Hi Roger;
There isn't much written about them in either of two books written on the history of the RCD or XII Manitoba Dragoons.
From - '
The Spur and The Sprocket, The Story of the Royal Canadian Dragoons' - there is this:
"In January 1937 two officers, Brevet Major F.F. Worthington, P.P.C.L.I. and Lieutenant J.H. Larocque, went to England for a course with the Royal Tank Corps at Bovington, Dorset. Writing back, both these officers reported that armoured fighting vehicles were replacing horse in British cavalry regiments despite agonized protests from dedicated horsemen. Canada half-heartedly adopted the idea and four mock-up armoured cars were made by General Motors and Ford of Canada, of which two went to the R.C.D. and two went to the Ld.S.H. where cavalrymen regarded them with suspicion and distaste."
Further on there is this - "Our column, writes Major-General C.C. Mann, consisted of the squadron horses....and a rather unique little mechanical transport column containing an armoured car, a horse trailer, a travelling-kitchen trailer, two light lorries, two reconnaissance cars and two privately-owned cars..." - this being a reference to "A" Sqn, R.C.D. road move from St. Jean to Petawawa in July, 1937
Still, further on, there is this - "By the spring of 1938 "A" Squadron was carrying out training with cavalry, token tanks and armoured cars.."
The quotes above are the only mention of pre-war armoured cars concerning the R.C.D. or Ld.S.H. The history of Lord Strathcona's Horse does not mention them at all.
From - '
XII Manitoba Dragoons: A Tribute' - there is this mention of pre-war armoured cars from 1936:
"In Winnipeg, the 2nd Armoured Car Regiment, headquartered at Minto Armoury received its first Armoured Car; it was a mock-up armoured car produced by Dominion Bridge which possessed no motor and was manually pulled onto the drill floor of the Armoury. The troopers of this Regiment would practise mounting and dismounting this car" - again, there is no other mention of pre-war armoured cars.
Its not much.
Cheers
