home ▁defence ) ▁units . ▁These ▁divisions ▁were ▁also ▁partly ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁M 3 ▁Gr ants . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁main ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm oured ▁Division ▁was ▁deployed ▁to ▁home ▁defence ▁duties ▁between ▁Per th ▁and ▁Ger ald ton , ▁Western ▁Australia , ▁where ▁it ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁III ▁Corps . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Australian ▁Army ▁had ▁de emed ▁the ▁Grant ▁to ▁be ▁un su itable ▁for ▁combat ▁duties ▁over se as ▁and ▁M 3 ▁units ▁were ▁re - equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁Mat ilda ▁II ▁before ▁being ▁deployed ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Guinea ▁and ▁Bor neo ▁Camp aign s . ▁Due ▁to ▁personnel ▁short ages , ▁all ▁three ▁divisions ▁were ▁officially ▁dis band ed ▁during ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁down grad ed ▁to ▁brig ade - ▁and ▁batt alion - level ▁units . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁use ▁in ▁Australia ▁During ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Australian ▁Army ▁had ▁converted ▁some ▁M 3 ▁Gr ants ▁for ▁special ▁purposes , ▁including ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁bul ld oz er ▁variants , ▁beach ▁arm oured ▁recovery ▁vehicles ▁and ▁w ader ▁pro tot ypes . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁ 1 4 ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Gr ants ▁were ▁converted ▁to ▁a ▁local ▁self - prop elled ▁gun ▁design , ▁the ▁Y er amba , ▁becoming ▁the ▁only ▁SP G ▁ever ▁deployed ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁Army . ▁F itted ▁with ▁a ▁ 2 5