Lance Corporal Dion Caskey with former members of the First Armed Regiment Chris Large, Barry Filsell, Mark Reid and Barry Bennier at Edinburgh. PHOTO: Jack Hudson
Jack Hudson
IN 1953, a Mk 3 Centurion Type K was a part of an atomic test at Emu Field in South Australia.
The tank was placed 400 metres away from the epicentre of the blast and had been pushed back a few metres from where it sat.
It was then driven back from the site and decontaminated before the now dubbed “Nuclear Tank” was used in the Vietnam War, where it was penetrated by an RPG.
The tank again survived and it now resides at Edinburgh. Lance Corporal Dion Caskey said the tank’s story was remarkable.
“Not only is the tank the standard of how, as custodians of the First Armed Regiment, we always want to be better in some way,” he said.
“I think when it comes to these sorts of vehicles, having them around and having sort of a backdrop on the regiment, and seeing how we progress from this Centurion to the Leopard over there, to the Abrams that we see here.
“It just shows and demonstrates the capability of what the army is actually now and that we’re slowly moving our way into the future with new vehicles.
“And in that case, having this sort of tank that has demonstrated the survivability of an atomic blast 400 metres away, just shows that even for the crew that found it not too pleasant to sit in, in Vietnam, but survived not only from that blast, but also an RPG, it shows that it’s a worthy adversary in terms of tank combat, and honestly, survivability.”
Lance Corporal Caskey said the story of the Nuclear Tank was one of education for young Diggers.
“What happened on that fateful day in 1953 that it actually did get blown up, and it’s the only tank in the world to be blown up and survive that,” he said.
“It’s the only time not only has it done that went to service got contacted and came back from service rehulled and then put out as a training vehicle.
“It’s pretty a big feat.
“You don’t really see the sort of vehicle out there. And even now, I think this exact vehicle is even on the simulation war game, War Thunder, it’s even in that now.
“So, you’re looking at like 13-yearold and up of these kids playing games, and they could actually drive this vehicle in that game and having that whole aspect of it is actually pretty good and brings off a lot of history as well.”
