I posted some of Mike's pictures of Grit, the Mk IV in the AWM. Mike wrote: "The history of this particular Mark IV will form half of the publication ‘Pioneers of Australian Armour’ which is currently being prepared for publication by Big Sky Publishing as one of the Australian Army History Unit’s publications series – the manuscript was approved the Army History Unit and passed to the publisher only in the last several days. The book, by David Finlayson and Michael Cecil, is due for release in August this year. It tells the story of the Australian army’s first mechanised armoured units – the 1st Armoured Car Section (that later ‘morphed’ into the 1st Light Car Patrol) operating in Egypt and Palestine during 1916-1918, and the Special Tank Unit that operated the Mk IV (Female) tank in Australia during 1918-1919. The book will provide details of the vehicles and biographical details of all the personnel of these units, the first Australians to operate wheeled and tracked armour in the Australian army. The tank crew were the first Australians to be formerly trained in tank operation and maintenance at Bovington. My co-author, David Finlayson, has unearthed an astonishing number of images of the 1st Light Car Patrol on operations taken by members of the unit. Most were held in family albums until recently, so have never been published before. As a result, this book should be quite a treat for those interested in First World War mechanisation."
All the best
Stephen