Lost Otter? s/n 2844714637, registration 56-203
 

Back in the late 1970's/early 1980's the Elliot Brothers near Port Hope (Ontario, Canada) had two Otters. One went to the extensive Carl (?) Smith collection in Salt Lake City, and this one went to a father/son team named Payeur in Quebec, something about a trade for a DUKW. I lost contact with them years ago and have no idea what became of their Otter. Does anyone know what happened to it? Is is still rusting away in some Quebec construction company yard?

That would have been Francois and Denis Payeur in St. Hubert, Quebec. Denis was the Father. IIRC they had the Otter, two or three CMP’s and a complete Bofors. One of the CMP’s might have been a 15-cwt Water Truck...but don’t quote me.

David

I visited the Payeur's in St Hubert in the late 70s or early 80s. It was quite a trek by bus from the West Island where I was staying. They lived on Montgomery St (which is a very odd piece of UFI to have kept for so many years).

A few things about their collection. They did have the Otter. It had been rebuilt by several OntR soldiers, who signed their names inside a door. The Payeurs also had other armoured vehicles which I don't remember the identifications. Maybe Stags.

One thing they did have which I could help with was, a pair of full barrel jacket .50cal MGs! They found them tossed inside one of the junk yard recoveries. No paperwork, but mostly complete. Having trained to fire the M2 version, I knew enough to confirm they were missing the bolts and maybe the barrel buffer assembly. Stuff that a clever Storesman would know how to order and promptly lose from the books. But I was not a Storesman or in any position to help with their vehicles.

And I too have wondered what happened to the collection.

I think Denis may have passed away just a few years ago.

They had an amazing amount of NOS surplus 19-Set and 81mm Mortar items. A lot of the packaging was from a depot of some sort in St. Hubert, and I believe the RCAF had a station there of some form during the war as well.

I had purchased an 81mm Training Mortar from Francois for my Universal Carrier that had been converted to an 81mm Mortar Carrier postwar and was surprised to find the modified mortar barrel was a wartime Canadian 3” Mortar barrel.

David

Bruce.

I took a look in Peter Ford’s INFOEX but no ID information at all for this Otter, just it’s listing. If the number on the side is original, perhaps somebody might recognize it and know the current whereabouts.

David

The number 56-203 on the door is original. I know this because I have photo's of this Otter while it was still in the Elliot Brother's yard. I also have a copy of the Elliot's receipt from Crown Assets Disposal when they bought this Other, their second one and their three Fox from Hagersville in 1957. It also lists the serial numbers for all five vehicles. This Otter was 2844714637 and the one in Salt Lake City is 2844714611 originally with 56-204 on the door.