Canadian Ferrets

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

Dan - It is called "supply and demand" and "inflation".
;-)
The Oklahoma one does not include the smoke grenade launchers by the way.

When buying Ferrets one has a basic choice - Ex-Canadian or ex-British. The Canadian Ferrets were sold surplus c.1981. Most went to the USA as surplus to one buyer and some have suffered greatly in the last quarter century - and a few are even bleaching skeletons now. The ex-British Ferrets often seem to have fared better and some lucky buyers really scored nice condition vehicles. The British kept Ferrets in service longer than CAnada - by another decade. Some were even used in the Gulf War (1991). Canadians like myself may be sentimentally attached to the ex-Canadian examples. Some history can be traced on them (and a lot more now that I have been researching for this book :-) The good news for the British Ferrets is that one can order a copy of the offical record card (you need to know the WD number) from Bovington for 10 Pounds (as I recall). It tells you when and where the ferret was issued.

Canada's 124 Ferrets had no turrets officially. There is a report of a surplus Canadian one with a turret in Wisconsin (as I recall). (Unconfirmed). The one from MILARM in Edmonton had a turret added by Allan Kerr, then the owner, as a security measure. The present owner, Grant McAvoy in Abbotsford, BC has removed the turret and displays it separately.

Fred Van Sickle - My understanding is that his Ferrets were ex-British vehicles.

On today's (2008-01-11) TV news, there was a Ferret that a Doctor drives to work in down in Arlington, Texas. The site makes you watch a commercial before it runs the video. Here is the link:
Ferret driving to work That Ferret is basically the same as the Canadian Ferrets except ours did not have turrets (though we seem to have rented a few turreted Fererts from the British in Cyprus) and as ours were very early production they have square side "windows" whereas this chap's Ferret has the type with a better view area.

The research is 99.999999% done on the Canadian Ferrets for the small book I am writing for SERVICE PUBLICATIONS entitled "The Ferret in Canadian Service." I have found lots of great photos and some interesting stories.



Colin Stevens

[Bob Carriere]

Florida seller has relisted and is now offering two ferrets, one M43 ambulance and a M151 ....asking 16K for the lot.. no bids... closes Jan 16th.... buy now at 17.5K

Discount 3k for the ambulance and 2K for the 151....11 or 12 K for two ferrets...... towing or trailering them back would be a bitch as Rob and Grant can't get enough time off for the trip....

BooB

[Dan Sicotte]

I'd be in for one of the ferrets, if we want to pool our resources....
Supply and demand, yes, ripped off.......yes. I could have gotten a Mk 1 in the U.K for much less, and it would be in much better state, as the Canadian ferrets had a lot more milage, and a lot less parts available to keep them "clean", as the MOD fixed them up before auction.
Dan
Bob, have you got a date for the BBQ?

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

Yes, the Canadian Ferrets are more tired than the UK Ferrets in general and that was before some were left sitting out of doors for a quarter of a century after being sold. Canada did not do arsenal rebuilds of Ferrets apparently. Only two of the 124 were ever written off and that was due to fires.

The one that lost its right front wheel, fender, bins, antenna tube, sand channels and escape hatch to a land mine in Egypt. IFerret UNEF 1210 was fixed. You would be surprised how little it cost to fix and put back in service.

It boils down to how important is the history to you.

In the military jeep world the counterpart is a Canadian Contract W-LU 440-M-PERS-1 vs. an MB/GPW ex-Franch Army La Maltournee arsenal rebuilt jeep with MB, GPW and Willys of France parts.

Yes one can buy a nice British Ferret, and modify/paint it to look like a Canadian one and have a lot of fun with it. Mind you, it would likely be a later model with the newer side "windows" shape instead of the rectangular type used on the early Ferrets including the Canadian. If buying ex-British one to do as a Canadian one, try to find an early one with the rectangular side "windows". Look for a WD number close to 36 BA 66 (mine which is Canadian had that WD number). The Aussie Ferrets are from the same contract as the Canadian Ferrets but the shipping would be a killer.

[Bob Carriere]

...... Hi Dan.

will need to consult the other Rotters........

.....will get back to you and all the other PQ enthusiasts...

BooB

[Ed Storey]

I located this image that I have on file.

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

Thank you Ed.

This photo shows the 56 Canadian Reconnaissance Squadron Canadian Ferrets sent to UNEF (Egypt) in 1957 where they were landed at Port Said 25-26 March 1957 and before they were driven to Rafah in Eqypt on 1957 April 8.

Text for my "The Ferret in Canadian Service " book for Service Publications is now 99% complete.

I travelled a lot while researching the book - Kelowna, Vernon, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Petawawa. Whew! Wish I could have gotten to other places like Valcartier and Oshawa. LdSH(RC) Archives and RCD Archives in particular have been most helpful.

One triple mystery - WHERE did Ferrets get sent when pulled out of Egypt (UNEF), when pulled out of Cyprus (UNFICYP and when pulled out of Germany (NATO)? Their arrival was news, but their departures was not.

Another mystery: I am looking for a cross-reference list (or even individual examples!) between UNEF fleet numbers and Canadian Army Registration Number (CAR, later called CFR). Early on, BOTH numbers were painted on vehicles, but later only the UNEF number shows. I have identified some from photos which show both numbers, and have CAR/CFR numbers for most if not all UNEF Ferrets, but I dearly want to know the CAR/CFR number for each UNEF number. This info was not found in War Diaries of the Recce Squadrons in UNEF (Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa) nor in UN Archives.



Colin Stevens

[Ed Storey]

Sorry for this blurry image, but here is one of FV 701 Ferret Mk 1 54-82508 before it was stripped to the hull.

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

Thank you Ed

Here is a photo of 54-82508 in active service in Cyprus.



More photos of here on my main Ferret web page at
http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net/ferret.htm

By the way, I have only found four (4) ex-Canadian Ferrets privately owned in Canada. Most privately owned ex-Cdn Ferrets are in the USA.



Colin Stevens
Richmond BC
Owner 54-82598

[maple_leaf_eh]

Why is the soldier on the right in the Gaza strip photograph holding his backside with both hands?

On the other hand, there is/was a Ferret in front of the 12eRBC hanger in Valcartier in the mid-70's. It was a memorial to a Canadian officer killed in Vietnam - Laviolette? Latulipe? That is most likely a Canadian vehicle.

According to this website, there are at least 14 Ferrets (of all marks) in Canada.

http://ipmswinnipeg.1afm.com/Preserved%20CDN%20AFVs.htm

Terry

[Mike Timoshyk]

Why is the soldier on the right in the Gaza strip photograph holding his backside with both hands?


I suggest to you that it is the first recorded case of "Yalla-Yalla" for the contingent. If the pic was taken seconds later you would seen him "on the run". ( I speak from experience)


Cheers

Mike Timoshyk in Windsor Ontario