Longest serving mv in cf

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Wpns 421

One of the oldest pieces of gear in service today in the CF are the Boffin 40MM guns that are on the coastal ships. These guns were put into service during WWII and are still serving today. The mounts have been changed but the gun remains the same. I worked on the guns in CFB Gagetown in the Air Defence part of the Artillery school.
A couple years ago I say a video by DND showing the new improverd mounts and the trainers, impressive new mounts beautiful old guns. Gilles

I know a guy at DRES who was involved in a Bofors project just a couple years ago. I think it was an update to modernise and install them onto some coast guard vessels. In the end I think his comment was: "They really are yesterday's gun."

Actually Gilles, perhaps you can recall better than I, but it seems to me that some of the C1 howitzer caissons were US made, and some a mix of US made caisson and SIL barrel, breech ring and recoil. The caissons I recall were WW2 dated.

DRES in Suffield also had some other long obsolete equipment around including a never released M37 3/4 ton, and a 155 long tom which I saw just a few years ago.

As to weapons, the Cno7s were 1944 to 1946, while the Cno4s were potentially dated 1941 and newer. If we are going to talk general equipment though, then the oldest item I can recall still in service are the Stanley prismatic compasses, some of which date back to the first world war.

Another vehicle I just recalled are a couple of Centurians which languish at the recovery training area in Borden. They would get pushed down the hill just to be winched back up. Haven't been back in a decade, so can't confirm that they are still there.

[Scott Bentley]

Now that you mention it Rob, there are at least 3 x M37's sitting at the Cameron Centre in Suffield. They are actually in surprisingly good condition. No sign of them getting retired anytime soon. Considering what they are used for, I doubt they will ever be auctioned either

[Robin Craig]

Just so you know the same thread in the UK that I started has scared up a truly amazing result.

The 13 pounder guns used by Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery date from 1915


R

[rob love]

I think a better yardstick for a thread like this would be vehicles and trailers that are still on the books and used as vehicles. Problem with howitzers and guns are they tend to stick around in a ceremonial use forever.

To that end, I saw a number of M101 3/4 ton trailers in the range control compound at Connought the other week. I did not go close enough to them to tell if they were 50s or late 60s production. How these things manage to not get disposed of on retirement of a fleet is beyond me.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Robin Craig

Just so you know the same thread in the UK that I started has scared up a truly amazing result.

The 13 pounder guns used by Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery date from 1915

There are some (well, one I could count) naval signal gun used by the sea cadets for gun drills that are at least pre-WWI. The tube is in-the-white gun metal. Before heavy snow cracked the roof trusses at the navy barracks at Dow's Lake, Ottawa, that gun used to be parked in the side of the drill floor - next to the 9 Pound Rifled Muzzleloader, circa 1875 ... beat that!

[Wpns 421]

Hey Robin Don't blame me for starting the weapons annotations, blame it on Rob Love, he started it. It's not my fault Dad, Rob did it. HaHa. It's easy to blame him, he's far away. But in the end we got some really excellent(UFI) info. That's what this forum is about. Just out of curiosity, Robin was the person who bought the Iltis at Rideau auction the same guy who has the MLVWs? Curious Gilles

[Robin Craig]

The Iltis were bought by one person, not the same as the ML guy.

R

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Wpns 421

Hey Robin Don't blame me for starting the weapons annotations, blame it on Rob Love, he started it. It's not my fault Dad, Rob did it. HaHa. It's easy to blame him, he's far away.

Only as far away as the keyboard.

The gun I quoted is on wheels, and presently used in a transportation role. The guns you quoted are shipborne, and the ships, quite frankly, are not that old.

Tsk tsk, when will the 421s learn that they cannot beat their masters (411s) in debate.

While this thread has meandered (as usual) it's always interesting to hear about what's still out there.

[Robin Craig]

Rob

Thanks for moderating this thread

Gilles thanks for your input on the weapons side.

The Kings Troop guns go out on a regular basis with a reg force unit but admittedly in ceremonial role.

So to clarify, in use for "work" we have the DUKWs in the UK

Link here to some pictures http://www.18coyrasc.btck.co.uk/2010REUNION

and in the "ceremonial" category the Kings Troop 13 pounders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_13_pounder which according to this link were actually made in or started production in 1904. This makes them over a century old according to my math.

R

[Jason Ginn]

Originally Posted by rob love

Another vehicle I just recalled are a couple of Centurians which languish at the recovery training area in Borden. They would get pushed down the hill just to be winched back up. Haven't been back in a decade, so can't confirm that they are still there.

Back in 1993 i saw one of the Centurions down in the gully in the recovery area. It was missing all of the coffins and had a tree growing out if the engine decks. I seem to recall that it was painted a John Deere shade of green.

I made a few inquiries last winter when I was at Borden for a few days and it was apparently recovered one last time a few years back and is now a monument somewhere on base.