendation). A brave man.

aussiesappers.wordpress.com/the-men-2/17...atherilt-percy-buck/

Interesting article, and seeing the AWM pic of the model H bike. I spotted a Triumph model H motorcycle for sale yesterday,  at a swap meet. The seller mentioned to me:  the model H bikes were WW1 era despatch riders bikes. He said he hadn't restored it , its a project. They were made until 1923 with 65 thousand made. The specs say 500cc with a Sturmey Archer gearbox.

The Sullivan's filming was done on a shoe string. Crawfords purchased a 1939 Chevy farm truck , still registered with its 1939 plates, and painted it khaki,. The idiot young drivers , working on the set, thrashed the old truck to death. The flying aircraft scenes were done using radio controlled models , they filmed the Libyan desert scenes in the sand dunes down past Cranbourne. Can't believe it was so long ago. 

 

Just looking at old mate "Buck" Weatherilt. His Army serial number was 172!

This means he would have been waiting in the line for the Enlistment Office to open on day one and signed up in the first hour! This of course was in the Battalion or in his case the Engineer Regiment he joined as the numbers were issued on a unit basis. Each Battalion would have a 172 but if "Buck" was transferred to a unit that already had a bloke carrying 172 he would then become 172A. As the war progressed the unallocated replacement gun-fodder just got central numbers because they did not know their unit until they arrived in France and later enlistees often had 6 digit numbers. The officers did not stoop to being numbered like the mob.

This administrative nightmare was corrected in 1921 and the Army, ever since, has allocated numbers to everyone on a State basis. Every soldier has a unique number regardless of unit or rank. The only connection to the old local unit numbers is the State identifier eg all Queenslanders start with 1, NSW 2, Victoria 3 etc. Place of enlistment, not necessarily their home state.

Looking at just not his war service but his later outstanding life in airlines and public service shows what an asset to the nation was this little 5' 4" Pommy-turned-Aussie.