UNPROFOR Badger Deployment

[Tango24B]

I am hoping someone can provide answers for my questions.

Back in 1992 at the start of UNPROFOR I there were Badger AEVs deployed to Bosnia/Croatia with the Battle Group.

How many Badgers? My research indicates there were two Badgers deployed from 4 CER.

What happened to them? Did they stay in country with UNPROFOR 2 or were they sent back to Germany for the close out and then back to Canada? I can't find any reference to them other than being used on the first tour in Croatia/Bosnia and they were for sure not in Visoko. I think they were sent back after the first tour and then a Badger from Canada was sent back over for IFOR (without MEXAS) and for SFOR (with MEXAS).

If anyone can provide answers I would very much appreciate it.

 

[aesop081]

The badger was not deployed when i was on OP HARMONY Roto 5, thats all i have.

 

[Tango24B]

Thanks for the info...Roto 5 would have been 1993/1994?

It seems like a lot of logistics to bring the two Badgers over from Germany and then send them back after a tour...but stranger things have happened.

 

[aesop081]

Thanks for the info...Roto 5 would have been 1993/1994?

October 94 to April 95.

 

[Kat Stevens]

4CER took 4 AEVs to Croatia, 2 in Daruvar and 2 in Vukovar.  One from each were sent to Sarajevo when the fewmets impacted the rotary oscillator.  The AEVs were returned to Germany and sat in Riegel or Kuhbach until the closure.  They were then sent to 202 paint shop, and eventually 2 went to 1CER and 2 went to 2CER.  Badgers didn't return to the Balkans until Kosovo kicked up.

 

[Tango24B]

Excellent info Kat!

I have only seen images of two of the Badgers before and during the deployment to UNPROFOR. I never knew there were four deployed. Did they only go over for ROTO 0 and then were returned to Germany?

 

[Tango24B]

As a followup.....in 1996 there was a Badger in Bosnia with IFOR. It did not have the MEXAS mounts. Where did it come from....2 CER?

Am I correct in thinking it remained in Bosnia and was uparmoured with MEXAS for SFOR (1998 images shwo the SFOR Badger with MEXAS) or was a new Badger brought in for the SFOR deployment?

 

[Kat Stevens]

I crew commanded the AEV in Bosnia for SFOR Roto whateverthehellitwas, 2 PPCLI BG in '97, and it had the up armour mounts.  I believe it came from 2CER originally,  we took over from 5RGC and apparently from the log books it never turned a sprocket for their whole tour.  When we got it, it was under a snow covered tarp, and the hull had about 4" of water in it.  She took a hell of a lot of nursing back to health.  As I said re the 4CER tanks, I believe they were RTG, as 1CER who took over from us had no AEO qual pers.  They may have stayed for 1CERs tour, with attd operators from 4ESR, err, 22 Fd Sqn at the time, but I don't think that is the case.

 

[Spr.Earl]

I crew commanded the AEV in Bosnia for SFOR Roto whateverthehellitwas, 2 PPCLI BG in '97, and it had the up armour mounts.  I believe it came from 2CER originally,  we took over from 5RGC and apparently from the log books it never turned a sprocket for their whole tour.  When we got it, it was under a snow covered tarp, and the hull had about 4" of water in it.  She took a hell of a lot of nursing back to health.  As I said re the 4CER tanks, I believe they were RTG, as 1CER who took over from us had no AEO qual pers.  They may have stayed for 1CERs tour, with attd operators from 4ESR, err, 22 Fd Sqn at the time, but I don't think that is the case.

Kat it was ROTO 0 we had the pleasure to be on.
Remember we had to take down the IFOR and put up the SFOR on all the vehicle's.

 

[SprCForr]

I crew commanded the AEV in Bosnia for SFOR Roto whateverthehellitwas, 2 PPCLI BG in '97, and it had the up armour mounts.  I believe it came from 2CER originally,  we took over from 5RGC and apparently from the log books it never turned a sprocket for their whole tour.  When we got it, it was under a snow covered tarp, and the hull had about 4" of water in it.  She took a hell of a lot of nursing back to health.  As I said re the 4CER tanks, I believe they were RTG, as 1CER who took over from us had no AEO qual pers.  They may have stayed for 1CERs tour, with attd operators from 4ESR, err, 22 Fd Sqn at the time, but I don't think that is the case.

For Roto 1, 1 CER had a couple crews attached. The names Van shagan (sp?) and Swift(?) come to mind for one of the crews. But there were only 2 Badgers in use, the others were parked for the duration of the Roto. Us tramps attached to 3VP got some time with them, especially during the ruckus in the spring.

Kat, you gotta remember the snarking over "You will not put those vehicles in danger! I cannot afford to lose one!" which became "Risk the men, but not the tank!" thing.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Yeah,  Jeff, I remember "men before machines" but that was peculiar to your guys, in 4 CER we beat them like rented mules.  They were the biggest thing in theatre, and quite often were the first thing sent down the road for peek.

 

[SprCForr]

Kat, it was peculiar to those CanEngBat guys. Us 3VP BG goons flogged them every chance we had. As a matter of fact it was us (in particular Danny T) that sparked that little tirade. They sure did a nice job carving out firing positions on the flyover ramps along the expected Croat axis of advance. Too bad we couldn't have had one attached for the duration.