Restauring the Citadelle of Quebec BREN Carrier

[Jason Ginn]

Hi Martin!

I'll try and answer your questions.

If you are looking for the War Department Census number it will be on the vertical armour plate in front of the driver. Stamped into the top edge. See the image from the manual for details. Thus is the wartime version of the CFR. The specific wartime history of the carrier will unfortunately elusive but with the numbers you can find some of the appropriate markings. With Robs valuable 1970's/80's history it's pretty certain that the carrier never left Canada during the war but it might be worth an email to the PPCLI just to be certain morso just for due diligence.

For generic wartime PPCLI I don't have them on my phone but I'm sure I could dig something up for you.

If the R22R "owns" the carrier and hesitates about maintaining it don't be afraid to keep DND DDSAL and DHH in the loop. They control many of the monuments on and off of bases that aren't specifically owned by associations or national museums. If there is a lack of apatite to maintain it I'm sure other Units or DND museums would be anxious to preserve it.

If you are looking for durable outdoor coatings there are many on the market that will protect the steel if applied properly. For the most appropriate course of action for immediate outdoor preservation I suggest you contact the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa. They are a federal government asset that is mandated to provide guidance in this exact type of preservation situation. They have approved lists of coatings that will protect the steel and to a certain extent rubber components.

I would love to see another carrier running but I honestly would be just as happy if you could keep it displayed maintained and stable until a long-term goal of full restoration could be fulfilled.