Armour in Canada (5) Ontario: London, and the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles in London, Ontario, and the Royal Canadian Regiment 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. 3607600)
Sexton 25-pounder SP Gun, Perry Kitson Collection. The Sexton in Mr. Kitson's collection was the 2115th of 2150 produced. It came off the assembly line at Montreal Locomotive Works in Jan/Feb 1945. It was used by Canada until the mid fifties when it was sent to Portugal under the MDAP. When Portugal sold them as surplus in 1979, 40 were brought to the US by SECO in Augusta, Georgia. Perry Kitson purchased this one in 2003 and repatriated it to Canada.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3574213)
Sherman V Command tank ( nick-named Vancouver) commanded by MGen B.M. Hoffmeister, GOC 5th Canadian Armour Division, Castrocielo, Italy, 26 May 1944.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4233170)
M4A2(75) Sherman III Medium Tank with a crew from Alberta, Vaucelles, France, July 1944.
(Lucas Freitas Photo)
(Terry Honour Photo)
(Bob Scott Photo)
Sherman III Medium Tank, (Serial No. 7606), US Reg. No. 3062855, built at General Motor's Fisher Tank Arsenal in Flint, Michigan in the last week of September 1942. It is a "small hatch" Sherman, WD No. CT-152655, No. 51, “Holy Roller”. It has early direct vision ports for the driver and co-driver, but also has appliqué armour on the hull sides and trailing return rollers found on the VVSS version. It also has an M34 mantlet and a late one piece final drive, possibly upgraded post-war. It was shipped to England where it was issued with the War Department number CT-152655. It wasn't until late May/early June 1944 that it was issued to the 6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars), just before D-Day.
"Holy Roller" was crewed by five men when it landed on Juno Beach, including then 21-year old gunner William Reed, Frank White, Ted Doherty, Everett Smith and Frank Fowler (who came up with the name “Holy Roller” because it is the only Hussar tank which survived the war). Manned in the battle by these 1st Hussars, it has been on display as the 1st Hussar Memorial, in London's Victoria Park on Central Ave, since 1950 when it was dedicated to the regiment. The 1st Hussars are lauded for being the only regiment to reach its objective in the Normandy invasion.
This tank saw combat in NW Europe from D-Day, 6 June 1944 to VE-Day, 8 May 1945. “Holy Roller” is one of only two tanks to land on D-Day that survived intact to the end of the war. The other is "Bomb", on display in the William Street Armoury in Sherbrooke, Quebec. There are only four original Shermans that fought in Europe and returned to Canada in 1945. The remaining two are "Cathy" at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and "Forceful III" in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario.
(Ken Bell, DND, Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA-131777)
Sherman tank of the 1st Hussars in Normandy, 28 June 1944.
(Maxwell J. Toms Photos)
M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carrier.
London, Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
(Balcer Photo)
(Maxwell J. Toms Photo)
M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank (Serial No. 69199), built by Fisher, Reg. No. 30129678, “Angel” markings of the 6th Armoured Regiment, 1st Hussars.
Universal Carrier. (Maxwell J. Toms Photo)
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown). (Maxwell J. Toms Photo)
Information on the correct CFR number for this vehicle would be most welcome. The hull number on the Lynx is on the upper right corner of the glacis plate (vehicle's right) in a rectangle deliberately left bare of grip tread paint, also on the rear door about 3" above the handle pivot and on the observer's hatch between the 2 hinge arm brackets.
AVGP Cougar. (Photo courtesy of Maxwell J. Toms)
(Maxwell J. Toms Photo)
AVGP Grizzly.
