Armour in Canada (5-2) Ontario: Canadian War Museum, Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Canadian War Museum
The data and photos found on this page has been compiled by the author, unless otherwise credited. Any additions, corrections or amendments to the lists of Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Canada found on these pages would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3395368)
Canadian Autocar Machinegun Carrier, France, April 1918.
(Author Photos)
Autocar Machinegun Carrier, “Ottawa” (Serial No. 5796) written on front and rear.
(Author Photo)
Canadian Ford Lynx Scout Car Mk. II (Serial No. CF52389). This scout car was used for liaison and reconnaissance duties, relying on its low silhouette and speed to avoid enemy action. The Lynx was the first rear-engined wheeled armoured vehicle designed in Canada. It was based on the British Daimler Dingo, but adapted for Canadian production methods. However, the stresses on the vehicle were not understood and it had many early production problems. These were worked out by 1944 and the Lynx was popular with its Canadian crews. About 3,255 cars were manufactured, in two major variants, in Windsor, Ontario. The steering wheel and driver’s seat are angled to assist in driving in reverse. The vehicle has five forward and five reverse gears. An experimental model was fitted with a 2-pounder anti-tank gun. CWM 19810943-002.
Lynx Scout Car, 8th Royal Scots & 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion after crossing the Rhine River, Bergerfarth, Germany, 25 Mar 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3524486)
(Author Photo)
Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Mk. I. Following the evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940, armoured cars were in short supply in the British Commonwealth, and General A.G.L. MacNaughton urged the development of a Canadian vehicle. Based on a few photographs, the Hamilton Bridge Company designed a vehicle based on the Chevrolet 4x4 chassis. It was Canada’s first attempt to build a wheeled armoured vehicle and the results were not outstanding. The main fault was that the car was underpowered, but it served reliably in reconnaissance, convoy escort, and airfield defence roles. A total of 1,761 Otters were produced. CWM 19820372-002.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3378681)
Fox Armoured Car, 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars in Normandy, France, 18-20 July 1944.
(Author Photo)
Fox Armoured Car Mk. I, 13th Reconnaissance Regiment. The Army Engineering Design Branch and General Motors developed the Fox armoured car, which was based on the British Humber armoured car, but with changes to suit Canadian manufacturing. Although heavier than the Humber, the Fox had a larger engine and performed well. The Fox was generally considered too high and too lightly armed for combat, although it did see some service in Italy and in Northwest Europe with Canadian reconnaissance regiments. It was used in training in England, before being replaced by the American Staghound armoured car before the invasion of Normandy. CWM 19820372-001.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4232403)
Fox Armoured Car Mk I, with Major-General Frederic Franklin Worthington MC, MM, CD (17 Sep 1889 – 8 Dec 1967). Nicknamed "Worthy" and "Fighting Frank", he was a senior Canadian Army officer. He is considered to be the father of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. Worthington served in the Canadian Machine Gun Corps in 1917. He was awarded the Military Medal for actions near Vimy Ridge, on 6 January 1917 for holding his position during a German advance. He was later awarded a bar to his MM. After the First World War, he was a proponent of adopting armoured fighting vehicles. As a captain, Worthington took an eight-month course in the Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicle School at Camp Borden in 1930, equipped with twelve Carden Loyd machine gun carriers. In 1936, then Major Worthington became an instructor at the Royal Tank School in Bovington Camp near Dorset, England, returning to Borden to assume the post of Commandant of the Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in 1938. Thanks to Worthington's determination, Canada acquired its first tanks in 1938: two Vickers light tanks, and ten more the following year.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233183)
Daimler Armoured Car, Sallenelles, France.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233455)
Humber Armoured Car, Canadian markings, Winschoten, Netherlands, c1944.
(Lt Ken Bell Photo, Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3378681)
Humber Mk. IV Armoured Car, 17th Duke of Yorks Royal Canadian Hussars, Normandy, 20 July 1944.
, and Humber Mk. IV Armoured Car, 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, Matrice, Italy, 27 Oct 1943. None are preserved in Canada. (Alexander Mackenzie Stirton Photo, Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3206255)
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233289)
Humber Mk. IV Armoured Car and Universal Carrier, Canadians in France, ca 1944.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3206446)
Humber Armoured Car, Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit, Caen, France, 11 July 1944.
(Author Photos)
T17E1 Staghound Armoured Car.
The Chevrolet T17E1 version of the Staghound was powered by two 97-hp GMC Hercules engines with a hydraulic transmission. It was served by a five-man crew with three men fitting inside the fully-enclosed, power-traversed turret. It weighed 14 tons and had a maximum speed of 90 kmh (55 mph) and a range of 720 km (450 miles). It was armed with a 37-mm tank gun and co-axial and bow-mounted .30-inch Browning machine-guns. A total of 2,687 Staghound T17E1s were built as well as 789 T17E2 AA vehicles. The two Canadian armoured car regiments initially received 72 Staghounds each plus a number of additional vehicles allocated to HQ and various other organizations which were in service overseas during the Second World War. A number were brought back to Canada after the war and at least 85 of these served until they were retired in 1964.
The Staghound Armoured Car resulted from a joint British/American effort in 1942 to draw up specifications for an armoured car. There were two competing products and the GM car was selected, with the first vehicles produced in October 1942. The US subsequently decided that they did not need a car of this size and the total production of 2,000 cars was sent to Britain. Another 1,000 anti-aircraft variants (mounting twin .50-caibre Browning machine guns) were also manufactured. The Staghound was designed for use in the desert, and even the British considered it to be a bit high for use in Europe. It was used by armoured car and reconnaissance regiments for short and long-range reconnaissance. It was also used to protect headquarters, escort convoys, and as a command vehicle for senior commanders. General Simmonds had two cars extensively modified as personal “chargers” (command vehicles).The Royal Canadian Dragoons and the 12th Manitoba Dragoons used the Staghound in Italy and North-west Europe. It continued in use in Canada until the mid-1950s.The CWM artefact came from Australia and has no direct connection to a Canadian unit. It is located in the Lebreton gallery. CWM 20000230-001. (Doug Knight)
(Doug Knight Photos)
Universal Carrier Mk. I with 2-pounder Anti-Tank Gun. This "tank hunter" version mounted the 2-pounder anti-tank gun. Canada designed and manufactured 100 of the vehicles, which were never used in combat. At the end of the war, the guns were removed and the carriers returned to their original configuration. The CWM artefact is currently under restoration and is not in the Lebreton Gallery.
The Universal Carrier was a lightly armoured, fully tracked, general-purpose personnel and weapons carrier, which was developed from the Carden-Lloyd carriers of the 1930s. Initially, its mission was to carry infantry across fire-swept ground, hence its nickname of “Bren Gun Carrier”. In fact, only one variant carried the Bren light machine gun, but the name stuck to the whole family. The carrier was adapted to many different roles: carrying a medium machine gun or mortar, towing an anti-tank gun, as a reconnaissance or artillery forward observation vehicle, and others.
It was usually overloaded, but tolerated this reasonably well. The front compartment housed a driver and a gunner. There were two coffin-like spaces on either side of the engine in the rear for carrying men and their weapons. The driver used a steering wheel, which simplified training compared to tank drivers. The wheel initially bowed the track for gentle cornering, and then engaged the track brakes for more violent manoeuvring. Note the narrow space for the driver’s knuckles when on the wheel. A total of 84,120 Universal Carriers were manufactured in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the US (as the T-16). Ford of Canada manufactured almost 29,000 of these, as well as 5,000 Windsor Carriers, which had an additional road wheel, was longer, and had a greater payload. Production stopped in 1945, but the Universal Carrier served in Canada until declared obsolete in January 1961. CWM 19970113-001. (Doug Knight)
Universal Carrier No. 2 Mk. 2 Ronson (Serial No. 18170), WD CT163137. This version has the Ronson flame-thrower mounted on top of the front gunner's shield. Fuel was supplied from two 227-litre (60-gallon), pressurised tanks at the rear of the carrier. Although the system was not adopted by Britain, the Ronson was produced in limited numbers in Canada. The U.S. Marine Corps bought about 170, mounted them in modified M3A1 tanks, and used them in the Marianas campaign in the Pacific. The range of the flame-thrower was about 46 m (50 yd). CWM 19720030-001.
(Author Photo)
Universal Carrier Mk. II (Serial No. 92-416), 61. The Mk. II Universal Carrier was developed from the Mk. I with few differences except for the stowage of equipment. There were six seats, as opposed to three in the Mk. I version, but the crew depended on the role. The armament included rifles, Bren light machine gun, Boys anti-tank rifle, plus support weapons carried as cargo (almost every infantry weapon used by British and Canadian infantry was carried at some time). CWM 19720030-001
(Author Photo)
Universal Carrier Mk. IIC Wasp flamethrower, (Serial No. WD CT267065), 5, 60, previously painted as (Serial No. CT43578). This version carries the Wasp IIC flame-thrower as developed for use by Canadian troops. It differs from the British Wasp equipment in that the 284-litre (75-gallon)flame fuel tank is mounted at the rear of the vehicle, allowing the carrier to be used for other purposes in addition to flame throwing. Canadians in Italy and in Northwest Europe used the Wasp IIC extensively. The flame-thrower had a range of approximately 90 m (100 yd). CWM 19970113-003.
Wasp flamethrower crews, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, Vaucelles, France, 29 Jul 1944. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205139)
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4234056).
Wasp flamethrower, Petawawa, Ontario, c1943.
(City of Vancouver Archives Photo, AM1590-: CVA 298-018)
M3 Scout Car built by the White Motor Company, on parade in Vancouver, British Columbia, ca 1944. Widely used by Canadian troops during the Second World War, none are preserved in Canada.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607690)
Canadian Army M3 Gun Motor Carriage halftrack with 75-mm Gun, ca 1943.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233293)
Canadian Army Halftrack in France, 1944.
(Author Photo)
M14 GMC Halftrack (Serial No. RN 40450517).
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233777)
DUKW with Canadian troops, Normandy, June 1944.
(Author Photo)
The 2½-ton 6x6 Amphibian Truck, more commonly known as the DUKW, was designed to ferry stores and troops from ships anchored offshore directly over the beach and into the supply lines. The vehicle was based on the General Motors CCKW-353 truck chassis, with the addition of a propeller, rudder, and bilge pumps in a watertight steel hull. DUKWs could be linked together in ferries to carry heavy or oddly shaped loads (such as aircraft). It was capable of surviving 6 metre (20 ft) high surf. More than 21,000 were built. Some DUKW were modified to carry and fire artillery or rockets while afloat, but accuracy was almost non-existent. Canadian troops used the DUKW in the battles of the Scheldt (1944) and the Rhineland (1945).The photo is from the CWM web site. CWM 19970113-012.
The DUKW (colloquially known as Duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the 2½ ton CCKW six-wheel-drive military truck, with the addition of a watertight hull and a propeller. It was not an armored vehicle, being plated with sheet steel between 1/16 and 1/8 inches (1.6–3.2 mm) thick to minimize weight. A high-capacity bilge pump system kept it afloat if the thin hull was breached by holes up to 2 inches (51 mm) in diameter. One in four DUKWs mounted a .50-calibre Browning heavy machine gun on a ring mount. The DUKW was the first vehicle to allow the driver to vary the tire pressure from inside the cab. The tires could be fully inflated for hard surfaces such as roads and less inflated for softer surfaces, especially beach sand. This added to great versatility as an amphibious vehicle. DUKW were used with an invasion force for the first time in the European theatre, during the Sicilian invasion, Operation Husky, in the Mediterranean. They were used on the D-Day beaches of Normandy and in the Battle of the Scheldt, Operation Veritable, and Operation Plunder. Amphibious beachheads were thought to be highly vulnerable to early counterattack as the landing units would deplete their ammunition and the supply system would not yet be established. The principal use was to ferry supplies from ship to shore, and tasks such as transporting wounded combatants to hospital ships or operations in flooded (polder) landscape. Approximately 800 saw service with Canadian units. (The term DUKW is not an acronym, it is the original GMC nomenclature designating the company's manufacturing code for the military wheeled amphibious landing-craft, with D standing for 1942, U for utility (amphibious), K for all-wheel drive, and W for 2 powered rear axles,
(Author Photo)
General Motors of Canada (GMC) C15TA Armoured Truck (Serial No. CZ4400208-S), "Lazarus". General Motors developed a 15-cwt armoured truck in 1943 as an armoured troop carrier. 3,961were produced, more than any other Canadian wheeled armoured vehicle. The British and Canadian soldiers preferred it to the American half-tracks and scout cars. The truck was very manoeuvrable and could stop and start while going up a 60-degree slope. There were several variants including a 2-strecher ambulance and a command vehicle. The CWM artefact is a 4-stretcher armoured ambulance that was designed in 1945, but few were produced before the end of the war. This sole surviving example served with the British Royal Army Medical Corps in Britain and in West Berlin. CWM 19870221-001.
This C15TA was based on the GMC Otter Light Armoured Reconnaissance Car which married the Chevrolet C15A Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) four-wheel-drive chassis, the GM 270-cubic-inch engine, and an armoured body built by the Hamilton Bridge Company. From the front the vehicle resembled the Otter, while the rear was similar to the White Scout Car. Its armour was only shoulder high, with weather protection provided by a canvas cover. It came with run-flat tires and could hold an eight-man crew and their equipment. The cab seating had two men facing outwards on each side, two faced the rear and two sat in the driver's compartment. With some modification it could serve as an eight-man APC or as an armoured ambulance or load carrier. From late 1943 to June 1945, GMC Oshawa built a total 3,961 C15TAs for British and Canadian contracts. A number of these vehicles remained in military service in Canada after the war until July 1953.
(Author Photo)
GMC C15TAA Armoured Ambulance, (Serial No. Z5822762). C15TAA (Serial No. Z5822762) was one of only two pilot armoured ambulance vehicles produced before the war ended.
(Author Photo)
American Dodge WC-18 Ambulance (Serial No. T23929S). Late in 1940, Dodge began to produce trucks to a military pattern. These were based on their civilian models, but had redesigned running gear and were constructed using heavier gauge sheet metal. The letters WC and a numerical suffix (for example, WC-18) designated the particular combination of engine, winch and body style. The various models included a command car, ambulance, weapons carrier, pickup, and panel trucks. The CWM artefact is the 4x4 WC-18 ambulance (without winch). Some of these vehicles were delivered to the British under the Lend-Lease program, and were in action before the United States entered the Second World War. It was widely used by the American army for many years. CWM 19970113-009.
Personnel of 2nd Canadian Infantry Division Signals with Personnel of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS), 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, examining a Ford three-ton truck which sank into a ditch on the Beveland Causeway, Netherlands, 27 October 1944. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3201518)
(City of Vancouver Archives Photo, AM1545-S3-: CVA 586-2745)
Canadian Military Pattern truck, part of a convoy in Alberta, 1944.
(Author Photos)
Canadian Military Pattern Ford Signals Truck, (Serial No. CZ4205159).
(Author Photos)
Canadian Military Pattern 15-cwt Cargo Truck, General Service.
(City of Vancouver Archives Photo, AM1545-S3-: CVA 586-2766)
Chevrolet C8 CMP truck with Type 11 cab, Bigmouth Creek, British Columbia, 1944.
(Author Photo)
Canadian Military Pattern Cargo Truck, General Service, CZ4002671. This early version, the 4x2 Chevrolet 8-hundredweight(cwt) General Service truck model 8420, was widely used in Canada, but only in limited numbers overseas. Although more than 9,800 were built (including Ford production), its two-wheel drive limited the vehicle to good roads. This truck is fitted with a No. 19 Wireless Set(radio), with its batteries and aerial. A light “chorehorse” battery-charging generator is mounted between the cab and the body. Two men and an artillery board (a plotting device) are carried in the back of the vehicle. (Doug Knight)
(Author Photo)
Diamond T Breakdown Truck. Recovery teams from the RCEME and RCOC used this vehicle’s two booms which could lift five short tons each, allowing for quicker vehicle recovery in wartime conditions. The Model 969 Recovery Vehicle (Wrecker) was a version of the American Diamond T 4-ton 6x6 Model 967 cargo truck, which was in production from 1941 until the end of the Second World War. The vehicle was equipped with a Holmes 45 twin-boom recovery kit. Each boom had a capacity of 4,545 kg (10,000 lb); more using blocks and pulleys. The booms could be used together to provide a combined pull at the rear of the vehicle, or one boom could be used to stabilise the truck while the other was used for recovery. In Northwest Europe during the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME), and the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC), used the Diamond T for recovery and towing vehicle casualties to a workshop for repair. CWM 19970113-013.
(Author Photo)
Diamond T Field Shop Truck, 43-01276. The Type “M” Machinery Lorry was a version of the American Diamond T 4-ton 6x6 Model 967 cargo truck. The Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps workshops used the vehicle to repair automotive components and parts. On-board equipment normally included a bench lathe, paint sprayer, valve grinder and refacer, pinhole grinder, bench grinder, brake re-liner, and battery charger. In 1994, the CWM artefact was restored by 202 Base Workshop in Montreal as an automotive machine shop.
(Author Photo)
Ford Canada C11 ADF Staff Car, Field Marshal H.R.L.G. Alexander. The type C11ADF was based on the 1941-42 Ford wood-bodied station wagon. It was issued inlimited numbers to army headquarters for use in terrain where a lighter staff car was unsuitable. The vehicle had space for five passengers and a hard top with four doors plus the rear door, but a number were subsequently modified in the Royal Ordnance Corps or Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers workshops for special purposes (such as general’s command cars or for the Special Air Service). The vehicle can be identified by its 9.00x13-inch flotation tires.This car was originally built in Canada. The number on the hood is a restoration error and should read M1308323.
Sir Harold George Alexander, Field Marshal Viscount Alexander of Tunis, used it when he was in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy during the Second World War. When he became Governor-General of Canada in 1946, he brought the car to Canada with him, but found it unsuitable for the climate, and traded it to Ford of Canada for an enclosed car. Ford later donated the car to the CWM. The car reputedly had the same driver while in Alexander’s service, travelled 180,000 miles (288,000 km), had four engine changes, and many overhauls. The vehicle is fitted for operations in the desert, with a radiator condenser, water cans and rear windshield. The doors were welded shut to add strength to the body when the roof was removed. CWM 19490003-001.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3544526)
General McNaughton's Car Light (Sedan 4x2) staff car, c1940s.
(Author Photo)
General H.D.G. Crerar's Command Post caravan. General H.D.G. Crerar was appointed commander of the First Canadian Army in February 1944. He immediately ordered a new caravan mounted on a Diamond T 975 truck chassis and an office trailer. This caravan included his quarters – including a bedroom, wash area and personal office. This could be expanded using a tent on the side of the truck. The truck, caravan and trailer came to Canada after the war, but were disposed of without Crerar’s knowledge. The truck has since disappeared, but William Gregg purchased the caravan body itself and it forms part of the Gregg Collection at the RCA museum in Shilo. The Brockhouse Victoria Works manufactured the office trailer. It was presented to the CWM in1959 and is in excellent condition. General Crerar used it as an office and conference room. It was the site of meetings between Crerar, Field Marshall Montgomery, General Eisenhower, and General Bradley. King George VI and Winston Churchill are also recorded as visitors to thetrailer. (From “Wheels and Tracks” magazine, No 7.) CWM 19590017-001.
(Author Photo)
Bombardier Penguin Mk III Armoured Snowmobile, 1943. The Bombardier Military Snowmobile was designed to transport personnel and cargo over snow covered terrain. Production started in 1942, and was based on Bombardier's existing eight passenger commercial snowmobile bus. A total of 129 vehicles were produced, and used in Canada, Scotland, and the Soviet Union. While the vehicle performed reasonably well in snow, the skis were never completely satisfactory. They had a short life, were easily damaged, and under certain snow conditions, could make the vehicle difficult to control. No. 18 Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps used this snowmobile until the late 1950s. CWM 19740305-001.
(Author Photo)
Ferret Scout Car Mk. I, (Serial No. 54-82537), ex-8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s).
Ferret Scout Car Mk. II.
(Author Photo)
British FV432 Armoured Personnel Carrier, ex-British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). Currently on display at the Connaught Range and Primary Training Centre, 35 Shirley Blvd, Ottawa, Ontario.
(Author Photo)
British 105-mm F433 Abbot SP Gun. (Similar to this one at Quonset, Rhode Island)/
(Author Photo)
Dodge M37 3/4-ton truck (CUCV), Cargo/Passenger. Designed in United States - also produced in Canada. Used by Canada 1958 – 1980. The American-designed Dodge M37 ¾-ton truck was produced from 1958 to 1964, and was adopted by many countries. This version, the M37 CAN was manufactured by Chrysler, Canada, and included a hard top on the cab, and an improved heater for winter use. The Canadian Army used the truck until 1980, and many M37 remain in commercial use to this day. In addition to the basic cargo version, some vehicles were adapted to carry the SS-11B anti-tank missile. In many units, the canvas cargo cover was unofficially reinforced with plywood, and the vehicle used as a radio-equipped command post. Other vehicles were equipped as telephone cable-layers, and light repair vehicles.
(Author Photo)
M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carrier, (Serial No. RN 64-35000), UN. This was the first Canadian M113.
The first M113 was produced in June 1960, but was converted to a diesel engine in 1964 and redesignated M113A1. The driver is on the front left, with the commander located centrally in the vehicle. Bench seats on each side accommodate five infantrymen with room for another in the middle. The normal means of entry/exit is the large hydraulically-operated ramp in the rear of the hull. External fuel tanks are mounted behind the tracks on either side of the vehicle. The M113A1 is amphibious, and in the water, is propelled by its tracks at a top speed of 3 mph. The front of the vehicle has a hinged splash plate, to stabilize the vehicle while swimming. The vertical cutters at the top front of the vehicle are to cut wires that are strung across the road and intended to decapitate the driver or crew commander. The Aluminium alloy armour protects the crew against small arms fire and shell fragments, but not a light anti-armour weapon nor the blast from a land mine.
From 1964 to 1991, the Canadian Army bought a total of 1,143 M113A1s in many different variants. Many of them have been upgraded to the M113A2 and M113A3 versions, and some remain in service today. The CWM M113A1, Canadian Forces Registration 64-3500, was the first M113A1 received by the Canadian Army in 1964. It was first used as a maintenance training aid in 4 Field Workshop, RCEME, being disassembled and rebuilt roughly every month for a year. It served honourably in Germany until 1992when it went on the peacekeeping operation in Croatia. On 28 October 1992, it hit a Serbian TMA-3 anti-tank mine and was damaged beyond repair – two soldiers were injured in the incident. CWM 20030358-018. (Doug Knight)
In addition to its primary function of carrying a section of mechanised infantry (10 men), theM113 was adapted for many other roles. The CWM collection includes specialist vehicles that were (and still are) used by the Canadian Army.
M113A2 Armoured Recovery Vehicle - Light (ARVL). This vehicle is used in the unit vehicle repair and recovery sections. Two Electrical and Mechanical Engineering vehicle technicians are the normal crew. In addition to carrying out minor repairs, they have a heavy-duty winch in the vehicle to extricate bogged vehicles. The large blade at the back drops and acts as a spade to support the vehicle during recovery operations.
(Author Photo)
M113A2 Engineer, (Serial No. RN 92-10688); GM Canada Engineer Pack. This vehicle was developed in Canada to provide a combat engineer vehicle for the Canadian Army. Combat engineers carry out tasks such as preparing defensive positions or breaching enemy obstacles, frequently under enemy fire. The vehicle has a dozer blade, and mounts an auger on the left side of the hull (which is stowed on the roof when not in use). The auger is used to drill holes for fence posts, barbed wire supports, or for explosives to crater roads and create obstacles. The dozer blade is used to remove rubble, clear roads, and generally maintain the mobility of the infantry and armoured forces. The vehicle carries a team of combat engineers with their portable equipment, stores, and explosives. CWM 20030358-013.
M113A2 Fitter, (Serial No. RN 66-35697). Mobile repair teams use this vehicle to repair broken-down or damaged light armoured vehicles in the field. They can carryout complicated and time-consuming repairs such as replacing engines, transmission, etc. Two or three Electrical and Mechanical Engineering vehicle technicians normally man the vehicle, which has a HIAB crane on the left side of the hull to lift heavy items (such as a complete engine). A large roof hatch allows a spare engine or other assembly to be carried inside the fitter’s vehicle. CWM 20030358-007.
(Andrew Burtch, CWM Photo)
M113A3 Mobile Tactical Vehicle Engineer, from the TLAV family, with a turret formerly used in Grizzly AVGPs. It is equipped with a hydraulic auger, and dozer blade. It was based at CFB Wainwright, Alberta, from 2003-2011, and with 2 CER from 2014 to 2021.
M113 C & R Lynx, (Serial No. 04320), CFR RN 67-35850.
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown).
M548 Cargo Carrier, (Serial No. C034HAB), call sign 7E, ex-1R22eR. The M548 is an unarmoured supply vehicle based on theM113A1 chassis. It has a 6-tonne payload, and a crew of four can fit into the cab. It has the cross-country capabilities of the M113A1, but its American designers chose to forego armour protection in favour of a larger payload. The M548 is transportable in C130 Hercules aircraft. A 7.62-mm machinegun can be mounted over the cab and operated from a hatch in the cab roof. CWM 20030358-014.
(Author Photo)
M577A2 Command Post, Call Sign 1A. The M577 has served as brigade, battalion, and artillery command posts. The rear two- thirds of the hull is enlarged and the armour is raised to give a ceiling height of 190 cm(74 in), allowing the crew to stand up inside the vehicle. The working area contains radios, map boards, and folding tables, and can be expanded using an optional tent extension attached to the rear of the vehicle. The roof has communications antennae. When the engine is off, an auxiliary generator provides power. The vehicle is top-heavy. CWM 20030358-008.
(Author Photo)
AVGP Cougar, Peace Stabilization Force (SFOR), markings. The Cougar uses the turret from the British CRV(T)Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle. It mounts a Royal Ordnance 76-mm L23A1 gun with a coaxial 7.62-mm C6machine gun. The 76-mm gun lacks the punch of a high velocity tank gun, but its squash-head (or HESH) round gives the Cougar some anti-armour capability. It can also fire high explosive and smoke shells. There is room fortwo infantrymen behind the turret. Although never intended to be combat vehicles, AVGPs were sent over season peacekeeping duties. There, the tracked M113A1 APCs were unsuited to road patrols and were replaced by Grizzly APCs. The Cougar made an ideal fire support vehicle to back up the lightly-armed Grizzlies. The scars on the vehicle are a result of mortar shells exploding close to the Cougar in Bosnia. CWM 20030358-005.
AVGPs were sed by Canada from 1976. Militia units are not usually located on a training area and must travel to a nearby Canadian Army base for tactical training. Tracked vehicles must be carried on low-bed trailers or duplicated at both the militia armouries and the base. Tracked vehicles are also harder to maintain and more costly to operate than wheeled vehicles. Accordingly, in the 1970s, the Canadian Forces designed and built a series of training vehicles for the reserves. Using the Swiss Mowag Piranha 6x6 vehicle as the basis, a new family of wheeled armoured vehicles were produced at General Motors of Canada’s Diesel Division in London, Ontario and entered service in 1976. A total of 269 Grizzly armoured personnel carriers, 195 Cougar tank trainers, and 27 Husky repair and recovery vehicles were built. The vehicles have the same basic hull arrangement and running gear. A 275 hp Detroit Diesel 6V53T 6-cylinder two-cycle turbocharged diesel engine is mounted in the right hull front. The driver, sitting to the left of the engine, can select either rear-wheel drive or six-wheel drive.
The crew commander sits directly behind the driver. All AVGPs are fully amphibious and are powered in the water by twin propellers mounted on the rear corners of the hull. Despite being designed as training vehicles, the AVGP family have been used on peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosovo under UN and NATO auspices. The vehicles had severe shortcomings when used in these operations. Designed as a trainer, the AVGP 10-mmarmour provides minimal protection against shell splinters and normal rifle bullets. However, they are vulnerable to armour-piercing ammunition, heavy machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades. To this end, the Grizzlies and Cougars that were used in Bosnia and Kosovo were fitted with additional armour. Developed by Foster-Miller Inc, the Light Appliqué System Technique (LAST) consists of Velcro strips covering the vehicle, hexagonal palm-size ceramic armour modules with Velcro on both sides, and a rubberized Kevlar protective cover with a Velcro underside. The package was fitted to the hull and turret to provide additional crew protection, although mechanics have told the author that there are problems with keeping the ceramic hexagons attached in muddy conditions. Damaged ceramic panels can be removed and replaced on an individual basis. The CWM Cougar and Grizzly armoured fighting vehicles served in Bosnia and retain the base Velcro attachments and part of the protective cover. The AVGP project led to an order of eight-wheeled vehicles for the American Marine Corps, and later to the Bison family of vehicles now in Canadian service
AVGP Grizzly. The Grizzly APC is the basic member of the AVGP family, and is fitted with a Cadillac-Gage turret. It has a three-man crew (driver, crew commander, and gunner), with additional seating for four to eight infantry in the rear compartment (four fully-equipped, or six lightly-equipped infantrymen, or eight with two men jammed in beside the turret). This Grizzly was delivered to the Canadian Army on 14 April 1979. CWM 20030358-005.
(Author Photo)
The AVGP Husky is the AVGP repair and recovery variant and mounts a HIAB knuckle-boom hydraulic crane on the roof. The HIAB crane can lift 3.25 tons. Side-mounted hydraulic jacks stabilize the vehicle while the crane is in operation. The Husky is also fitted with a rear-mounted winch (with an 8-ton pull capacity) to recover disabled vehicles. A pintle-mounted machine gun can be fitted for self-defence. The CWM does not have a Husky.
Infantrymen of the North Shore Regiment climbing onto an Alligator amphibious tracked vehicle during Operation VERITABLE near Nijmegen, Netherlands, 8 February 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3525752)
LVT-1 Amphibious Vehicle.
M20 Greyhound Armoured Utility Car.
(City of Vancouver Archives Photo, AM1545-S3-: CVA 586-2764)
Willys 2¼ -ton 4 X 4 Jeep, Canadian Army convoy in the Yoho Valley, British Columbia, 1944. On 27 June 1940, the Ordnance Technical Committee issued a specification for a ¼-ton 4x4truck (4x4 means all four wheels can be driven). The winner of the competition had to deliver 70vehicles in 75 days, with the first prototype being delivered in 49 days. There was a weight limit of 590 kg (1,300 lb), payload of 272 kg (600 lb), and the maximum wheelbase (distance between the axles) was 2 metres (80 in). Three companies responded: American Bantam Car Company Inc, Willys-Overland Motors, and Ford. Bantam won the competition.
Each of the competing vehicles had shortcomings (no surprise, given the speed of development).After deliberation, 1,500 vehicles were ordered from each of the three manufacturers for wider testing. Many of the original specifications had been revised - for example, the maximum weight increased to 980 kg (2,160 lb). After the tests, Willys won the production contract for 16,000 vehicles, at least in part due to a lower bid and a larger engine. Bantam was not large enough to handle the required production. Ford agreed to be the second production source and was licensed by Willys to do so.
The production vehicle was the Willys model MB. Precise and reliable production figures are difficult to obtain, but in general terms, there were 2600 – 2,700 Bantams, 1,500 Willys MA (the test model), 360,000 Willys MB (the production model), 3,300 Ford GP (the test model), 277,800 Ford GPW (the licensed Willys MB) produced during the Second World War – a total of 645,300 Jeeps. Some figures quote as high as 680,000 jeeps. While many accounts state that the Jeep name came from the Ford “GP” vehicle, or from the contemporary cartoon character in the Popeye comic series, Willys are adamant that they deliberately selected it for their vehicle in competition with other names. However, apparently it was also applied to other small vehicles, such as the Dodge 1/2 –ton Command Car. The prototypes were called the Bantam, Pygmy (Ford) and Quad (Willys). (The source book devotes five pages to this subject!)There were many modifications applied to the basic vehicle during the war, as well as the addition of special kits, such as an ambulance, and mounting radios and weapons such as machine guns. After the war, Willys continued to improve the vehicle and produced the MC version, (which is better known as the M38) in 1950-51, and the MD (aka the M38A1) from 1951-1957.
Canada used the Willys and Ford jeeps in the Second World War and continued to use the M38 family successors after the war until replaced by the M151 vehicle in the mid 1970s. Sources: Clayton, Michael. Jeep. North Pomfret, Vermont, David and Charles Ltd, 1982.Vanderveen, Bart. The Jeep. New York, Frederick Warne and Company, 1974. (Doug Knight)
(Author Photo)
Willys 2¼ -ton 4 X 4 Jeep, Second World War diorama. More than 361,000 Willys Model MB jeeps were produced during the Second World War, and the vehicle served with most of the Allied armies, including Canada. It was frequently modified to carry machine guns or radios, and could tow a trailer or a light field gun. CWM 19970113-022.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4234422)
Canadian Provost Corps mounted in a Willys Jeep on UN duty in Egypt.
(Author Photo)
Willys 2¼ -ton 4 X 4 Jeep, UN colours. The M38 CDN jeep was the first post-Second World War jeep used by the Canadian Army. It is similar to the MB/GPW, but is higher, has larger "bulging" headlights, and a single-piece windshield. It uses the same engine, although geared lower, as the MB/GPW. The Ford Motor Company of Canada in Windsor, Ontario, assembled the M38 CDN between February and November 1952 at an average cost of $2600 each. Winches were delivered and installed separately by the Ramsey Winch Co. Later, RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) installed a convoy lamp as a field modification. The CWM artefact is in UN colours(UNEF 1) and mounts a No. 19 wireless set (radio).
(Author Photos)
106-mm M40A1 Recoilless Anti-Tank Gun on M38A1 CDN3 Jeep. The M38A1 CDN3 differs from the M38A1 CDN2 by using self-adjusting brakes, solid-state directional flashers, and changes to the front wheel bearings and hubs. While in theCanadian Army, the CWM artefact was modified to carry the 106-mm recoilless rifle anti-tank gun. CWM 19970113-035.
(Author Photo)
106-mm M40A1 Recoilless Rifle mounted on an M38A1 CDN3 Jeep, CFB Petawawa, Ontario, Aug 1974.
(Author Photos)
M151A2 Truck, Utility, 1/4-ton, 4 X 4 Jeep (G838). Note the corner pocket pressed into the fender to drop the running light below the blackout light; the earlier M151 had straight, flat fenders.
(Author Photo)
Volkswagen Type 183, more commonly known as the Iltis (German for polecat). The Iltis was built under licence in Canada by Bombardier with 2,500 vehicles for the Canadian Forces and 2,673 vehicles for the Belgian Army. The Canadian production ran from 1984 to 1988 during which time a small number of vehicles were also delivered to Cameroon and Oman.
The Iltis is a 4x4 light utility vehicle used for command, liaison, reconnaissance, and communication functions. It can be equipped to lay cable (the CWM artefact), mount weapons, and carry casualties. It is air-transportable in a CC-130 Hercules aircraft. The Canadian Army acquired 2,500 Iltis vehicles between1984 and 1986.On New Year's Eve 1994, Privates Philip Badanai (Royal Canadian Regiment) and John Tescione (48th Highlanders) were returning from a UN escort mission through a small village in Croatia, when25 Serb soldiers suddenly opened fire with small arms, hitting the vehicle more than 50 times. Tescione was hit five times, including twice in the head. Badanai was wounded twice, but managed to continue driving for 15 kilometers until he reached base. Miraculously, both survived the ordeal. Private Badanai was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his quick action (DND). CWM 19950050-001.
(Author Photos)
RG-31 Nyala, 4X4 multi-purpose mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle manufactured in South Africa by Land Systems OMC.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5180095)
Canadians in Belgium, near Turnhout. Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC) No. 11 Canadian Army Roadhead, under command of LCol Denney. M29C Amphiious Weasels in the Vehicle Park and Workshops, 22 February 1945.
(Author Photo)
M29C Amphibious Weasel. The M29 Weasel was a light-tracked vehicle that was designed and built by the Studebaker Corporation as an over-snow vehicle. It was an excellent design and remained in use for many years after the Second World War, especially in Canadian and Norwegian Arctic. The M29C had a better-shaped body, was amphibious, and had a cable-controlled rudder at the rear. There were floatation chambers at the front and rear. The tracks provided the propulsion in the water. It was used extensively in the operations to capture Antwerp in late 1944. CWM 19740137-001.
(Harley D. Nygren, NOAA Photolibrary Photo)
M29 Amphibious Weasel being loaded on the landing craft "Goldie", at Oliktok Point, Beaufort Sea coast, Alaska North Slope, during construction of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line, summer 1950.
(Author Photo)
155-mm M109A4 SP Howitzer, (Serial No. 85-77249).
(Author Photo)
TJ-1 Tracked Jeep (Bantam). In the fall of 1942, officers at the Canadian Army Proving Establishment near Ottawa designed a small two-man armoured vehicle that they called the “tracked jeep”. Victoria Foundry produced a crude hull and a prototype was fitted with the Willys MD jeep engine. In tests at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the U.S., it was superior to the Willys wheeled jeep and also the T-16Universal Carrier. Since the prototype was promising, five pilot models were developed and produced by the Marmon Herrington Corporation and Willies Overland Corporation in late 1943. However, British interest was low, America had other production priorities, and by the time it was ready for trials in Europe, the war was almost over, so it never entered service. The vehicle was amphibious in smooth water without floatation devices. The CWM artefact was painted in German colours and was filmed in the movie “The Dirty Dozen” starring Lee Marvin. CWM 19940006-001.
(Author Photo)
TJ-2 Tracked Jeep, ex-Le Régiment de Maisonneuve. Six pilot models of an unarmed, non-armoured cargo carrier were ordered in 1944, but were not delivered until1946. They were built by Willys Overland of Toledo, Ohio, and the hull was built by Marmon-Herrington. The vehicle was amphibious, and air-portable in a Douglas Dakota transport aircraft. It could carry up to 454 kg (1,000 lb) of cargo over wet terrain while towing a 454 kg (1,000 lb)trailer. The vehicles were tested in Churchill, Manitoba, in1946, but then development stopped. CWM 19990220-002.
(Author Photo)
Russian BRM-1K Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (BMP M1976/2), Call signs 7731 & 11185. The BMP entered service in the Soviet Union in 1967, and was the world’s first vehicle that was designed to let infantry fight from the vehicle (as opposed to the M113 family that just transport the infantry to battle). The crew sit in the centre of the vehicle, facing outwards, and can fire their weapons through ports in the hull. The vehicle is completely amphibious. The BMP has been widely exported and has many variants. The BRM-1K (BMP M1976/2) Armoured Reconnaissance Command Vehicle, derived fromBMP-1, has a 2-man turret and additional sensors. It has additional communications, a land navigation set, a laser-rangefinder sight, and a PSNR-5K Tall Mike (NATO designation) battlefield surveillance radar. The radar is mounted in the rear part of the turret, and is elevated above the turret roof when needed, and lowered into the turret when not used. The vehicle mounts the BMP’s 73-mm smoothbore main gun (without the SAGGER anti-tank missile launcher that is standard on the fighting vehicle). Two man-portable surface-to-air missile launchers are normally carried. Passengers may dismount from BRM-1K and set up a fixed observation post. The CWM artefact was manufactured in 1986 and came from Germany after the unification of the country in the 1990s. CWM 19930093-001.
(Author Photo)
Russian T-34/85 medium Tank, Call sign 102. The T-34 entered mass production in June 1940 and was a major surprise to the Germans whenthey encountered it in the summer of 1941. Its sloped armour gave excellent protection for less weight. The diesel engine was reliable, reduced the fire risk and increased the operational range.Its long-barrelled 76-mm high-velocity gun was an innovation for a medium tank. The modified Christie suspension allowed high speed and the wide tracks gave a low ground pressure, which was a definite advantage in the Russian terrain. The T-34/85 was approved for production in December 1943, major changes being the 85-mmgun and a cast turret. More than 11,000 were produced in 1944 alone. After the war, about80,000 were produced in Poland and Czechoslovakia.
The T-34/85 was in production until 1948,and remained in service in several countries until the mid-1960s. It was used by the North Koreans during the Korean War. Note the simplicity of the vehicle. No attention has been paid to cosmetics, but parts that must function together are well made. Particularly notice the mechanism for keeping the track link pin from working its way out during movement. The crew area is small compared to Western tanks. In particular, the driver should be less than 5’4” high and stocky because operating the brake and clutch took a lot of effort. Having said this, many Soviet tank drivers were women. The Germans considered the tanks to be noisy – it could be heard at a distance of about 400 m. The CWM T-34/85 was built in 1944 at the tank factory in Nizhny Tagil. It fought in the Ukraine during the war. In 1988, the Soviet government presented the tank to the CWM in recognition of the aid that Canada supplied to the USSR during the Second World War. The tank is in running condition, and most of its internal equipment is complete. CWM 19880285-001.
(Author Photo)
Russian T-72 Main Battle Tank, Call Sign 10287.
Major Hal Skaarup has woven together an informative and detailed synopsis of the carefully preserved and restored armoured fighting vehicles on display in Canada. He highlights the importance of these upon key turning points in history when these AFVs were in use as tools of war at home and overseas. We often associate the evolution of military prowess with the advancement of sophisticated technology. Major Skaarup's descriptions of Canadian armour as it evolved to the level it has today reveals that military planners have had to be continuously creative in adapting to the changes in modern combat. They had to devise many intricate techniques, tactics and procedures to overcome the insurgents and opposition forces faced in Afghanistan and future overseas missions where Canadian armour will be brought into play. This guide book will show the interested reader where to find examples of the historical armour preserved in Canada, and perhaps serve as a window on how Canada's military contribution to safety and security in the world has evolved.
Lieutenant-General Steven S. Bowes
You may order the book "Ironsides" on line at these websites:
Order Book: http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000479183/Ironsides.aspx.
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Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Canada, Province by Province, Volume 1 New Brunswick
This book is an informative and detailed synopsis of the carefully preserved and restored armoured fighting vehicles on display in New Brunswick. Soldiers from this Atlantic province have used them as tools of war at home and overseas. The descriptions of Canadian armour on display here illustrate that illustrate their efficiency and effectiveness has evolved to a significant level, and that military planners have had to be continuously creative in adapting to the changes in modern combat. They had to devise many intricate techniques, tactics, and procedures to overcome the insurgents and opposition forces faced in overseas missions where Canadian armour has been or will be brought into play. This guidebook is intended to show the interested researcher where to find examples of historical armour preserved in New Brunswick. It should also serve as a window on how Canada's military contribution to safety and security in the world has evolved.
You may order this book on line at this website:
https://www.amazon.ca/Armoured-Fighting-Vehicles-Province-Brunswick/dp/1954304218/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zmA3PcDT0V5cHGjgAA_OSlfve85a3J9Q5dtkUcGwFLPGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.4FgoEadzTSH4iXan90mSuFNjwxsWgWIA7C9y-h0b86M&qid=1732707122&sr=8-3
