Shilo RCA Museum on Parade

[captw]

Derk...Barry C. indicated I should email a reply about my experience driving his C15TA....absolutely terrific!!...I was used to driving other CMP's, ie. C60's, other C15's and the Limber Gunner's FAT/Limber/25pdr. ...more power in the hills, different transmission, just lots of fun to drive...Barry needs to be convinced, though, to get it out to more events, so this rare piece can be more readily appreciated...Wilf

p.s. ...was that okay, Barry??...W

[rob love]

Bob
Not sure what you mean about a missing armoured car. We started with 8 vehicles, finished with 8 vehicles, and I have photos of 8 vehicles above.

Good news on the museum front: I got authorization to purchase 5 of the chevron tires for the C15TA while at the MVPA convention next week. I am looking forward to installing those in early July....should really set the vehicle off.

[derk derin]

Wilf,
If I owned one of the C15TA's I would be driving it daily! I own a restored Mk 1 carrier and drive it in the back 40 once in awhile but the C15TA would get alot more driving time if I had one.Hopefully I will get other chances to drive the museum's C15TA again.

Rob,we will definitely need your full size truck for the trip if we are bringing back 5 of those tires plus whatever else we will be tempted to buy!Looking forward to the trip.
Derk.

[rob love]

Derk
As it stands now, we are bringing back 9 of that size tire, another 4 of the tires for the 6 pounder size rims, and a fair quantity of flaps and tubes. Seems like it has become almost impossible to get the valve on center tubes and flaps locally. I was talking to Wallace Wade on this subject yesterday and he mentioned that only one manufacturer in the US even still makes the on center stuff, and that he has now had to expand his purchasing of these items to Europe. He is staying away from the Chinese stuff for now.

We are also going to be bringing back at least 6 or 8 cases of Rapcoe's Gillespie paint, and a number of cases of the spray paints.

I suspect we will be dragging a trailer South. We may throw the trailer in the back of the truck for the trip down, and hook it up at the show.

[Bob McNeill]

Rob my question related to the two vehicles behind the M38, or don,t they deserve a pic.

[rob love]

Now I gotcha. Those vehicles were from the 1RCHA and are still in service. The 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's had their freedom of the city parade (in soaking rain) minutes before the travellers day parade started. They marched down from city hall and led the parade. Behind the 240 marching soldiers were half a dozen or so LavIII, then us, then the two vehicles (and M777) from RCHA. Below are some shots of this component of the parade for those interested.
First photo is of the 2VP using an older but efficient form of transportation. I was attached to this Bn back in the late 80s. As always, their drill was pretty sharp.

The 2VP was followed by half a dozen or so LAVIII vehicles, which included dignitaries like the local mayor and the police chief, who were part of the Freedom of the City parade.


We were next on the parade, and behind us were the RCHA component of the parade. First vehicle was another LAVIII. In the RCHA they are used for forward observation officers (FOOs) as well as one for each Battery Commander and one for the CO.

Then came the HLVW (Steyr Percheron) pulling the M777. The HLVWs were purchased in 1989 and entered service in 1992. When I was still in they were generally doing a tremendous job and were very reliable, although it is my understanding that age is starting to catch up to them.


That pretty much sums up the regular force contributions to the parade.

[rob love]

For Frank: Further to my last on the CFR for that one Jeep with dual serial numbers, I don't think I can ascertain which one it is. The info from the EDR is that both those CFRs were in Shiilo. Just to muddy the waters even further, the one DND plate that we had which was marked for a M38A1 was for an entirely different vehicle. I'll check the EDR viewer on that one yet to see if it was given to the museum, but at the end of the day this jeep's history is very ambiguous. One hint as to it's origins are that it has the extra frame and bumper tie downs associated with air transport.