1944 M29C Weasel

[Rob MacDonald]

I've bought a Weasel from a chap in Colorado. I'd hopes of a bren carrier, but this one was really affordable, complete and running and those 20" tracks just float over the snow and mud! The darn things even (almost) floats!

Does anyone know if the Canadian Army ever used weasels?

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

I don't know what units - they may well have been engineer units and certainly elements of the 79th Armoured Division - but Weasels were there in February 1945 when we started our assault on the Rhine. At times they and T-16s were almost the only vehicles which could move through the mud.

Interestingly, in the Canadian War Museum there's a Weasel which unaccountably is marked in the colours of the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment. I don't know whether that's someone's post-war imagination or whether the Regiment "acquired" it like they did with their one C15TA... perhaps Bill Miller may have run across it in the records he's been researching? I'll see if I can dig up a picture of it.

Have you pictures of yours, Rob?

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

This is a front-on pic of the CWM's Weasel. I may have more, but haven't found them yet.

[peter simundson]

The last time I saw the one in the War Museum it had Norwegian data plates and had been obtained from them some 30 years ago when the were dumping some of their war stocks.

P Simundson

[Rob MacDonald]

That's very interesting - thanks very much!

here are a couple of photos. it was used by a power company until a few years ago and is basically complete and running. A bit of initial body work and cleanup (meaning 'off comes the outhouse') and then I'll buckle down to serious restoration as time and money allows.

I REALLY hope we get another blizzard like last year!

[Rob MacDonald]

Here's a few more photies:

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

Yes they used them, here some youtube movies of the liberation of the Netherlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI81KbnSbSI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFi_140U_Go&feature=fvw

Hendrik

[Rob MacDonald]

Originally Posted by Hendrik van Oorspronk

Yes they used them, here some youtube movies of the liberation of the Netherlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI81KbnSbSI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFi_140U_Go&feature=fvw

Hendrik

thanks very much! much of that footage is of 11 Brigade (PPCLI/Seaforth of Canada/Edmonton Regt) pity that I'm just a few years too late to show it to the vets who might have put names to some of those faces.

I'll show the clips in our Regt'l Museum during our Ortona Dinner (the Seaforth's regimental Christmas Dinner).

thanks again

Cheers

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Hendrik van Oorspronk

Yes they used them, here some youtube movies of the liberation of the Netherlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI81KbnSbSI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFi_140U_Go&feature=fvw

Hendrik

Thats really great footage. Early an CMPs and Kangaroos abound. I wonder how many ot the local population got squashed. It was a bit like watching the modern rally cars in some countries.
Regards Rick.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by peter simundson

The last time I saw the one in the War Museum it had Norwegian data plates and had been obtained from them some 30 years ago when the were dumping some of their war stocks.

P Simundson

Mr Simundson I humbly submit you know too much.

Signed:

an admiring fan
Bruce

[peter simundson]

....I am a cornucopia of useless information.

Cheers Mr. Parker.

[Rob MacDonald]

I've got the 'French' tracks at present, but I'll be wanting an original set eventually...