The AIF AASC men and those from the PMF resumed their lives in the Australia of the 1920s. Of the AIF AASC men, all appear to have returned to their callings very quickly and settled into their civilian lives leaving scant evidence of their post-service careers. McFadden died in Sydney in 1928 from war-related causes and Dalton died of illness while serving with the Australian Army Canteen Service in 1942. The last survivor died in the UK in 1972 at the age of 82. Their average age at death was 64 years.
Of the PMF crew, Cook and Marnie had long service careers. Cook would rise to the rank of warrant officer Class I by the time of his retirement. Marnie had a distinguished career in the RAE Works Section and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1949. Sergeant Nicholson died in mysterious circumstances at the Broadmeadows Military Area on New Year’s Eve in 1924. In 1921 McDonald and Hosking became foundation members of the RAAF. Hosking died in 1925 as a consequence of a fall, while McDonald retired in 1950 as a flight lieutenant. Kubale would leave the PMF due to war-related illness and join the Post Master General’s Department. Cook was the last PMF member to die, passing away in 1972 at the age of 84. The average lifespan of these men was identical to the AIF AASC men at 64 years.
Today Grit is a treasured exhibit of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Standing on the outside looking in, it is hard to imagine the noise, heat and discomfort the crew endured while driving and maintaining Grit. The sheer effort of just keeping it running must have been extraordinary and is testament to the efforts of the men of the AASC and RAE who operated Grit during its Australian odyssey from 1918 to 1921. It was their efforts that helped transform the sepia images and newspaper reports, providing the Australian public a better understanding of just what a tank was and what it could do. These men were truly the pioneers of Australian armour.