Otter LRC CM4647296 comes home

[Jordan Baker]

I am so extremely proud and excited to say that after a long 77 years after going overseas with the Canadian Army in 1942, Otter LRC CM4647296 has come home to not only Canada but the hometown where it was actually built. This was a much longer process to bring this home then I could have ever imagined. Im hopeful to find its original issued unit and find some history on where this vehicle actually was used in Europe with the Canadian Army. It will be getting my usual “one rusty bolt at a time” treatment once the C15a is done. Lastly I’d like to send out a huge thanks to some specific people (you know who you are) who helped me along the way and provided countless hours of guidance. It is so much appreciated. Thank you.

[Jordan Baker]

It got a great look at the city where it was made back in 1942 as it come down the highway.

[Harry Moon]

So glad to see one come home to great hands!

[Stewart Loy]

Congratulations Jordan.

I guess the hardwood floors are on hold for a while?!


Stewart

[Brian Gough]

Congratulations.

That Otter LRC is a very nice addition to your growing Canadian HMV collection. I look forward to a long MLU Forum build thread like you are doing with the C15A.

Brian

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Congrats, Jordan!

Great to see it returning back to the town where it was built. The Dutch have taken good care of her for the past 75 years, please do the same (or better ) for the next 75

Hanno

[Barry Churcher]

Way to go Jordan. I know it's been a long haul for you but well worth it. Like others, I am anxious for the build thread.
Cheers,
Barry

[Ed Storey]

Nice to see the Otter back home and eagerly await to hear about the restoration.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Congratulations Jordan. I am really looking forward to your restoration blog of this one!

Alex

[James P]

That is one very lucky Otter to come into your very capable hands Jordan and there is no doubt it will be attended to with the utmost of attention to every detail and high degree of carftsmanship. As others have said I am looking forward to the posts of your future work on this project. No doubt at some point you will stumble across pictures of this piece of history in actual wartime service, if ever there was a vehicle that could become a series on the History Channel this is it as this little vehicle has a story that begs to be told, built in Canada, sails across U-Boat infested N.Atlantic, fought in the Second World War, used by ?? post war, then closes the loop by returning to Canada and place of manufacture and restored.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by James P

built in Canada, sails across U-Boat infested N.Atlantic, fought in the Second World War, used by ?? post war, then closes the loop by returning to Canada and place of manufacture and restored.

Read Nech's thread for some more background info on this Otter:

Originally Posted by Nech

Just transported home my new project - The Otter recce car - recently bought in Holland. One of the very few survivors. I think the complete restoration will begin in the following year. And I am looking forward to it, as the vehicle is well preserved (has been dry stored for the last 40 years), so it can be called a true "barn find". The census number has been readable, so it is exciting to have the very original piece of real history.

Seeing it came from Holland and was stored for the past 40 years, it could well be this Otter was one of a batch of Otter LRCs used by the Koninklijke Marechaussee (Royal Military Police) from 1946 until as late as 1970 (only then they were replaced by the M113).

Nech has done some research on paint and markings, no doubt Jordan will unearth more information. Possibly a Dutch registration number will emerge, which may then be matched with existing photos or records.

For now I leave you with a photo captioned: "Training Koninklijke Marechaussee in Apeldoorn, a GM Otter armored car. 3 March 1949"

Source: http://proxy.handle.net/10648/a8c455...8-003048976d84

[Peter Duggan]

Jordan,

Well done !! Great to see this piece of our history come back home. I am confident that your restoration will be quite educational and entertaining. And here I was wondering what I would follow once your current C15A restoration was finished.

Peter

[Robin Craig]

Congratulations Jordan, terrific, substantial acquisition.

[rob love]

Congrats, however it looks like Vicki may be parking outside for a few more winters yet.

[Robert Bergeron]

Bravo , like they say to a great conductor . Congratulations and godspeed on your resto. Cheers . Bob

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks all for the comments. It’s been a whirlwind of activity and a couple long drives to and from Toronto in the past week. But today was by far the best drive home.

Yes Hanno the Dutch have taken great care of it. Looking it over it appears to have had very few post war changes. Namely it had different marker lights added and an extra thingamajig on the dash. There is no post war Dutch open door holding latches. One important point I’ve made note of already. The doors are either fully opened or closed. No in between unless you want a serious clunk. I was lucky as it just missed my head.

From a quick inspection there appears to be two sets of the same WD#. One is stenciled closer to the roof line. The second is is in a lower spot directly below and is solid characters. Wartime pictures show both locations. However this to me suggests at least one wartime repaint.

There is the remains of Dutch markings as well. These include a yellow circle on the top front of the nose and a 5 digit serial number. I’ll see what comes up once I start sanding the paint down.

Lastly with regards to markings. There appears to a red square on both sides of the nose directly below the engine cover line. Hopefully some sanding will better reveal what these are. They seem to be under the Dutch paint.

As for initial paint observations it’s got a few layers. I believe the lowest level is KG#3, then what looks like a darker green, then possibly SCC15 then the Dutch green and then another coat of green. In some places it’s quite thick and peeling revealing the original factory paint.

Lastly there is weld about 3” long that have been cut on both doors and the rear stowage compartment cover. These appear to have been added to keep the doors closed. I’m wondering if this Otter did time as a gate guard in Holland at one point. The welds are painted in the final green that covers the Dutch markings.

I’ll try and take some photos tomorrow to better show what I’m talking about.

[cordenj]

Looking forward to following your restoration of the Otter.

[Jordan Baker]

I had a couple of visitors this afternoon to see the Otter. Was great to catch up with both Robin Craig and a Peter Duggan. Thanks to both Robin and Peter for taking the pictures.

[Jordan Baker]

Investigating the various layers of paint. The base layer is what I believe to be khaki green #3. Here it looks more like SCC2 brown but it’s just slightly washed out by the lighting. The next layer is either a dark brown but more looks like olive drab. Then there is a dark green. Lastly is the faded to light green top coat. The second picture also shows what appears to be a red square marking. It appears to be painted directly on top of the original layer. More paint removable is needed.

[Michael R.]

A WWII period motivational poster from the Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, General Motors factory.
The GM emblem visible over the two Otter LRC’s.

[Lynn Eades]

Great stuff Jordan and good to see the faces of Peter and Robin, that I have conversed with, but not seen so clearly.
I look forward to your restoration thread, with all the others.

[Jordan Baker]

Some of the work I’ll have for the next few years. It may look rough but everything will clean up very well or provide patterns for new parts. Considering there is a severe lack of reference material for these vehicles, it’s a godsend having all this present.

[Jordan Baker]

Some more off the interior.

[Jordan Baker]

Lastly the nice early dash. I have always wanted a vehicle with the early civilian style gauge clusters. Such a great combination with the combination of civilian dash and armoured body. Interestingly this dash has never had any of the modifications done to it as outlined in the GM Service Bulletins.

[lssah2025]

Have about 100 pictures of her, went and saw her many years ago, and almost pulled the trigger to buy her, but to many other projects, all the hard bits are there, glad she was finally able to get to you....

[Jordan Baker]

Pretty awesome break through in the Otter today. It was known to have served with the Canadian Army in NWE during the Second World War. However it’s unit was unknown until this afternoon. I’m pretty confident to say that it served with the 3rd Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, 1st Canadian Infantry Division.

It took me about 2 hours of careful scraping but I found its Unit Sign and Formation Sign under the layers of paint. The Unit Sign is a red/green square split diagonally with a white 73 on it. The Formation Sign is a red rectangle with the remains of the top half of the yellow maple leaf. The green on the Unit Sign is very distinctive from the other greens but also very very fragile. The white and the red were very robust.

[Jordan Baker]

Here is the Formation Sign. It’s clearly a red rectangle. The remains of the white paint are unknown but they are on Upper layers of paint. I used acetone on some paper towels and the white cane away to reveal a very faint yellow.

[David Dunlop]

Well done, Jordan!

One step closer to perhaps finding wartime photos of her and maybe even her crew.

David

[Ed Storey]

Nice discovery! Having a vehicle which actually served overseas with the Canadian Army during the war is I think an important historical item to own. Glad to see that it is in the right hands.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Jordan,

Excellent! My first thought when seeing the red square, white and yellow....was the 1st Canadian Corps Formation sign....but that wouldn't match up with the red/green AoS, so 1st Canadian Infantry does indeed sound more logical.

Have you checked the panel under the front armour/grille to see if there are any additional markings? Also the plate on the rear axle?

Awesome work.....always great to find back some of the history of a vehicle....and armed with census number and unit, you might be able to find out more!

Attached are two random Otter pics taken in Holland, 1945.

"fast" Otter is Utrecht, 3rd Infantry Division, source: https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/
"decapitated" Otter is Rotterdam, 1st Infantry Division, source: https://collecties.stadsarchief.rotterdam.nl

Alex