Robin,
We know each other from the old Mil-Veh list and we have met before at Oshawa rally (remember your drive up Parliament Hill? :-) ...)......
The Ferret was originally designated "Fieldmouse Mk. 1"
I have an original WD manual (bought from Peter S. at the OMVS show many, many years ago) which has this right on the front page. Inside is "Change 1" to this manual which states " Change Fieldmouse Mk. 1 to Ferret Mk.1"
I'll dig this manual out of the boxes of manuals here and post the cover and change.
Only very early "Ferrets" were actually "Fieldmouses".
...and most CDN "Ferrets" are early....
As to the side hatches. The early Ferrets had square hatches...later this was changed to the angled or sloped type. It is a spotting feature for early vehicles.
Clive wrote:
".....Canada, Australia and the UK shared an order for 593 MkI Ferrets in 1951, under contract number 6/FV/4267....."
I don't believe the contract was actually divided up between the countries. If the CDN Ferrets were part of this contract they would have been delivered in 1951 or at the latest 1952. If so..then the CDN Reg. numbers would have been 51-xxxxx or 52-xxxxx and not 54-xxxxx.
As Robin has said.....the xxBAxx numbers on the CDN Ferrets would indicate that they were delivered to the British Army.
As soon as I can get the CDN number from my vehicle I will contact Bovington to see if they have the BA/WD record for it and maybe it will list if it was sent right to Canada or if it was in British service first.
As to Robin's vehicle with the sloped hatches....what is the BA number for this vehicle? It may have been a BA Ferret used by the BA for training in Canada and later transferred to CDN ownership.
Jim Gilmore
Jim Thorpe, PA.
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