Centurion Arrives in BC

[Aide Memoire]

Bovington got back to me and were very helpful, but unfortunately unless you have the 16 KA 00 style British Army reg. no. you're kind of out of luck as no records were kept by hull number.

They did send me scans of a couple of cards the rest of us might find interesting - and it shows what they have to work with. They're manual file-card type records which have been pencil-erased and rewritten and erased and written again as assignments changed, I imagine - but the reason I asked for them is that *after* Canada had taken delivery of its brand-new orders we got at least a couple of used ones out of British Army inventory in 1963. Unfortunately it doesn't really specify where they went other than "Can Bde" - but interesting I've never heard mention of it until now.

You can check out the cards here:

http://armedforcesmuseum.ca/bovington/

(ps. the "s/o" is British admspeak for "struck off" or "sold on" - and apparently "FARELF" is Far East Land Force - or gear pooled for the Malaysian Emergency, apparently surplused from Hong Kong.)

[Dan Martel]

Originally Posted by Aide Memoire

... but the reason I asked for them is that *after* Canada had taken delivery of its brand-new orders we got at least a couple of used ones out of British Army inventory in 1963. Unfortunately it doesn't really specify where they went other than "Can Bde" - but interesting I've never heard mention of it until now.

Andy,

Thanks for doing this. At first glance I can't make hide nor hair of them but I look forward to reading them until I do!

What I can add is that the Canadian Army acquired four bridgelayer Centurions during the mid-60's. Details vary as to the exact dates they were received, and it appears they were taken on at four different times but served until replaced by the Leopard bridgelayer.

Cheers,
Dan.

[Ed Storey]

For what it is worth, my records show 3 Centurion Mk 5 Bridgelayers in 1966 and another 2 in 1967.

[Dan Martel]

Originally Posted by Dan Martel

What I can add is that the Canadian Army acquired four bridgelayer Centurions during the mid-60's.

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

For what it is worth, my records show 3 Centurion Mk 5 Bridgelayers in 1966 and another 2 in 1967.

My copy of Dingwall shows CAR's for four Centurion AVLB's:

66-10179
66-10183
66-10187
67-10173

His book also quotes 4 bridgelayers in the inventory by 1971. Which one have he and I missed?

Cheers,
Dan.

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by Aide Memoire

(ps. the "s/o" is British admspeak for "struck off" or "sold on" - and apparently "FARELF" is Far East Land Force - or gear pooled for the Malaysian Emergency, apparently surplused from Hong Kong.)

Again for what it is worth my list does not show any Canadian Centurion tank acquisitions after 1954. Canada did use a small number of 1951 vintage Centurions when 27 Brigade was first formed and for which I do not have their WD Nos. Looking at the WD list provided in an earlier post and comparing it to the Centurion card just posted which documents Centurion Mk 5 02ZR59; according to the WD list the ZR series was applied to late 1940s early 1950s vehicles. Is it not possible then that the list is not saying Canada took on 02ZR59 in 1963 but that it was stricken off the brigade strength and sent to the Far east in 1963 as we were then using 'newer' 1953 and 1954 model Centurions in Germany? I am also thinking that this transfer might make sense as in 1963 Canada was still part of the BOAR in Northern Germany.