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The Traditionsverband Dedicates a Battle Streamer to the Flag of the Army Logistics School

During a military ceremony held at the Burstyn Barracks in Zwölfaxing on June 28 2017, the Traditionsverband dedicated a battle streamer to the flag of the Army Logistics School. The school had invited to Zwölfaxing under the motto “65 years Army Driving Training and 10 Years Traditionsverband Heereskraftfahrwesen”, MajGen. Andreas Pernsteiner as CO of the Army Logistics Command opened the event and Dr. Spörker presented the streamer as president of the Traditionsverband. The main part of the event was the official retirement of Col. Günther Gutmann as chief of the Motorization Institute. MajGen. Pernsteiner, Brig. Dieter Jocham (as CO of the Logistics School) and Dr. Spörker addressed Col. Gutmann’s achievements in army motorization and staff training and wished him well for his retirement. The dedication of the battle streamer shall strengthen the ties between the Traditionsverband and the high-level army organization that is the home of the Motorization Institute.

Tenth Anniversary of “On Wheels & Tracks” on June 3-5 2017

The “Heavy Weight” of our presentation this year – Robert Gill’s White 666

The annual meeting of military vehicles at the Museum of Military History in Vienna already celebrated its tenth anniversary. Over the three-day event, more than 14000 visitors visited the Museum, and the Traditionsverband again had its own special presentations on Saturday and Monday.

50th Anniversary Vienna Army Command

On April 18 2013, the Vienna Army Command (one of the nine Army Commands of the nine Austrian provinces) celebrated its 50th anniversary in a military ceremony in front of the Vienna Town Hall. The Traditionsverband was invited to frame the ceremony with historic equipment, and we were happy to provide five vehicles representing Army motorization from the 1950s to the 1970s. A Steyr Type 580 brought by Günter Ctortnik/CAMO and two heavy Gräf & Stift 6x6s were complemented by their smaller “brethren” Willys Jeep and Puch Haflinger, much appreciated by the crowds.

The Traditionsverband at the AirPower 2016

After a several-year „time-out“ everybody was looking forward to the “AirPower 2016”, the major military aviation gathering on the “Hinterstoisser” military airfield in Zeltweg. For the first time, the Traditionsverband was invited by the Military History Museum to present historic vehicles as part of the Museum’s Zeltweg historic hangar and exhibition. Right in front of the museum we had our display with a Berliet as it had been used to tow 4 cm AA guns, radar or generator trailers, our Steyr Type 680 runway sweeper and the heavy Gräf & Stift carrier, used to transport radar shelters.

More than 300.000 visitors were counted during the two days of this year’s AirPower, and the HKFW display was a well-attended spot on the way from the museum hangar to the airfield.

Our Puch Haflinger in front of the museum hangar

US Vehicles in the Early Days of the Austrian Army

The newly refurbished M26 “Pacific” from the collection of the Vienna Museum of Military History

Together with the Museum of Military History in the Vienna Arsenal, on October 12 2012 the Traditionsverband presented US vehicles as they were in service with the re-established Austrian Army in the years immediately after WW2. The event was held at the Martinek Barracks in Baden, the location of the Motorization Institute (HLogS/KFW). More than 20 vehicles documented Army motorization as it was based on US equipment left behind after the departure of allied occupational forced in 1955. Starting with the light Willys Jeeps and Dodge WCs all the way to GMC CCKW and the “heavies” Diamond and Ward LaFrance, our visitors really got a first-hand look at “what kept the Army rolling” in those years.

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