This is the 6th Ferret bought by Canada (they started numbering them at 54-82500).
I do not have an in-service photo of this one ... YET.
;-)
Annex A
To: 12320-126-18 (DPSL 3-S)
Dated: 22 May 81
(I have an original copy via Rob Love in 2001) says:
82505 Calgary Disposal CADCI 50799 Apr 81
In other words 54-82505 was sold out of Calgary surplus on document CADCI 50799 (Crown Assets Disposal Corporation ...) in April 1981.
Since it was sold out of Calgary, it served with Lord Strathcona's Horse Regiment (Royal Canadians) though not necessarily for a long time as mine also served there but had moved around. After sale, it would likely have been held by Gordon Cumming of Crown Surplus Stores in Calgary, Alberta for the US owners until shipping was arranged to USA.
Photos show that this vehicle is missing some small stuff (side lights, mirrors, sand channel mounts, fire extiguisher and bracket, tool mounts on glacis plate and spare tire hub cap). Interior is in unknown condition - though fuel tank shows through hatches. Original paint and markings showing. Note Canada flag on starboard upper glacis plate. Also not up[right brackets on starboard fender. Side stowage bin has rust showing.
It was NOT one of the Cyprus UNFICYP Ferrets to the best of my knowledge. I do not know if it served in Germany or UNEF (1).
Having said that, it could be restored as:
1. Semi-gloss green as delivered, with 19 set and Bren (replica mount cost $100 & shipping from Texas)
2. Green or white with Bren and 19 set and light blue UNEF markings for Sinai Desert 1957 ... (interesting looking, oil stains would show - don't use CWM one as a guideline as it is not correct).
3. Green with UNITED NATIONS markings in UNFICYP (Cyprus). UNITED NATIONS was in yellow letters not white as per today.
4. Camouflage for NATO Germany (Browning .30 cal 1919A4 / 7.62 mm conversion)
5. Camouflage for Canada c.1970 onwards with Browning 1919A4
It needs a full restoration but
it would be nice to see it come back to Canada.
Seller has a second Feret Mk.I which he is keeping (it appears in background of one photo).
OK you Eastern Snowbirds ... your mission, should you choose to accept it ...
Over 4,000 Ferrets were made. Parts ARE available through some US suppliers so you do not have to ship everything from UK. Some parts are getting hard to get. You might find some Canadian sources for some parts.
Canada only owned 124 Ferrets (plus we appear to have rented a couple with turrets in Cyprus) . Of those 124,
1 burned
1 scrapped
10 monuments
23 hard targets
1 funeral vehicle
4 to museums (1 to a US museum)
84 sold (9 went to the Ontario Regiment; 73 to a US dealer!)
A few monuments and targets were later saved or made into monuments. Bottom line is
VERY FEW CANADIAN ARMY FERRETS are in private hands in Canada!
Many Canadians wanting a Ferret end up with British surplus examples (and even several of these are in military museums in Calgary, Vancouver and Niagara-on-the-Lake). Even the armoured units with historical troops have a mix of Canadian and British Ferrets.
In BC we have 2 ex-Cdn Ferrets 54-82598 (mine) and 54-82591 (Grant McAvoy's) and two ex-British Ferrets - one ex-BATUS and one via Belgium)
For more info about Canadian Ferrets with lots of photos see
http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net/ferret.htm
There is a wonderful forum of Ferret owners who help each other. Ferret Heaven.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-heaven/
There is an other web site Ferret AFV.org
http://www.ferret-afv.org/
And Doug's heavy metal site, more info there as well as pics and more.
www.users.zetnet.co.uk/lsm/dhmg/index.html
Colin Stevens,
Mission, BC