[RHClarke]

Gunner invited me to bring along my M37 Cargo to the Manotick, Ontario Remembrance Day Ceremony. Nothing to it I thought! My son Jesse, and I headed to the barn on Saturday last to load up the truck and bring it home for a fast start Monday morning. Unfortunately, we had a bit of a mishap when we made the turn to head west towards home. The handbrake drum assembly disintegrated with a very loud bang as we chugged along at about 40 miles per hour.

After pulling over, we found some parts of the drum, the band and other small bits and pieces. I inspected the underneath of the truck and almost everything had been blasted off the mount. The flange and the four nuts and bolts were still intact causing me to think that there had to have been an existing crack in the drum and it decided to let go on that day.

The only damage was a few dents in the sheet metal underneath the truck. We got lucky! So, back to the barn we went for a quick inventory of spare parts. My M43 ambulance had the required parts, so off it came. Time and light expired so we headed home. On Sunday, I spent the morning cleaning parts and reassembling the handbrake assembly on my cargo truck. The rest of the day was spent cleaning up, touching up and preparing for the upcoming trip to Manotick.

On Monday I left home around noon to pick up the truck at the Hammond Barn. Bob was away in La La Land on a short trip, Grant was elsewhere, so I only had the Blue Jays and squirrels to cheer me on my way. The trip to the Swords and Ploughshares Museum was uneventful but I was amazed at how thirsty the 3/4 ton truck was. While I was in the army, I didn't have to pay (directly) for the fuel and there was no limit on filling up when we were mobile. Different story when you have to pay the bills for much more expensive fuel than back in the 70s... It took about an hour and a half to complete the 95km journey along the back roads of the Ottawa region, but it was a fun trip.

I linked up with Gunner and we hooked in the 6 pounder AT gun and then prepared my bush dress uniform for the upcoming event. After an evening of swapping lies and telling stories, we hit the hay. The next morning was beautiful! The temperature was moderate and the sun was shining. The 3/4 ton started up like a charm and off we went to Manotick. We arrived in plenty of time to set up on the grass verge overlooking the river at Watson's Mill, near the cenotaph where RCL Branch 318 holds its event. Of course we met with many friends and acquaintances who took advantage of the great weather. Noticeably, were the police sporting automatic rifles. I thought it was a bit of overkill having policemen carry such firepower, but it really did not bother me.

The salute commenced after the last note of Last Post faded into the distance. As usual and despite having warned the attendees that there was going to be a loud noise coming from the gun, folks jumped at the sound of gun. Twice. At the end of the two minutes of silence, we fired the second round. Once the ceremony was over, Gunner and I headed to the Memorial Gardens in Barrhaven to participate in another Legion sponsored event. This time we set up the gun next to the Canadian Forces memorial wall (which sports some names familiar to this forum...) and fired off two rounds in the same fashion as before. This event ran late so we missed out on the festivities at the Legion, but what the hell, missing out on a few beer is a small price to pay when compared to those who gave all.

I stayed overnight at Gunner's abode and reviewed the latest book produced about the family of Heavy Utility CMPs that recently hit the bookstores. Not a bad effort. I liked the photographs and was amused by a few of the narratives. To celebrate our successful noise making, Gunner and I headed off for a meal of German food at a local restaurant. We were joined by a good friend of Gunner's who hails from the Ogdensburg area just across the border in New York state. He filled us in about the ceremony downtown in Ottawa, which was heavily attended no doubt because of the tragic events of last month, but also because of the glorious weather. We turned in early that night due in part to the fresh air we took in. The next day, I headed back to Orleans satisfied that we had done our part successfully and safely in two poignant ceremonies.

The trip home was uneventful and I decided to see what the old girl had in her. I got the truck up to 50 miles per hour, which made for an interesting ride along the bumpy back roads of Ottawa. Everything functioned well and I was quite happy when I turned into my drive way at home. The truck stayed in the driveway until this morning when I took the very frosty ride out to the barn to put her away.

Photos:

1 - Handbrake drum assembly pieces
2 - Band remnants
3 - Assembly mount with broken bracket
4 - The 6 Pdr
5 - The truck was a favourite backdrop for photos