[James P]

Answering Post 6 above.

Can anyone tell us whether the T72 ? at Camp Borden is one of this lot of vehicles - or if not where it came from and under what circumstances. It looks fairly complete but neglected surely it could be a runner with some help?? B.P.

Nope, after the reunification the German government had a huge problem disposing of unwanted armour, vehicles, weapons, aircraft of all sorts and in various conditions. One expediant was to gift equipment to various nations so Canada received a number of tanks that where all Ex-East German. The Borden Museum received a T34, T54-55 and T72 then did something rather bizarre they painted a big red Soviet star on the T34 that caused the staff from the German Embassy to have kittens when they went to visit the gifted vehicles. Like really what a outright stupid thing to do.......but there is more. In 1998 I was in Borden for training and noted the museum had painted some HUGE markings on the tanks like T-54 and T72 that just looked so painfully wrong. Today the former East German T72 is wearing some odd cam paint scheme which makes me ask (again) why do CF museums go out of their way to paint things wrong ?? or apply bizzare and fictitious markings ??

So just to clarify, there where two batches of Ex-East German vehicles sent to Canada. Batch One is the gift of tanks, vehicles and aircraft (MIG21 at Trenton, BTR 152 and BRDM2 to Gagetown and Borden the tanks) that went to museums and where never part of the CF in the early 1990s. Then later (mid 1990s) the Canadian Forces received a second batch of T72 and a few BMP2 for Trials and Evaluations, dynamic testing of ammunition, use as EnFor and umpteen dog and ponies and familiarization training .

John, you will also need the small (about ten inch long) "key" that has a oval on one end for cranking the drivers hatch open and closing and locking the turret hatches. Honestly the wrench you show in the post, the "key" wrench and the 1M long dip stick is about all this anvil tough tank needs to keep running in the field.