M10 Achilles IIC - Canadian S 290465

[lillejens]

Originally Posted by Mark W. Tonner

and



From the information you have provided (first quote above), the vehicle in question was never actually issued to a 'fighting' unit of the Canadian Army in North West Europe during the period of 19 March 1945 to 31 May 1945.

On 8 April 1945, it was issued to "B" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment), C.A.C. - the 'Armoured Delivery Squadron' which was under the command/control of I Canadian Corps (your B Sqn 1st Cnd Corp). It would seem from the information provided above that S290465 was held by "B" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment), C.A.C. from 8 April 1945 to 31 May 1945 at which point the vehicle was returned to Ordnance (167 Veh Pk 1517AOD) having never actually been issued to a unit. If the vehicle had of been issued to a unit during this time, there would be an entry to that effect.

Also, the first entry regarding the issue of S290465 to 259 Corps Delv Sqn (1st Corps) from 171 Veh Pk on 19 March 1945 - 259 Corps Delv Sqn (1st Corps) was the 'Armoured Delivery Squadron' which was under the command/control of I British Corps.

Cheers

Hi Mark - this is of course both good and bad news. Good because it is important to know the right story. Bad - because we had hoped for a more interesting story.
But anyhow there must be more to it than this. I wrote earlier that the vehicle had two shots in the front - one of them quite serious judging from the work done on it. So how would You or anyone else suggest to go further back than I British Corps - is that at all possible? Could it have had a different number for instance if rebuild from 3" to 17 pounder. This is of course only speculation but if it in some theatre was put out of business and rebuild again with a 17 pounder - supplied with a new WD number - and then transferred to I Canadian Corps.

Regards
Jens

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by lillejens

Could it have had a different number for instance if rebuild from 3" to 17 pounder. This is of course only speculation but if it in some theatre was put out of business and rebuild again with a 17 pounder - supplied with a new WD number - and then transferred to I Canadian Corps.

Hi Jens;

The W.D. number would not have changed upon conversion from 3" to 17pdr.

Of note - of the ten M10 Achilles IIC that were transferred from 259 Corps Del Sqn to B Sqn, 25 Cdn Armd Del Regt on 8 and 12 Apr 45, 259 Corps Del Sqn had initially received one (on 30 Mar 45) from a Tank Troops Workshop (S235199) and two (on 19 Mar 45) from a Vehicle Park (S290465 and S290616), while the remaining seven came (between 21 to 24 Feb 45) from F Sqn, 25 Cdn Armd Del Regt (the Armoured Delivery Squadron which was under the command/control of First Cdn Army) who had received them from Ordnance stores during the period of 4 to 31 Jan 45 (S290712 - 4 Jan 45; S290489 and S290491- 12 Jan 45; S290631- 14 Jan 45; S290708 and S290784 - 22 Jan 45 and finally S290486 - 31 Jan 45).

It is possible that S290465 may have been an M10 17pdr battlefield casualty of the Jan-Feb 45 battles (or earlier) and upon recovery and repair had been returned to Ordnance within theatre for re-issue, where upon it was issued to 259 Corps Del Sqn on 19 Mar 45. It may have even served earlier in North West Europe with 62 A/Tk Regt (TA), RA, the ‘Corps A/Tk Regt’ under command/control of I British Corps, who had began to be equipped with the M10 17pdr in approx. Oct 44.

To be honest, tracking a vehicle history some sixty years on is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially if the vehicle in question had been a battlefield casualty that had been recovered and repaired and returned to Ordnance and re-issued ... but every little tid bit of information helps to solve the puzzle of its service life.

Cheers

[Scott Belanger]

I am going frolm memory here but according to my records the 96th Battery and 65th Battery belonging to the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment was also fitted with the 17 pounders while the other 2 Battery's 3rd &14th were using the 17 pound towed behind version. As well i have some personal records of one of the mechanics that if i remember correctly was charged with doing the modifications and they were done prior to this regiment going over to France on July 25-28, 1944. if anyone is Interested I can look it up, but i am pretty sure.
Scott