Canadian Ferrets 1975 CFB Meaford

[rob love]

The trucks are mid 70s 5 ton M800 series with the Cummins 250 diesel. The old GMC M135 would not have safely carried a ferret as it would be pretty close or over the maximum highway capacity. Cross country capacity would be half of that.

They are not traditional call signs on the vehicles. There should be two numbers designating the squadron, then the troop, followed by a letter for the vehicle's position within the recce troop.

[maple_leaf_eh]

The call sign plates are unconventional. The presence of Ferrets in Meaford is unconventional. Do we know anything more about the occasion?

BTW, 16mm film was used in 110-format pocket cameras of the day. One of my first cameras was a 110 cassette, with 20 exposures as probably the best value. The images on those were grainy because the lenses were plastic.

[Dan Martel]

Great movie stills. Would also like to know more about the date the filming was done.

Cheers,
Dan.

[Wayne Hingley]

In post #2, second photo; the vehicle cab in the lower left corner appears to be an M135 (I could be wrong).

[Grant Bowker]

My first thought when M135 was mentioned was that the wheelhouses within the cargo box might be a nuisance. I agree that the cab in post 2 photo 2 might be M135. In post 2 photo 1, the cargo box might have the angle braces ahead and behind the wheelhouse that I associate with the M135 - not sure.

[Ed Storey]

Besides the M813A1 5 ton, the other vehicle could have been a M211 as they had flat cargo floors. Either way, the Ferrets seem to be sitting on something as the wheels are higher then the floor levels of the two cargo bodies.

[Wayne Hingley]

Grant, your observation of the cargo box in post #2 first photo is interesting. The Ferret in that box is sitting higher than the Ferret in the 5-ton behind it. Note the height of cargo box in relation to the axle-hub of the Ferret.

[rob love]

For a timeline I would guess at 1976 or 1977. There are what appears to be Chev 5/4 tons in the background along with a Dodge M152, so it was during the transition. And I think the 5 ton diesels were 1976 vintage, but I can't be sure. They might have been 1974....I'll have to check the EDR viewer.

It well could be that they put a ferret into a regular deuce with the wheelwells, and made the wooden spacers to fit above the wells. We used to do that for Jeeps, but a Jeep only weighs a third of what a ferret weighs. As I said before, you really are pushing the envelope with a ferret in the back of a deuce.