Canadian Ferret 54-82506

[Alan Duffy]

I was finally able to close the deal last Saturday. I have been researching the Canadian involvement in UNEF in 1956, the Suez Crisis as it has been called. I was willing to settle for a non-running vehicle that needed work just to have that direct link to the UN's first peace keeping force. Lester Pearson later to be the Prime Minister of Canada had recommended that the UN send in a multi-national force to calm the escalating crisis in the Suez. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his proposal.

23 Ferrets were sent aboard the aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent to the Suez canal. 54-82506 is one of them.

Enough of the history lesson. I posted this on HMVF but got very little feedback.

To my surprise it actually runs very well. Gears, Stearing and all the lights are fully functional.

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I am considering restoring it to 1956 Squadron 56 UNEF. That would mean a 19 set radio and a Bren Gun. I would not paint it white but rather the m-series semi gloss olive drab. The ferrets were painted white a few years after they arrived in Egypt.

Attached Thumbnails
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[rob love]

Very nice. Where did you manage to find it?

[Alan Duffy]

So I am still considering what depth of restoration I should do. Some are quite in depth ....some more superficial.

It's so original. I mean it has no electronic ignition, no replaceable oil filter kit. It even came with a box of the original oil filter cloth inserts. I think they called them diapers. I also got the drivers windshield insert and what I believe to be a C42 radio tray. They did add a battery kill switch which I forgot to turn off and a few hours later the battery was dead. I used my ferret slave cable to fire it up.

In 1971 my buddy Glen Hynes and I spent our March break from high school on coarse being trained on the Ferrets at Camp Petawawa with the 8th Hussars. Turns out that the 9 ferret's the Ontario Regiment Museum got where from warehouse in Petawawa and records show that 506 was with the 8th Hussars when it's service life ended. Small world!

So several days ago he and I (42 years later) were driving around the back roads in what could be the same Ferret we once worked on and drove. Ok well there is probably about a 20% chance....who knows...lol. This ferret did come out of a warehouse in Petawawa about 1982.

Here's an in-service pic with what appears to be the 8th Hussars (cap badge)

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Some other interior pics.

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[Hans Mulder]

Very nice find...

[Alan Duffy]

The Canadian 56th( named after the year) Squadron unloading the Ferrets at Port Said, Egypt. Note the front left vehicle's number.
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Having been involved in the Ontario Regiment Museum a while ago and having been there recently the Canadian service numbers recorded on different sites/forums appear to be incorrect.
For example the ferret they have all done up in UN white is clearly marked 54-82603 and another one I looked at was stamped 54-82570. Neither of these service numbers were recorded as being assigned to the Ontario Regiment Museum upon disposal. They were included in the original 9 that they received. They told me that until Colin came up to visit them they had no idea of the Canadian service numbers stamped on the hull.

[Alan Duffy]

It fell off a truck Rob! ...a big truck.
Kidding aside I did a trade for it with the museum. Win-Win scenerio!

I am very happy....but still not sure how to proceed with the restoration.

[Andrew]

Congrats! Ok, so what did you have to trade to get a ferret? I assume not a wife or kids plus cash lol.

Are you going to plate it and drive it around town?

Andy

Originally Posted by Alan Duffy

It fell off a truck Rob! ...a big truck.
Kidding aside I did a trade for it with the museum. Win-Win scenerio!
.

[Alan Duffy]

my left nut and my first born!

Actually I traded another Ferret and a few bobbles. A Canadian one that Peter Wilkie had way up in Northern Ontario. First I bought Wilkie's and then had it shipped to Oshawa to the Museum.
First Wilkie's had a turret added. I wanted a Mk1 original but more importantly I wanted a Ferret with a very interesting history. I wanted an Egyptian one. According to the records the Ont.Regmt Museum had four. I got the best one. Funny thing is that I saw it at the Nov 11 Remberence Day parade with many other armoured vehicles and prayed that that was one of the four and sure enough it was.
It was a bonus to find out where it came from and the 8th Hussars connection.
I was an officer in the ONTR's when the ferrets came to the unit. They have been stored in doors and most have remained functional over the years.