Shilo RCA Museum on Parade

rob love · #1 17-06-12, 03:49

I thought I would post some photos of a bunch of the museum's vehicles which attended a parade in the local city of Brandon last weekend. Some of these vehicles will be recognised as once belonging to the Gregg collection, while others have come from other sources.

Here are some shots of the vehicles at form-up.

rob love · #2 17-06-12, 04:37

Here is a short play by play on each of the 8 vehicles which started (and happily all finished) the parade.

Leading our packet was the Shilo Base Commander Lt-Col Goodyear and his RSM in a 1970 M38A1Cdn3 Ceremonial Jeep. This truck's history was entirely in Ottawa, and found it's way to Shilo after the Jeep fleets were disposed of. The truck is occasionally still used for parades on the base such as change of commands etc.

Second in the lineup is yours truly in a Lynx mkII (Hull serial 4542 dated 1-45). Vehicle is one of many transferred from the Gregg collection. Considerable time and effort was spent getting this one going for the parade. It runs great, and is a hoot to drive.

Third vehicle is a 1943 Chev 15cwt. I was involved in the restoration of this vehicle back in 1996 when I was posted to Moose Jaw. The vehicle has since found it's way to Shilo, on loan from the Saskatchewan military museum. It needed a quick brake job (all cylinders shot after only 16 years: imagine that) along with a tuneup and she drives quite nicely. She will get a fresh paintjob and a fuel system overhaul when time permits.

Here is a white Scout car, also ex-Gregg collection. Vehicle is nice to drive if you don't bang your head on the skate rail on the way in. It currently suffers from a leaking water pump, which will be replaced as soon as I can source a new one.

Derk Derin badly wanted to (and got to) drive this one, a C15TA. It only needed a couple of wheel cylinders and some minor repairs to be ready for the parade. Vehicle is also ex-Gregg, and has affectionally been nicknamed "Warthog", in celebration of it's good looks. We are hoping to replace the radial tires with a set of those 10.50X16 chevron tires available from STA in the near future.

A Grizzly armoured car. A history check on this one shows it had been just about everywhere.

M133 Deuce with winch towing a C1 howitzer. Base maintenance put a fair number of hours into this truck getting it ready for the parade. It's still not running quite right, but I suspect that the gunshot noise from the exhaust pipe first thing in the morning is an indication of a bad carburetor.

The last vehicle is a M38A1Cdn2, which was done up as a MP vehicle post service. A recent check of the CFR history showed it as spending most of it's service with the 8CH in Pet and Gagetown, before being sent to Shilo as part of a Jeep overhaul program performed here in the early 80s.

I thought I would add this photo of a M-777 gun which was following us and being towed by an HLVW. These are a wicked looking piece, and has been adopted by the CF as the standard howitzer for the regular force.

Photo credit for all these goes to Clive Prothero-Brooks at the Shilo Museum.

Phil Waterman · #3 17-06-12, 15:39

Great to see the photos, the review jeep modifications are interesting.

Cheers Phil

Bill Alexander · #4 17-06-12, 17:11

A question about the M 777 gun, shouldn't it have a muzzle cover? Especially as it is towed barrel forward?

rob love · #5 18-06-12, 02:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Great to see the photos, the review jeep modifications are interesting.

Cheers Phil

This one is interesting in that it seems to have started it's service career as a parade jeep, rather than having been converted later in life. Some of the parade jeeps were made up in 202 workshop out of condemned vehicles. here would have been plenty of bondo on those ones I suspect.

Frank v R · #6 18-06-12, 15:04

Hi Rob , can you get me the numbers on the 2 M-38A1's ,
regards Frank

WayneR · #7 18-06-12, 15:52

The tripple 7's do come with muzzle covers, I suspect it was removed for the parade.

Wayne

derk derin · #8 18-06-12, 23:12

I was in such a good mood driving that vehicle I was smiling the whole time I was in it! I am usually cranky and haven't smiled for quite awhile and my cheeks still hurt but it was worth it!What a great vehicle,my choice to drive over all others to pick from.
Derk.

rob love · #9 19-06-12, 02:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank v R

Hi Rob , can you get me the numbers on the 2 M-38A1's ,
regards Frank

Frank
I dropped in to work this evening and grabbed the serial numbers of the two Jeeps, which I translated into their CFR numbers off Clive's ramtank.ca site.

The parade jeep, serial 100182 is CFR 71-08939.

There is a problem with the other one however. Serial number on the tub behind the driver's seat is 96994 while the dash data plate has 96991. One (96991) works out to be 07944 while the other one (96944) works out to be 07947. The history on one of those CFRs showed it to have been one of the many that went through Shilo on a mix and match rebuild project. I think I saw the CFR plate for it hiding in a crate of inner tubes, so I'll check in the morning and see which CFR the military had attached to this vehicle.

Bob McNeill · #10 19-06-12, 08:32

Question !! aren,t we missing an armoured car, it seems there where two in one of the very nice pic,s. Thanks for posting.

captw · #11 20-06-12, 19:48

Derk...Barry C. indicated I should email a reply about my experience driving his C15TA....absolutely terrific!!...I was used to driving other CMP's, ie. C60's, other C15's and the Limber Gunner's FAT/Limber/25pdr. ...more power in the hills, different transmission, just lots of fun to drive...Barry needs to be convinced, though, to get it out to more events, so this rare piece can be more readily appreciated...Wilf

p.s. ...was that okay, Barry??...W

rob love · #12 21-06-12, 00:24

Bob
Not sure what you mean about a missing armoured car. We started with 8 vehicles, finished with 8 vehicles, and I have photos of 8 vehicles above.

Good news on the museum front: I got authorization to purchase 5 of the chevron tires for the C15TA while at the MVPA convention next week. I am looking forward to installing those in early July....should really set the vehicle off.

derk derin · #13 21-06-12, 03:42

Wilf,
If I owned one of the C15TA's I would be driving it daily! I own a restored Mk 1 carrier and drive it in the back 40 once in awhile but the C15TA would get alot more driving time if I had one.Hopefully I will get other chances to drive the museum's C15TA again.

Rob,we will definitely need your full size truck for the trip if we are bringing back 5 of those tires plus whatever else we will be tempted to buy!Looking forward to the trip.
Derk.

rob love · #14 21-06-12, 04:16

Derk
As it stands now, we are bringing back 9 of that size tire, another 4 of the tires for the 6 pounder size rims, and a fair quantity of flaps and tubes. Seems like it has become almost impossible to get the valve on center tubes and flaps locally. I was talking to Wallace Wade on this subject yesterday and he mentioned that only one manufacturer in the US even still makes the on center stuff, and that he has now had to expand his purchasing of these items to Europe. He is staying away from the Chinese stuff for now.

We are also going to be bringing back at least 6 or 8 cases of Rapcoe's Gillespie paint, and a number of cases of the spray paints.

I suspect we will be dragging a trailer South. We may throw the trailer in the back of the truck for the trip down, and hook it up at the show.

Bob McNeill · #15 21-06-12, 09:41

Rob my question related to the two vehicles behind the M38, or don,t they deserve a pic.

rob love · #16 21-06-12, 12:24

Now I gotcha. Those vehicles were from the 1RCHA and are still in service. The 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's had their freedom of the city parade (in soaking rain) minutes before the travellers day parade started. They marched down from city hall and led the parade. Behind the 240 marching soldiers were half a dozen or so LavIII, then us, then the two vehicles (and M777) from RCHA. Below are some shots of this component of the parade for those interested.
First photo is of the 2VP using an older but efficient form of transportation. I was attached to this Bn back in the late 80s. As always, their drill was pretty sharp.

The 2VP was followed by half a dozen or so LAVIII vehicles, which included dignitaries like the local mayor and the police chief, who were part of the Freedom of the City parade.

We were next on the parade, and behind us were the RCHA component of the parade. First vehicle was another LAVIII. In the RCHA they are used for forward observation officers (FOOs) as well as one for each Battery Commander and one for the CO.

Then came the HLVW (Steyr Percheron) pulling the M777. The HLVWs were purchased in 1989 and entered service in 1992. When I was still in they were generally doing a tremendous job and were very reliable, although it is my understanding that age is starting to catch up to them.

That pretty much sums up the regular force contributions to the parade.

rob love · #17 21-06-12, 12:29

For Frank: Further to my last on the CFR for that one Jeep with dual serial numbers, I don't think I can ascertain which one it is. The info from the EDR is that both those CFRs were in Shiilo. Just to muddy the waters even further, the one DND plate that we had which was marked for a M38A1 was for an entirely different vehicle. I'll check the EDR viewer on that one yet to see if it was given to the museum, but at the end of the day this jeep's history is very ambiguous. One hint as to it's origins are that it has the extra frame and bumper tie downs associated with air transport.

Gunner · #18 25-06-12, 20:53

Hi Rob:

The cleaning post ends arrived, thanks! I'll forward the ones I don't use to Maverick in the UK.

You mentioned 6 pounder rims and tires... is Wallace wade making something that fits the 6 pr now?

Mike

rob love · #19 26-06-12, 06:43

No, Wallace is not making anything specific for the 6 pdr size. Rather we looked at the to options of either forklift industrial tires or else the mule tires. Clive PB saw the forklift tires on another thread here on MLU and decided he liked the looks of those. It was the photo of David Gordon's mortar trailer. See http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...3&postcount=28

Robin Craig · #20 27-06-12, 00:43

Rob,

a good number of years ago I took photos of that ceremonial jeep at CFB Ottawa Support Unit.

They are buried in a sea can right now but give me a year or 3 and I will get them out for you and compare CFR etc.

R

Ewen B · #21 07-04-13, 08:17

I finally got to see what you look like Rob! I've driven by the mess in your yard, but have not been out past your way in a long time. I remember that poor collection when they were buried in the sheds covered in inches of dust on a dirt floor. I even think all the tires were flat. Except for the univeral carrier which was being driven around by the volunteers restoring it.

keep posting those photos. Something to inspire us to work on our own equipment to get ready for the summer parade season.....as soon as the snow melts..
cheers!
Ewen