Canadian Vehicles on UN Service - UNEF & UNFICYP

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

UNEF was in 1956-1967 and they used Ferrets in the Sinai Desert for the first while. During that mission they converted over to M38 / M38CDN jeeps with Brens and spotlights, and later still to M38A1 / M38A1CDN jeeps with Browning 1919A4 MMGs.

A strange decision because later in the mission, the Ferrets had hit land mines and crews survived - and sadly a jeep patrol was ambushed by Egyptians a Canadian driver was fatally wounded. If he had been in a Ferret he might have survived. Not sure why they made the change to softskin vehicles.

As it was Canada, the powers that be probably thought that the armoured scout cars looked too aggressive for peacekeeping.

In Afghanistan in the War on Terror (this is WAR and OCCUPATION DUTY, NOT Peacekeeping even though the media and even at least one military museum erroneously call it that) our troops were running about in open unarmoured Iltis 1/4 tons. Now they have tanks and armoured cars.

UNEF II mission was later and used no Ferrets.

Thanks for the tip but I need to talk to UNEF 1 vets.

COLIN