Ram Badger (with Wasp Mk II Flame Thrower)

[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