Ram Badger (with Wasp Mk II Flame Thrower)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Using this thread and other sources I made a short write-up for a Keep Them Rolling magazine. One of the upcoming events will pass through Putten, so they wanted to publish this iconic photo:


"A Ram Badger flame-thrower of the Badger Troop, Headquarters, 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade. This was one of four Ram Badgers in this Troop. It was commanded by Lt. W.L. McCollum (C.A.C.) from 5 to 19 April 1945. Lt. McCollum can be seen in the top hatch while his Badger was photographed when passing through Putten, The Netherlands, on 18 April 1945.
This rare picture of a Ram Badger in action was taken during “Operation Cleanser”. During this Operation the First Canadian Corps would make a quick thrust north to the IJsselmeer. The 5th Canadian Amoured Brigade used their Badger Troop to support its 2nd, 5th and 9th Armoured Regiments.
Part of this operation was an attack on Voorthuizen by the 9th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons) on 16 April. During the early hours of the 17th, elements of the German 6th Parachute Division, tried to escape westward through Voorthuizen. They were beaten back with heavy casualties, the Dragoon’s tanks being ably assisted by a Ram Badger flame-thrower of the Badger Troop.
On the morning of the 18th German opposition ended, which was holding open a corridor along the IJsselmeer's southern shore. The 5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars), assisted by the Westminsters and the Dutch Resistance, quickly penetrated to the centre of Putten, while their reconnaissance troop reached the IJsselmeer at 10:35 a.m. "

LAC PA1311031_ Tank Museum.jpg Victory-13.jpg

Photo source: Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-131031
Link to source: http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/...3Apam&lang=eng


Map source: Colonel C.P. Stacey; The Victory Campaign Volume III: The Victory Campaign The Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-1945 (Ottawa, 1960). Chapter XXI: The 1st Corps in the Western Netherlands 1-22 April 1945
Link to source: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/...ictory-21.html

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some rare footage of the Ram Badger:

The Battle for Kapelsche Veer, The Netherlands, in the winter of 1944-1945 was unnecessary and costly.
We share this footage here as it shows rare footage of a Ram Badger flamethrower in action:

https://youtu.be/T0GY4OJkMWU?t=165

And one (partial, though equally rare) picture:

Soldiers of the Lake Superior Regiment (motor) during World War II standing in front of a Ram Badger Flame Thrower tank:

58379587_1077948428995810_5349137508082909184_o.jpg
Source: https://www.facebook.com/shermanregi...05427779536194

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

"A Ram Badger flame-thrower of the Badger Troop, Headquarters, 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade. This was one of four Ram Badgers in this Troop. It was commanded by Lt. W.L. McCollum (C.A.C.) from 5 to 19 April 1945. Lt. McCollum can be seen in the top hatch while his Badger was photographed when passing through Putten, The Netherlands, on 18 April 1945. *snip*

Bill Miller wrote:

Ram Badgers (the flame throwing cousins to the Kangaroo) pass through Groningen, on or about April 16, 1945.
Thanks to Rick Minichiello for alerting us to some Archival 8mm footage of various armoured units in Groningen, Netherlands just after the liberation of that city in April 1945.
Amongst footage of various armoured and soft-skinned vehicles of units like the Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Dragoons and Lord Strathcona’s Horse, we see just 12 seconds of the Badger Troop, Headquarters, 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade.
The troop makes a sharp right turn onto a busy street and that last Badger narrowly avoids flattening a passing car!
The entire clip on YouTube (Badgers at approx.: 19:50)
https://youtu.be/qz_G4_zLJuo?t=1186
and complete/extended fragmentary footage of occupation and liberation scenes in the Groningen Archives:
https://www.filmbankgroningen.nl/arc...oningen%20tank
(WJM)

No.1 Badger. Badger Troop, Headquarters, 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade. 16 April 1945.
The same Ram Badger was photographed in Putten a few days earlier by the Canadian Film and Photographic unit. Notice the same torn-up front left mudguard [see above].
335285873_884588749316631_8613237286494921616_n.jpg


No.2 Badger
335115923_594618656037806_9086719750068258517_n.jpg


No.3 Badger
335489271_1405090266923808_2136138913200132431_n.jpg


No.4 Badger
336239201_152928274319773_1290074702656964154_n.jpg

[kevinT]

From various sources I have come across the following regiment / census number matches for Badgers.

7/11 Hussars
CT159689

Westminster Dragoons
CT159902, CT159932, CT160073, CT160086, CT160129, CT160132

21st Army Group
CT159929, CT159934, CT159947, CT159976, CT160017, CT160090, CT160111, CT160133

Lake Superior Regiment
CT159969, CT160013, CT160034, CT160043, CT160133

27th CAR Sherbrooke Fusiliers ( Most of these were marked as non-operational in April 1944 )
CT159945, CT159969, CT159977, CT160018, CT160034, CT160043, CT160076, CT160125, CT160129, CT160132

5th Canadian Armoured Brigade
CT160118

79th Armoured Division
CT160124

25th Armoured Delivery Regiment
CT1599367, CT159944, CT159960, CT159974, CT159980, CT160034, CT160076, CT160079

Unmatched
CT159986, CT159998, CT160096, CT160143

Some of the above as you can see moved between various regiments as with 27th CAR most are non-operational. There are others still to be found but as stated in other posts photos and information is scarce.
Hope the above is of some use / interest.

Cheers

Kevin

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by kevinT

Hope the above is of some use / interest.

It is Kevin, it gives a better picture of how many were converted and which units they were allocated to. Thanks!

[kevinT]

Hi Hanno,

Just found the attached on Canadian Heritage site for 19th SP Field Regiment
Link

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/o...el_t16428/1665

It looks like it must have been very late in the war that the name BADGER was accepted.

Cheers

Kevin

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Cross posted from this thread:
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...053#post266053

A photo of a Valentine Bridgelayer with a Ram Badger in the background. The photo was made during an equipment demonstration by the 5th. Can. Armd. Div. at the Ossenmarkt market in Groningen, The Netherlands, shortly after the end of WW2.

Beeldnummer 124900.jpg