Canadian T72 tanks

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi Bob

This link may help answer your question although some of the info appears dated.

http://preservedtanks.com/Locations....ategoryId=8000

regards
Darrell

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi John

Did you check the fuel tanks for gold bars?

I can't help with T-72 bits, sorry. Everything in the basement at the Gagetown Museum went into a landfill two summers ago.

regards
Darrell

[James P]

Answering Post 6 above.

Can anyone tell us whether the T72 ? at Camp Borden is one of this lot of vehicles - or if not where it came from and under what circumstances. It looks fairly complete but neglected surely it could be a runner with some help?? B.P.

Nope, after the reunification the German government had a huge problem disposing of unwanted armour, vehicles, weapons, aircraft of all sorts and in various conditions. One expediant was to gift equipment to various nations so Canada received a number of tanks that where all Ex-East German. The Borden Museum received a T34, T54-55 and T72 then did something rather bizarre they painted a big red Soviet star on the T34 that caused the staff from the German Embassy to have kittens when they went to visit the gifted vehicles. Like really what a outright stupid thing to do.......but there is more. In 1998 I was in Borden for training and noted the museum had painted some HUGE markings on the tanks like T-54 and T72 that just looked so painfully wrong. Today the former East German T72 is wearing some odd cam paint scheme which makes me ask (again) why do CF museums go out of their way to paint things wrong ?? or apply bizzare and fictitious markings ??

So just to clarify, there where two batches of Ex-East German vehicles sent to Canada. Batch One is the gift of tanks, vehicles and aircraft (MIG21 at Trenton, BTR 152 and BRDM2 to Gagetown and Borden the tanks) that went to museums and where never part of the CF in the early 1990s. Then later (mid 1990s) the Canadian Forces received a second batch of T72 and a few BMP2 for Trials and Evaluations, dynamic testing of ammunition, use as EnFor and umpteen dog and ponies and familiarization training .

John, you will also need the small (about ten inch long) "key" that has a oval on one end for cranking the drivers hatch open and closing and locking the turret hatches. Honestly the wrench you show in the post, the "key" wrench and the 1M long dip stick is about all this anvil tough tank needs to keep running in the field.

[James P]

^ I just get a mental picture of you thumb typing like there is no tomorrow instructions trying to talk it through on how to get the hatches open. Besides the handful of tools for the hull panniers source a canvass cover for the NSVT, the rubber track skirts and the front fenders. Find a nice open piece of land you can get it up into seventh gear and you will feel like you are the lead tank in a Operational Maneuver Group (OMG) rolling up NATO and racing for the English Channel .

Oh by the way, Vladimir and Kirill say hi and Merry Christmas to you.

[Ed Storey]

As James mentioned here is what the Borden T55 looked like as it was painted in the late 1990s - unfortunately I did not photograph the T72.

C316-24 T55 copy.jpg

[Robin Craig]

John,

congratulations on getting it started and home. Must be a great feeling

[Robin Craig]

Oh John, dear John, though we have never actually met, we have been involved with each other for a few years, all good times and hence the friend status.

MLU is known for slight divergences and this is one such example.

You had me rolling on the floor laughing with your comment "any guy with enough money can sit in his office an delegate to staff to "take care of it"...but where is the fun in that?"

I am that staff member. I have been very privileged to have had an absolute ball doing what I do for my "any guy" and have learned so much because of it and met so many wonderful people along he way. Friendships have developed and blossomed and I have taken them on in my own time outside of work.

You talk about boarding the ship and driving your tank off, I well understand that. I drove two tracked armoured vehicles off a ship in Halifax a few years ago with only some printed email notes from a UK chum in hand. Thankfully no one had trodden on the kill pedal in the FV436 during loading and no one had left the master battery on for the crossing.

I am sure I had a great big grin on my smug face when I drove them off that night, shame no one recorded it all but as you say it all happens so fast.

I have also had a great time driving Bedfords from Halfax back to Ontario and driving an FMTV from Philly to home, some memorable trips and people met for sure.

Thanks for the opportunity to digress.