Leopard 1 Driver Training Cabs in Canada

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Dan Martel

Ed, first off, great photo. Second, I don't know how to say this, but Canada did not purchase 127 Leopard C1's in 1978. What Canada purchased were 114 gun tanks (the C1), eight Leopard ARV's and six Leopard AVLB's, for a total of 128 Leopard AFV's.

Of these, 77 C1's, five ARV's and four AVLB's were kept in Germany, for a total of 86. 37 C1's, three ARV's and two AVLB's, for a total of 42, were sent to Canada. Deliveries began in August 1978 and were completed during July 1979.

These figures fit perfectly with your 1992 figures. The 37 C1's in Canada were the ones modified to take the cab. The 77 C1's in Germany were not. The 14 (not 13) unaccounted for vehicles were the ARV's and AVLB's.

Cheers,
Dan.

I don't buy the "37 c1s in Canada were modified to take the cab". As a young reservist armoured, I was attached to the flyover squadron in 1980. There was a whole squadron of leos (along with one ARV) in Gagetown that mirrored those in Germany. Those tanks were regular C1s, and not modified in any way that I could see. Then there was the half dozen or so that had the training cab.

There were also a couple Leopards and an ARV hiding in Borden for trades training. I recall the leopards coming out to pester us during our field portion of trades training in 81 whilst in Borden.....the two or three all had turrets.

Although I really liked the armoured, my time in Gagetown was what prompted me to go into the regular force as a mechanic. We were under severe budgetary and mileage restraints on the tanks, and it was almost like being unemplyed most of the time. Yet when I looked over at the mechanics and the welder, they never seemed to have to worry about finding work....there was always plenty of it. So I joined up as a veh tech, and for the next 23 years also never had to look for work. Still don't.