LARC

The LARC landing craft replaced the World War Two DUKW. The only suspension on the LARC comes from the large balloon tyres which greatly simplifies the job of getting the drive through the hull to the wheels. The engine is mounted in the rear and drives all four wheels and a large propeller.

The Australian Army began using LARCs in 1964 for military and flood-relief operations. They have also been used at the Australian Antarctic bases for ship to shore transport - L. A11ison

Bandiana

LARC V

loa 35', width 10', height 10'2", wheelbase 16'

Cummins V8 diesel 300hp, rear engined, four wheel drive

Bruce Noble 9/1999:

I'm a LARC driver for AMSA maintaining light houses. The first six LARCs that arrived in Australia went to the Department of Transport and were used to maintain light houses and to resupply them all around Australia. The rest went to the Army. We operated from the light house ships the Cape Don, the Cape Piller and the Cape Morton from 1960 and we are still operating three of them from the new vessel the Cape Grafton which is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. December 1998 we sent two LARCs plus myself and three others down to Macquare island on the French ship Astrolabe to resupply the island with great success.