Canadian Centurion tanks question

[Dan Martel]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

An old hand told me today the Cent came from St. Hubert Base in Quebec. We got it when the base was closed down. I see from Wikipedia St. Hubert was primarily an air force base, so this surprises me a bit.

CFB St. Hubert was a post-war Air Force base from 1946 to 1965. It was the HQ for Air Defence Command before ADC moved to CFB North Bay. In 1966 it became HQ for Mobile Command (later Land Forces Command) and the airfield was passed to the Department of Transport. It remained the HQ until it closed.

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

I've only been at the museum for a few years but I'll go out on a limb and say that not much if any paperwork exists or changes hands when an old beater gate-guard is given to a museum willing to take it.

Well, that explains the paint job.

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

He also told me he believed the CFR number painted on the tank, 52-S-100S (see photo) is a typo and should be 52-8-1008 (or was it 52-81008?).

As Rob confirmed, CAR 52-81008 is correct.

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

He confirmed the upper glacis plate doesn't have the additional welded armour.

He confirmed there were 2 coax machine guns installed but he was surprised to hear this indicated a later Mk as he thought it was a Mk 5/2. His theory on the 20 pdr is that it was installed when the 105 was removed for use elsewhere.

There is a small control panel in the turret that refers to IR lighting.

So it's a Mk 5, without uparmouring, fitted for IR lights, fitted for a ranging gun, but with a 20-pdr Type A barrel.

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

He also suggested that the impecunious Canadian army was selective on what upgrades were installed, based on need and cost, so some cherry picking was done. Maybe that explains an unusual mix of upgrades?

Your friend is right about the Canadian Army being impecunious. Impecunious is a college word for cheap, and the Canadian Army was cheap. My theory is that, as St. Hubert was just across the river from the Army workshop in Montreal which was responsible for updating the Centurions stationed in Canada (I think it was 202 Base Workshop), when a gate guard was requested, the Workshop provided one made up from the bits and pieces available, and, as your friend suggests, accounts for the unusual mix of upgrades.

But that's just my theory.

Cheers,
Dan.

PS: The body and the turret may come from two completely different tanks. Again, just a theory.