1944 Universal Carrier CTL14500 - Ford Canada

[henry r]

being a vw fan the beetle based pookie and kombi based leopard security vehicle have always interested me.

pookie


leopard security vehicle

[Bruce_in_Oz]

That's the ones!

And the Pookie pic. clearly shows the "detector" panels folded out flat behind the front wheels.

Note the circular roll cage on the other vehicle. The idea was that if "blown up", the vehicle would roll "smoothly".

The idea was not pursued on later, larger vehicles.

[Sentryduty]

I am personally familiar with the South African built RG-31 vehicles from my experiences. They were designed with the evolution of the high ground clearance and V hull for blast protection. The RG-31 worked well enough in it's blast protection role however it was not a tough vehicle in day to day operations.

I might find some of my photos and open a new thread but they did fail in curious ways. The axles were too light of duty for serious off road use, the Alison transmissions were not up to task of running a vehicle of that weight, the V-belt engine accessory drive were prone to tossing belts etc. They weren't tactically thought out either, the interior lights did not have a full blackout override, so when the park brake was engaged, the warning indicator light would illuminate the entire glass cabin like an aquarium display.

But as an anti-blast vehicle they did allow crew survivability, however it didn't take long for the insurgents to simply build a "bigger mousetrap" and start cracking these things. The constant technological battle of building better armour and defeating that armour.

These vehicles were later supplemented with other more radical designs, but I do not have any personal knowledge of those.

[stencollector]

Just spotted this thread, and perhaps I can shed a little light to the fate of the carrier in question. The carrier in post #4 is however a different carrier. That is the one from 2VP in Winnipeg, which I am presently rebuilding for them.

I have restored 2 or 3 of these over the years, as well as done some repairs to the ones located on the local military base. Here is a shot of my latest one at a local display a couple years back:


I was contacted by a Materials Tech a couple summers back that he was restoring the carrier from the first post in this thread for the PPCLI anniversary. I have photos on my emails somewhere of the complete stripped hull being sandblasted and painted. This was fairly close to the summer, and I had doubts about it getting together on time. But a couple months later he sent me a photo of the completed carrier.

Here in Shilo, the 2nd Battalion of PPCLI had borrowed one carrier and a T-16 for the same purpose. They also had a UC carrier which had sat outside for far too long (shown in post 4). After kind of being left behind due to training priorities, the time was closing in, and the best they could do was get the one they borrowed from the museum to run, and poorly at that. I ran it home and gave it a quick paint job, then I brought in to the museum shop and did some quick wiring, installed an exhaust system, overhauled the carburetor, and cleaned the one remaining fuel tank. A few days it was off to Edmonton for it's cross Canada tour.

Around that time, I was hired full time as the mechanic in the museum. So about 6 months later, after discussions with the ET at the battalion, we dragged their carrier over for an appraisal and total overhaul. I may start a thread on the restoration of that carrier, as it is another story I guess. Suffice to say it is a year later and work is progressing. The armour had to be rivetted on, as it had been salvaged form a different carrier, and of the wrong mark at that. Hull was sandblasted and repainted the correct colour. Although I had the engine running within a couple days of it coming in, it has had a lot of work done on it, along with a total rebuild of the transmission due to worn gears. The exhaust parts went down town for fabrication last week and I expect them back this week. A lot of parts have been procured like a complete control panel with all new gauges and switchboard. There is a long way to go, but I am trying to undo the effects of being left outside along with the effects of many layers of incorrect repairs.

In the end, it will be a historically correct Canadian Mark1 with a new lease on life.

Anyway, I dug up some of the photos of the 1VP carrier as it was being sandblasted, during paint of some of the parts, and on completion. The fellow standing with the carrier is the MCpl who I was in contact with during their project.

[Sentryduty]

I am glad to see the BN got their... resources together and didn't squander a complete vehicle. Very nice restoration work!

I would like to drive one some day, during the workup before the 100th I had ordered and read the operations manual, they strike me as rather fun to cruise around.

[stencollector]

When done up correctly they are a hoot to drive, and reek of history. Besides being a historic vehicle, you can also have the historic weapons, the historic ordnance, the historic radios, the historic uniforms.........there is enough there to keep the obsessive compulsive collector busy for a while.

Here is a shot of the 2VP RSM leaving the change of command parade last year in my carrier. Unfortunately, the unit went and stowed the Boys rifle in the back of the carrier and put a mere Bren in the front firing position. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Brens (I have a fair collection of the Canadian variations) but they are nowhere near as formidable and imposing as the Boys rifle.

[Peter Laidler]

That is a VERY impressive picture Stencollector. A pleasure to see......... Thanks

What I can't understand is that the RSM is leaving and he STILL looks so damn fierce! They must go on a course to teach them how to be so fierce while staring or glaring at you in the way that they do. They were even WORSE to newly Commissioned 2nd Lieutenants and full Lieutenants. I think that they just felt pity for you..............

Incidentally, those catcher bags were issued to the L4 guns when they were used as the defensive armament on the Saracen/Saladin and the Abbot artillery thinggy. What a total waste of time.......... They'd fill up in no time and as the cases started to remain in the gun body, they'd cause a jamb. And you've got to get rid of a bag of steaming hot overflowing brass before you can do anything. Best just to leave an empty 10man compo (food) box outer somewhere under the gun inside the cupola and let nature take care of the steaming fired blanks.

[Brian Dick]

I may get a chance to drive one this Summer. I can't wait!

[stencollector]

What I can't understand is that the RSM is leaving and he STILL looks so damn fierce! They must go on a course to teach them how to be so fierce while staring or glaring at you in the way that they do.

I think God and the Devil got together and just made them that way. Even in today's kinder, gentler army, they still seem to be using the same mold.

Incidentally, those catcher bags were issued to the L4 guns when they were used as the defensive armament on the Saracen/Saladin and the Abbot artillery thinggy. What a total waste of time.......... They'd fill up in no time and as the cases started to remain in the gun body, they'd cause a jamb. And you've got to get rid of a bag of steaming hot overflowing brass before you can do anything. Best just to leave an empty 10man compo (food) box outer somewhere under the gun inside the cupola and let nature take care of the steaming fired blanks.

There are a few things that were less than spectacular on the early Bren carriers. For me it's just another chance to display a sideline of the collection. I'm pretty sure I have more armament than the carriers had when in use. I have avoided things like putting the American 50 BMG on top. While it was un-officially done to some over the course of the war (often with salvaged aircraft 50s), I'm trying to keep my carrier fairly stock. Still a ways to go on it, but as it sits it presents well.

[Sentryduty]

What I can't understand is that the RSM is leaving and he STILL looks so damn fierce!

I know who that is by name and face, he was a Warrant Officer when I arrived as a young nobody at the First Battalion for some years ago.