Canadian Ferrets 1975 CFB Meaford

[Robin Craig]

The gent who took the photos says it was 1975 but as he is human like the rest of us he could be wrong, I will ask.

I did put the year in the thread title

[jdmcm]

Not to hijack Robin's thread but does anyone have any more pictures or info on the M813 5 ton in Canadian service?

Thanks
John

[rob love]

I have CFTO's up the wazoo on both 5 ton fleets, including the modifications. Things like the Jake brakes were added in the early 80s, and required the box attached to the top of the hood for clearance.

I'll let you have a dig through when you come through this summer.

The M800 series 5 tons almost deserve their own thread.

[Mike Cecil]

100% sure it is Centurion, as Ed has said.

Tell-tale from the image (rather than the date of the image) is the loader's twin hatch doors opening fore and aft, and long sloping turret top forward of the hatches/cupola.

Leopard has a flat top turret with slight slope at the forward edge to the top of the mantlet, and the loader's hatch is a round cupola with a round single hatch that opens to the rear and lays flat parallel with the turret roof.

Interesting to me is that the Ferrets appear to be fitted with US type radios: was that the common/standard radio fit in CDN ferrets?

Mike

[rob love]

When the regular force went to the US radios instead of the C42 radio, the Ferrets were appropriately modified. It was not a real clean installation. Generally, both the mount brackets and the hulls were torch cut to allow the new AMU and cables to be installed. Much better radios, but then again two different generations of electronics....tubes vs solid state. Thankfully, you did not need to continually re-tune the radio and AMU on the newer stuff like the old C-42, especially in the arctic temps. Nor did you get the hernia trying to lift the US radio in and out of the hull like....damn those 42s were heavy.

[jdmcm]

Thanks Rob, that would be great.

John

[Robin Craig]

Great replies all,

So the US radios you say, what weapon would have been used with the Ferret at that time?

I have been curious about the Bren Vs the .30 cal Browning time period change over. I am thinking the Bren went out when the FN came in, as I assume Canada did not re-barrel their like the British did?

I have to say it is great when pictures like these surface to show that outside the norm happens.