Royal Canadian School of Artillery

[Colin Alford]

Gents,

Try these links:

8.8 cm Pak 43 and 8.8 cm Flak at RMC:
https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/pos...ollege-grounds

Restoration of 8.8 cm Flak at CWM:
https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcont...73&context=cmh

At the first link, Mr Skaarup believes that the RCEME School image from 1946 in Camp Barriefield (now CFB Kingston) shows the same Flak that is currently on display at RMC. While I previously assumed this assessment to be correct, I have had a closer look at the images, and I believe they are different guns. While I am certainly not an expert on Flak 18/36/37, and haven’t done enough research to be able to identify the differences, I note round vs square feet on the mount stabilizing legs, a different nose on the upper cylinder of the recoil mech, different bolt pattern on the shield, and different position for the rotating shield (on right side of main shield) for the direct fire sight unit.

The second link includes an image which is captioned as a Flak 18 in Petawawa circa 1945-46. I believe the dating to be incorrect given the vehicles shown in the background. This gun appears to me to be different to the surviving examples in either Kingston, or Ottawa.

It appears that there were multiple examples of 8.8 cm Flak that came to Canada. I have not conducted enough research to determine how many arrived, and how many are currently accounted for.

There is a Pak 43/41 in Borden that has been there since the disbandment of the Foreign Material Section in approx 1950. I have not seen any reference to an 8.8 cm Flak ever being present in Borden.