Staghound 'Charger' Conversions

[servicepub (RIP)]

Pop quiz,

What was the name of the Canadian general who used a modified Staghound as his personal vehicle in WWII? What were the modifications made to the vehicle and what is the archives photo reference for a photo of this Staghound?

Thnx,
Clive

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by servicepub
What was the name of the Canadian general who used a modified Staghound as his personal vehicle in WWII? What were the modifications made to the vehicle and what is the archives photo reference for a photo of this Staghound?

Hi Clive;

If I'm not mistaken, it was Simmonds and one mod was that the turret was removed and another was a windscreen at the front of the turret ring (ie: facing forward). I'll follow this up and see what I find, I've a picture around here somewhere......

Cheers

General Simmons used a staghound, I don't know what the modifications were. There is a picture of Simmons and his Aide Marshall Sterns, a 48th Highlander around somewhere but I don't know the PAC number.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Mark gets the prize for first correct answer but Art gets the prize for most correct answers.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by servicepub
Mark gets the prize for first correct answer but Art gets the prize for most correct answers.

Simonds and his ADC Marshal Stearns, a 48th Highlander (notice the Glengarry) Normandy, the Pursuit, 1944, it also looks like it has a canvas/tarp roof, like on a jeep.........only credit is DND put I know I have one with the NAC/PA #......Art seems to have repeated himself....must be a 2 RCR thing......

[Bob Potter]

Although I'd be much happier if it were a resin conversion to an existing plastic Staghound kit in 1/35. C'mon Italeri, or Tamiya, or somebody . . .

Bob

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
one mod was that the turret was removed and another was a windscreen at the front of the turret ring (ie: facing forward).

Apparently, this type of modification was carried out on more than one Staghound. The picture below shows one in service with the Dutch army after WW2. While it looks similar to Simonds' mount, it differs in quite lot of details...




...but this hulk found on an Army range in the 1980's is very likely to be the same as reg.no. 36605 shown above!

[servicepub (RIP)]

The historical report states that Simmonds had two of these converted to "chargers". You gotta love the use of the old equestrian term.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by servicepub
The historical report states that Simmonds had two of these converted to "chargers".

From History - 2 Canadian Special Wireless Section Type "B"

The Corps Commander was Lieutenant-General G.G. Simonds who, I felt, was as fine a Corps Commander as you could find. He was also a spit and polish general and probably felt it was a good image for the men's morale. He had taken a Staghound armoured car and had the turret removed and replaced with a wrap- around windshield and pennants and some white paint striping. The General sitting in this vehicle with a beret and an outriding escort of military police with white gauntlets and white leggings was quite impressive.

So could it be the one in service with the Dutch Army after WW2 is possibly one of Guy Simonds' Staghounds?

H.

[marco]

4 th armored division used several modified Staghounds for use as "runabouts". See pic.




And another one. This looks to be the same car Gen Simonds used.




Marco

[Roger Lucy]

The conversion was carried out in late July 1944. Excerpt from the WD of 40 LAD (attached to 12 Manitoba Dragoons) 25 July 1944
"Capt. Kerfoot [OiC 40 LAD) acc Lt.Col Roberts to 2 Cdn Corps Tps Workshop to see the "cutdown" armoured car being constructed for GOC Lt Gen Simmonds"

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

It may well be Simonds' mount, though I understand there was more than one turretless Staghound? I recall seeing photos in Wheels & Tracks of a turretless Staghound on a range in The Netherlands.

I found these photos on the internet of a turretless Staghound hulk on the Vlasakkers Range near Amersfoort. Reportedly this was still present by the early 1980s. Photos via/by Edwin van der Meer.

[Ed Storey]

So far, from what I can tell from the surviving documentation provided on this website, two vehicles were converted to 'Chargers'. Whether or not both conversions were identical is up for speculation as the imagery posted on this website shows two distinct vehicles as one seems to have additional armour around the open topped hull and is apparently the same vehicle that shows up in Dutch use after the war. It appears that this vehicle is also in the Deelen Dump image, looking at the Arm of Service and Unit Serial, as Dan pointed out it is marked to 2nd Canadian Corps Headquarters. It also has the distinctive white highlights associated with these distinctive vehicles.

Now Simonds appears to have been photographed with the other 'Charger' which was equipped with what appear to be chromed handgrips. In a perfect world it would be nice to have a paper trail for these vehicles or yet even one vehicle restored back to its former glory. Attached are some additional images, note the markings and white highlights.

[Bob Carriere]

....the front white marking on the leading edge of the front fender is actually a solid section of rail road track....... certainly protected the front fender sheet metal.......

[marco]

Another Staghound Charger in the Netherlands.
Converted from a T17E1, looking very similar in construction like the one Simonds used.