History Archives - Page 8 of 9 - Destination's Journey

French Tank FCM 36

The FCM 36 was a light infantry tank that was designed for the French Army prior to World War II. It had a crew of two and was equipped with a short 37 mm main armament and a 7.5 mm coaxial machine gun. At the outbreak of the Invasion of France, 90 FCM 36 tanks were available in two battalions of 45 each. The German Wehrmacht captured about 50 of this series; 12 were rebuilt in 1942 as self-propelled artillery, and in 1943, ten were rebuilt as Marder I tank destroyers. Although relatively unknown, the FCM 36 was one of the French Army’s light tanks used during the battles of May and June 1940. Technically very advanced compared to other French vehicles of the type, it proved its effectiveness during a victorious counter-attack at Voncq in early June 1940.

Prototypes

French Army

FCM 36 30009 named Le Terrible of the 7e BCC — FCM 36

Abandoned

Wehrmacht soldiers next to a FCM 36 tank

Tank FCM 36 number 53 — Wehrmacht soldiers next to a FCM 36 tank

Knocked Out

In German Markings

Panzerkampfwagen 737 FCM (f). Of the 100 FCM 36 built by the French 37 were captured and used by the Germans

10.5 cm leFH 16 18 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen FCM (f)

In 1943 ten FCM 36s were rebuilt as Marder I tank destroyers, with the 75mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun and officially called 7.5cm PaK40(Sf) auf Geschützwagen FCM(f). These were employed by 21 Panzerdivision in the Battle of Normandy in 1944. In 1942, twelve were rebuilt as self-propelled artillery, the 10.5cm leFH 16/18 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen FCM (f).

6 July 202320 June 2023

Wallsend Brickworks Park

Rehabilitated area with retaining walls made to look like industrial building rooves

Wallsend Brickworks Park

Wallsend Brickworks Park is a public park in Wallsend, Newcastle Australia, located at the site of a historic brickmaking operation which ran from 1891 to 1977. Featuring a playground, picnic shelters, barbecues, a pond with birdlife, and remnants of the brickworks’ machinery, it’s a great family destination.

The park is also part of the Jesmond Bushland, which offers nature trails for walking, cycling and mountain biking. The bushland is home to some native species such as powerful owls, flying foxes and squirrel gliders. The park is a great place to enjoy history, nature and fun with family and friends.

Brickworks History

Operating from 1891 to 1977 the Wallsend Brickworks used steam-powered machinery to make bricks. At its peak, the operation had orders of 400,000 bricks a week.

The brickworks produced a variety of bricks, including firebricks, pressed bricks and common bricks. Local buildings, such as the Wallsend Hospital and the Wallsend Post Office used some of the bricks.

Due to competition from other brick manufacturers and environmental concerns, the brickworks closed in 1977. Abandoned for many years, it became an environmental eyesore until the council decided to redevelop it as a park in 2002. The resulting public space provides play areas and walking tracks and an environmental wetland while paying homage to its industrial past.

How to Get There

We parked on Iranda Grove where car parking spots are available.

Throughout the grassed rehabilitated areas, concrete retaining walls have been constructed to resemble industrial buildings’ roofs. Several concrete structures remain as a reminder of the site’s heritage. The old clay quarry has been made safe and now forms a lake and habitat for local wildlife.

Entrance and main pathway through Brickworks Park

The old quarry face. Hidden behind trees

The old quarry is now a wetland Brickworks Park — The old quarry face. Hidden behind trees

The park also features artworks made from recycled bricks, including some of the original Wallsend bricks. One of the artworks is a sculpture named Kullas Incubator, which represents the regeneration of life and nature at the site.

Sculpture made from recovered broken bricks Brickworks Park — Sculpture made from recovered broken bricks

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

29 October 202229 October 2022

Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin

Although now retired from from its confrontations with Japanese whaling fleets, the MV Steve Irwin still looks impressive with its camouflage and skull painted deck house. Docked at Thales Marine in Newcastle, New South Wales, the ship is now owned by the non-profit organisation Ship4Good. Tours are a great way to learn about the fight to save the whales while contributing to the preservation of the ship.

We met our tour guide at the Thales Security Gate, where we were issued hi-visibility jackets for the walk to the ship. The jackets were necessary because the Thales dock is a working area.

Ship’s History

After a safety briefing our tour started with a talk on the ship’s history. Originally serving 28 years as the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency conservation enforcement patrol boat, FPV Westra, Sea Shepherd purchased her in 2006. Although originally named the MV Robert Hunter after Canadian Robert Hunter, co-founder of Greenpeace it was renamed the MV Steve Irwin following his death. Steve had been considering joining the vessel the following year before his death.

Over the next 12 years, the ship undertook 17 voyages ranging from anti-whaling and illegal fishing. These occurred in areas as diverse as the Antarctic and Mediterranean. However, she is most famous for confronting the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. These clashes occurred as close range, with activists throwing stink bombs onto Japanese ships and attempting to entangles their propellors. On several occasions, ships rammed each other, a very dangerous action because of the freezing Antarctic waters.

Tour of the Ship

Over the next hour we toured the ship from the bridge to engine room. On the bridge we were able to see where the ship and its operations were directed, with the large windows providing an excellent view of the surrounding area.

In the engine room, the two British Polar 12-cylinder 2,100 bhp Engines with their turbo chargers showed why Sea Shepherd bought this ship. The engines and the ship’s design gave it a speed able to match and overake the Japanese whaling fleet, while being relatively stable in rough seas. Along with the embarked helicopter this enabled them to find and harass the whalers.

Getting Around the Ship

Anyone intending on touring the ship should be aware of several restrictions. Several of the rooms and corridors are small and narrow. So if you are claustrophobic, this may be a problem. Moving from one deck to another is via steep stairways. If you are mobility impaired or have small children this may make getting around difficult. Remember to wear sensible enclosed shoes, because of the stairs and outside surfaces.

We had a great time here learning about the Steve Irwin’s history and seeing the inner workings of the ship.