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What type of APC is this?

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Apparently the soldiers in the picture are QOR. Location is Toronto. The year is 1954. The task is assistance to civil power after storm damage.
I didn’t think Canada had a tracked APC in the 50’s. It’s not an M113. Notice the top of the sides are flared.
 

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Looks like a T113, which is the experimental version of the M113.
 
I'm not so sure it's a T113. Note it did not have flared sides and I don't think the one in the picture does either. That looks more like a discolouration like the bottom half got wet or something.

Note that October 1954 was Hurricane Hazel which did massive damage including massive flooding around Toronto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hazel

Timelines are a bit tight though. Not sure if the T113 prototypes would have been ready for Oct 1954.

https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar-us-apc-t113-t117/

On the other hand, the M59, the predecessor to the M113, had been out and in service since 1953.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M59_armored_personnel_carrier

The sample picture shows the M59 type of return roller configuration.

I can't find anything about them ever being in Canadian service.  :dunno:

:cheers:
 
Canada bought over 700 M113's 1964- 65. Canada began buying more M113's designated M113CDN. Canada bought more tracks in 1984 designated M113A2CDN.
 
Interesting: definitely M59. Two more pics are here.
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14258

Are they US National Guard, I wonder?
 
It's from the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel, perhaps the US sent some up to supply mobility for Canadian GIBs?
 
There would have been (and still are) National Guard units in Buffalo and Detroit which are close to Toronto.

Interestingly, Canadian reserve units in 1954 would have had their own tracked vehicles. The armoured corps had Shermans at the time, 29th Fd Regt RCA (SP) was tracked (one of the regimental histories of 7th Tor Regt says that the guns were mounted on modified Centurions but I'm sure that's an error and they were 25pdr Sextons) and there were various types of Kangerooish infantry APCs at Meaford.

:cheers:
 
FJAG said:
There would have been (and still are) National Guard units in Buffalo and Detroit which are close to Toronto.

Interestingly, Canadian reserve units in 1954 would have had their own tracked vehicles. The armoured corps had Shermans at the time, 29th Fd Regt RCA (SP) was tracked (one of the regimental histories of 7th Tor Regt says that the guns were mounted on modified Centurions but I'm sure that's an error and they were 25pdr Sextons) and there were various types of Kangerooish infantry APCs at Meaford.

:cheers:

Yup, QY RANG had Sherman tanks at the Aurora Armoury (now some kind of food and wine institute, sadly...)
 
The Lynx was in service until the 90's then were replaced by the Coyote in 93.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_reconnaissance_vehicle#/media/File:Lynx-Bovington.jpg
 
Lots of happy hours spent ripping around in a Lynx.
 
My favourite recce vehicle will always be the Ferret. Sneak and peak at it's best.

444e3cc2f89197135d25f242c2dc5041.jpg


:cheers:
 
Colin P said:
Might have been on loan for trials in Canada.

I think you're right on with this. The Armour School and the Infantry School were right up the road in Borden where any trials would have been conducted. A simple process to get one to Toronto.

Cheers,
Dan.
 
FJAG said:
My favourite recce vehicle will always be the Ferret. Sneak and peak at it's best.

444e3cc2f89197135d25f242c2dc5041.jpg


:cheers:

Ah, yes! Fighting in a shirt and tie under itchy wool ... Those were the days.  ;D

Is that you on the right, Wolf, trying to figure out where in h ... I mean Germany, you are?  ;)

All joking aside: Ferret was the best off-road wheeled vehicle ever in the possession of the Canadian Army.
 
Oldgateboatdriver said:
Ah, yes! Fighting in a shirt and tie under itchy wool ... Those were the days.  ;D

Is that you on the right, Wolf, trying to figure out where in h ... I mean Germany, you are?  ;)

All joking aside: Ferret was the best off-road wheeled vehicle ever in the possession of the Canadian Army.

Never actually operated one as I was a gunner from square one.  Fell in love with the little darlings during the October crisis in 1970 when I was out at night visiting one of my hydro tower guard posts in Kahnawake south of Montreal when one of glided up behind me to within six feet without me knowing it.

That was pretty much the last time we probably used them to because the Lynx's were already starting to come on line in each armoured regiment's recce squadron. No idea why we never transferred the ones that were left to the reserves. I don't think that they created a heavy maintenance load on anyone and I understand we kept them until 1981 when the last one was disposed of.

Never liked the Lynx. Looked them over back in the day for use as a FOO vehicle but much preferred the M113 for that. No room in a Lynx for all the snivel gear we FOOs carried around and you couldn't get your whole team into a Lynx if push came to shove and you had to leave your Jeep/Mutt/Iltis behind. Thought the Coyote was a great improvement.

:cheers:
 
I spent 3 years CCing a Ferret. If you have questions, I may be able to answer them.
 
Sure. What was the armoured reconnaissance advantage of a Lynx over a Ferret?
 
FJAG said:
. . .  I don't think that they created a heavy maintenance load on anyone and I understand we kept them until 1981 when the last one was disposed of.

Don't know if it was the norm as it reached the end of its service, but I do recall a road move in the 1970s of an Australian Cavalry squadron from Wainwright back to Calgary.  The Aussies, here in Canada on a SUE with the LDSH, used the Ferrets for the exercise.  Their plan was to drive the Ferrets instead of flatbedding them back (which I understand was the usual method).  I was attached to the Straths at the time (replacing a medic who was away on course) and being in the amb with the trail party remember it as the longest road move I ever made between Wainwright/Calgary, all due to having to stop for broken down Ferrets.
 
I was in the 8CH in 78 when we went to Cyprus for the winter tour, leaving behind a half hanger full of ferrets. When we go back from tour in the spring of 79, the ferrets were gone, and we had a half hanger full of jeeps.

The ferret was very quiet, and it was small enough that it was easy to hide while conducting recce. Not so good in the winter, it didn't move well in deep snow, unlike the lynx.

In my opinion, ideally you would use ferret for recce where there were roads, black tracks and such (route recce), and use the lynx for cross country (area recce).

It's unfortunate, but by 78 the ferrets were getting pretty worn out, and prone to breakdown.
 
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