Carrier armour manufacturer?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Edwin Wand

Other well known war industries were
Massey Ferguson: Mosquito wings and farm machinery including the first self propelled combine.

That would have been Massey-Harris, the Ferguson link did not come until the 1950's.

[Lynn Eades]

And the Bren guns were made by Inglis

[charlie fitton]

I've got GSW on Helmets and ammo boxes

Electrohome on Radios

BFG on Rubber bits ( gas mask...)

TipTop Tailors and Montreal garment works on Battledress uniforms

[kosbie]

Many thanks guys, very interesting. Didn't really expect so many replies.
Rick

[Robert Bergeron]

William Scully in Montreal for badges and crests. GSW for Général Steel Wares for steel helmets, pots,mess kits. canadian Marconi for No19 radios for Universal Carriers. RCA Victor for same radios. Montreal Locomotive Works for Valentine and Grisly tanks. Dominion Bridge in Montreal for armour for preceeding. Etc...

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Montreal Locomotive Works for Valentine and Grisly tanks. Dominion Bridge in Montreal for armour for preceeding. Etc...

MLW built the Ram and Grizzly, along with Sexton. CPR Angus shop made the Cdn valentine.

[brengunman]

It has been pointed out to me that my mention of Montreal Locomotive Works manufacturing the carrier hulls is incorrect. One should not quote from memory at my age!

W. A. M. Gregg in his Canadian Military Vehicles Profiles describes the manufacturing of the armour:

"Although a few hand built armoured cars had been built by Russell Motor Car Co. and others during the First World War, virtually no Canadian Manufacturer had any knowledge of bullet proof or armour plate production prior to 1940. The problem was further complicated by British advisors inferring that some mystical process was involved, which surely was beyond colonial comprehension. Metallurgists at Dominion Foundries and Steel (Dofasco) in Hamilton soon discovered, however, that good quality steel could take on all the desired properties through straight forward alloy and carbon adjustment. Dofasco established, through its tests in 1940, that a level of alloy well below that in allied use at the time, had optimum qualities for armour plate. The Dofasco formula was soon adopted by both American and British manufacturers. Dofasco was able to produce good plate but had difficulty with proper heat treating and straightening. Dietrich Saw Company of Galt had developed techniques for straightening large saw blades and were able to do the job with little delay. The plate was then sent to International Harvester Co. in Hamilton for punching and forwarded to Dominion Bridge Co. for hull fabrication which was done in an old plant south of Windsor which was reopened for the purpose."

George

[Robert Bergeron]

International Harvester Also made the Canadian Half Tracks during WW2 . I climbed in one not long ago at Andre Gineau's magic shed near Montreal.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by brengunman

W. A. M. Gregg in his Canadian Military Vehicles Profiles describes the manufacturing of the armour:

"Although a few hand built armoured cars had been built by Russell Motor Car Co. and others during the First World War, virtually no Canadian Manufacturer had any knowledge of bullet proof or armour plate production prior to 1940. The problem was further complicated by British advisors inferring that some mystical process was involved, which surely was beyond colonial comprehension. Metallurgists at Dominion Foundries and Steel (Dofasco) in Hamilton soon discovered, however, that good quality steel could take on all the desired properties through straight forward alloy and carbon adjustment. Dofasco established, through its tests in 1940, that a level of alloy well below that in allied use at the time, had optimum qualities for armour plate. The Dofasco formula was soon adopted by both American and British manufacturers. Dofasco was able to produce good plate but had difficulty with proper heat treating and straightening. Dietrich Saw Company of Galt had developed techniques for straightening large saw blades and were able to do the job with little delay. The plate was then sent to International Harvester Co. in Hamilton for punching and forwarded to Dominion Bridge Co. for hull fabrication which was done in an old plant south of Windsor which was reopened for the purpose."

George

George:
I was unsuccessfully looking for my copy of Blueprint for Victory so I could post that exact paragraph. Sounds like I was looking for the wrong book. Thanks for posting it.

[Lynn Eades]

Interesting that the steel was punched last. There must have been some good quality tooling for so many holes punched with a good level of accuracy.