All Blanks were stored and carried in boxes painted Red and re-stencilled. The carts were also generally cut down, I have a couple of spare 17 pdr Blank boxes that I would consider selling.

Rob.....................rnixartillery.

Thanks Rob - have sent you a PM

Cheers

Tim

How were the blanks stored in the box - do you know?

Cheers
Tim

Tanks didn't carry blanks. There is a book about 9 RTR who needed blanks for their Churchills at the end of the war to carry out a celebratory shoot, they made their own with very mixed results!

17 pdr Blank Boxes
 

Here is my stack of boxes and there are a couple more buried that I cant get out just now, I am pretty sure these are from the same source as the ebay ones as they also came from the London area a couple of years ago.
Nice ammo boxes are getting harder to find and 17 pounder ones even more so.....

Rob................rnixartillery

Probably not... but... I doubt I will be allowed to have a licence to shoot anything else!

Cheers

Tim

I'm sure you're right!

Original 3rd. Div patches find today...
 

always nice to find originals. Now looking for 3/AT/RCA flashes for my battledress tunic. Cheers Rob

Have decided that I'll stick with the ammo lockers inside the Sherman... got to use them for something other than beer and wine... and I have enough clutter in the garage as it is... so wont worry about an ammo case for blanks.

RCA sew on badge question?
 

Can someone tell me when/what era, and on what battledress these were sewn onto top of sleeve above chevrons? Googling Canadian battledress insignia there are very few pics of these on the sleeve. Doing a bunch of sewing on my 3rd AT battledress. Cheers Rob

Isn't that the Master Gunner symbol? The unique badge for completing the Army Technical Warrant Officer Programme.

http://www.rmc.ca/en/applied-militar...litary-science

http://canadiansoldiers.com/ranks/ta...pointments.htm

Thank you for the link Terry...
 

Many years ago a RCA veteran gave me these, he was a Sergeant RCA on 3.7's on the West Coast. Cheers Rob

Rob,

In the Artillery, a cannon above the three chevrons indicated whether or not the NCO was a lance or a substantive Sergeant. Three chevrons without a cannon was the insignia for a Lance-Sergeant. With a cannon was a substantive Sergeant. It took the place of the crimson sash which indicated the same in the Infantry.

The Lance-Sergeant was an Army appointment which disappeared on unification (or integration, I get them confused). The use of the cannon with chevrons stopped on the introduction of the new CF uniforms with the integrated rank insignia. All promotions to Sergeant were considered substantive.

Cheers,
Dan.

RCA battledress.
 

I think I got this right. Thanks for the input Dan. Can anyone enlighten me on the lanyards in the pic? RCA? Brown and black...tan...and purple. Cheers Rob

The light coloured one, which I think you're referring to as tan, is actually white, or was at one time. A white lanyard was a part of the RCA uniform.

The other two lanyards, one brown and black and one purple, were more than likely just for utility sake. For example using one for the knife and one for the whistle. The lanyard for the knife would be looped around a belt or belt loop as the knife was usually kept in your pocket. There were different ways to wear a whistle lanyard, which was usually left to regimental idiosyncrasies. Why the brown and black one is shown over the right shoulder with the white lanyard I have no idea as two lanyards on one shoulder just wasn't done.

I would think that, and this is just a guess, if it was a regimental practice of the 3rd Anti-Tank for senior NCO's and officers to wear a whistle lanyard with their battledress, then it would be worn on the shoulder opposite the one with the white lanyard and would be of a dark hue so as to blend in with the colour of the battledress and not contrast with the white.

On the other hand, if the whistle was connected to the white lanyard then there would be no need for a second one to be worn. It looks like you have some research to do into the regiment.

Cheers,
Dan.

Prairie Command fall B-B-Q 2015
 

Good turn out, we all ate well. It was Gord's Dingo coming out party. Congrats Gord, your Dingo is a work of art.

the Host with the most!
 

Thanks to you again for hosting the BBQ once again Rob.Always nice to see the progress you and Tony do with your restoration projects.That 17 pounder has come along way since I saw it when it was pulled out of the field years ago.A job well done.Looking forward to the next one!
Regards,Derk (and Dawn!),can't forget the wife!

Muzzle brake for the 17 needed.
 

I will try one more time here...looking for a muzzle brake. I realize this is a tough find, so if it doesn't show up, I am prepared to proceed with casting a replica. Possibly my winter project. Thanks for your consideration. Cheers Rob

Wish I could help Rob. I have had two spare over the years but swapped the last one for a 6 pdr brake a few years ago. They are not unknown over here, I'll ask around.

Thanks for the offer of help Adrian...
 

much appreciated. Cheers Rob

Had a fantastic day with F.G.H. veteran Stan Butterworth...
 

His story is truly a fascinating one. A real gentleman, it was an honour to spend some time with him.The Dutch guys here whom I am sure are aware of the Groningen history will enjoy this.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...344407462.html

Muzzle brake manufacture 17 pdr...
 

Well, away we go with this little project, it's good to have a machinist friend Harold Kihn who has the tools and the know how to replicate this tough to find piece, my gun is missing. Just a couple of pics very early on in the process. Cheers Rob

locking washer
 

Rob,

I have some NOS locking washers that go between the Muzzle and lock ring if you want one, you can have it if you cover the postage, I shouldn't think it will cost much.
A Christmas present for the 17 pdr !

Rob......................rnixartillery

Sweet Rob...
 

and thank you very much. Cheers Rob Fast and email sent.

Muzzle brake progress...
 

Getting the pitch and left hand thread worked out. Cheers Rob

Harold does nice work! :thup:


David

Yes he does David...
 

A couple of more pics of todays progress. Cheers and Merry Christmas all.

Curiosity question, Rob. Is the orientation of the lateral holes in the muzzle brake, in relation to the threads on the brake, critical?

I am just trying to understand how the lateral holes end up to each side of the barrel horizontally when the muzzle brake is run home on the end of the barrel.

Good thing I am not a cat. I would have been dead years ago!


David

Is that not what the back nut is for? To lock it in final position? I have seen images of museum examples that have the brake set so that the holes are not horizontal!! I don't know how critical it would be under fire?

Beautiful piece of machining by your engineer Rob.

Ron

That is what the nut is for, along with a flat washer that goes between them. If the holes are not aligned l/r, you end up with a very large cloud of dust and a lot of debris being thrown around.

This muzzle brake example came off one of the 17 pdrs from the Shilo museum. It was not perpendicular before it came off but I can assure you it will be when it goes back on.