For an update on two survivng Skink turrets, see AFV News board > BLUE SKINK TURRETS.
See http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k130/ldshrecceboy/ for recceboy's pictures.

These turrets have casting numbers 80 (in background) and 81 on the back of the turrets. They have much less damage than for example casting number 78 shown above. Although these are unmachined, these are a good basis for the recreation of a Skink turret on a Grizzly hull.

Orginally posted by Roger Lucy on AFV News Discussion Board:

Anthony Sewards (Login recceboy) wrote at Missing-Lynx forum:

Skink with Fort Garry Horse.
 

It seems that the Fort Garry Horse received a Skink sometime in February 1945 for testing. The following is from their Regimental history “Vanguard’:

(p97) “And a new curiosity the ‘Skink’ Anti-aircraft tank, arrived for operational tests.”

During its European tour with the Skink, 1 Tank Demonstration Unit played with 10 CAR from 11-19 February. They were doing the Reichswald at the time.
Roger

Jordan Baker wrote: "I located the CMHQ file on the Skink AA tank. It goes from pages 4-300. Page 249 confirms that Skink marked SKC1001 was sent to NWE for field combat trials. A new unit was formed called the No.1 Canadian Tank Demonstration Unit."

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/o...80/249?r=0&s=2

This is SKC1001. Note it has been fitted with CDP tracks:

Attachment 121778 Attachment 121777

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what the script says on the turret?

Could they be shipping dimensions and weights?

Courtesy of Mark Tonner.

The War Diaries of No.1 Tank Demonstration Unit, CAC.

next batch

the next next batch

and the last page. Thanks again Mark

Jordan, Mark, Hanno....thanks for this very interesting info and posting it here!


From this thread: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...391#post272391
I looked up all mentioned Map References to see if the Skink visited Broekhuizen, but the closest the Skink got to Broekhuizen was about 40km's, so I guess it's safe to say the damage on Avalon wasn't done by demonstration of the Skink.

For anyone wanting to look up map references in War diaries, you can use this tool here:

https://www.echodelta.net/mbs/eng-translator.php#

Start with the global location mentioned in the war diaries, for example "Nijmegen". Check a map to see the location of Nijmegen, and find the corresponding letter code here....in this case "qE"

Attachment 121848

than take the mentioned Map Reference (MR) 712642 from the War diary and combine it with the 2 letters "qE712642" and use the translator, select "Nord de Guerre Grid" in the first box (corresponds with the grid above) and type the number in the second box to find the location.

Attachment 121850

Thanks for disproving my hypothesis.

Yes, sorry about that, Hanno. I was kind of hoping the war diaries would prove otherwise.....what a find that would have been!

Alex

Don’t be, that’s what research is about. Checking if any of the hypothesis are true or false, until you’re left with the true (or most likely) history.

Haven’t read it all, but noted it got stuck in the mud several times. Something to do with driver’s skill or the CDP track? I think this was the first time that track was used in action (another hypothesis)

Skink time line
 

Have read the War Dairy now, and took these notes to create a time line:

• 24-Jan-1945: Skink arrived at Antwerp
• 28-Jan-1945: moved off by train
• 29-Jan-1945: Skink arrived at Eindhoven by train
• 4-Feb-1945: moved to Nijmegen
• 16-Feb-1945: Skink moved from Grave to Kleve
  
  
• 19-Feb-1945: 1-TDU remained with TAC HQ (not going into action?) at Kleve
  
  
• 25-Feb-1945: 1-TDU moved off with 3 Sqn 22-CAR and a Coy of Argyle Sutherland Highlanders to SL south-west of Kalkar
  
  
• 26-Feb-1945, South of Kalkar: armour and infantry gone in on the attack, 1-TDU followed and engaged in mopping up role. Fired on by 88-mm, no hits made. Large number of buildings set on fire using HE IT ammunition. Heavy mortar fire, wounding Lt. Case.
  
  
• 27-Feb-1945, Kirsel: Covering positions taken up for expected counter attack.
  
  
• 1-Mar-1945, Hochwald gap: Skink became bogged and remained there for the night.
• 2-Mar-1945, Hochwald Gap: Skink pulled out by recovery vehicle.
  
  
• 3-Mar-1945: 1-TDU to support 22-CAR and LSR attack through Hochwald gap laying down covering fire on A/T positions. Skink bogged down within first few yards of the advance. Extricated one hour later, moved forward without seeing further action and then withdrew.
  
  
• 9-Mar-1945, Winnenthal: 1-TDU attached to 21-CAR and LSR moved into attack on the woods. Skink became bogged down, unable to move. Under heavy sniping and mortar fire while bogged down, withdrawing 12 hours later.
  
  
• 10-Mar-1945, Sonsbeck: 1-TDU moved off to RHQ 29 CAR, delay in arrival being due to Skink becoming bogged down en route.
  
  
• 16 - 20-Mar-1945, Eindhoven: unit prepares to return to England
• 23-Mar-1945, Eindhoven: Skink loaded on transporter to arrive at embarkation point at Antwerp.
• 24-Mar-1945: Skink loaded onto LST, sailing across the channel to dock at Tilbury on 25-Mar moving on to Transit Camp S4 at Dagenham
• 27-Mar-1945: Skink picked up at Transit Camp and transported to CBW for overhaul. Personnel proceeded to 3 CACRU, two Captains to CMHQ, London to complete reports.
• 28-Mar-1945, London: 1-TDU disbanded.

So the Skink did see some action, although it did not do a lot more than setting a large number of buildings on fire using HE IT ammunition. It did bog down at least four times! We know the going was rough in the Hochwald Forest, though maybe the performance of the CDP track may have played a role. Or possibly driver experience?

I wonder what "CBW" did with the Skink when they received it for overhaul?

Three pilots
 

Added photos to the post by Roger Lucy:

Attachment 121902
Welded rolled armour turret, with Hispano Suiza guns at full elevation. All hatches are open and the deflector sight deployed. Waterloo Manufacturing Company - 20 December, 1943.

Attachment 121901
Skink, as sent to England for trials, with all its markings and stowage. Notice the CDP tracks and "high bustle" turret

Attachment 121900
Skink number 62-728 (WD Number CT163962) on display at Dennison Armouries - Toronto, Canada - 1946. VVSS Sherman tracks and sprocket.

Photos via http://panzerserra.blogspot.com/2011...n-aa-tank.html

First Canadian Army evaluation report on the Skink
 

From a defunct website we learn some more:

A 4th turret has been located, used as a monument, the forth turret is sitting next to a War Memorial outside the Okanagan Indian Band, Band Office, British Columbia.

Anthony

This turret cast is owned by the Historic Vehicle troop at LdSH(RC) at CFB Edmonton

Photos via Raymond Gedge

Attachment 123589 Attachment 123590

Scan from a manual. It mentions one Skink pilot vehicle was shipped to England. See the rest of this thread to read what happened to it.

Attachment 125617

Are you sure that’s a scan from a manual and not from either some kind of report, or an early(ish?) enthusiast’s publication?

Hi Jakko, yes, the page comes from Data Book Tank type vehicles of Canadian manufacture, a wartime data book or reference manual.

Ah, OK, I see — it just has that look about it of being written by some 1960s AFV enthousiast :)

Anthony Sewards shared actual Skink in action reports and recommendations from Capt. H Valle , No. 1 Tank Demonstration Unit CAC from use in NWE.

Attachment 125995 Attachment 125996 Attachment 125997

… and the last three pages:

Attachment 125998 Attachment 125999 Attachment 126000

Anti-Aircraft Lizard
 

New online article:

https://warspot.net/484-anti-aircraft-lizard

Attachment 126234

Skink write up
 

The attached WarSpot article has some issues with some incorrect information, and is a miss mash up of various documents/ reports. There was more than one SKINK built, there were 3 completed, 1 stayed in the UK( deployed to NWE spring of 45), 2 remained in Canada (used post war in trials as late as 1947), all the hulls were not scrapped from the project, they ended up being sent to Portugal as part of the MDAP in the mid 50's, most being converted to APC's. There are 4 known SKINK turret survivors, only 2 were used as Range targets, the other 2 were used as range arc markers and were saved by the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in 2003. One turret is still with the Regiment, the other was sent to the Canadian War Museum in exchange for spare parts for vehicle restoration projects.