Farley Mowat's Stug

[Hanno Spoelstra]

There’s more info in this thread:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9628

[David Dunlop]

Thanks for linking that up, Hanno. That is indeed the old Shilo Stug.

At one time, there used to be a Base Gate situated on the western approach to CFB Shilo. The Stug sat on the North side of the road near the gate, facing west. On the opposite side of the road sat a Long Tom heavy artillery piece that had served with a Newfoundland Regiment during the war.

A few years after GATES was established at CFB Shilo, the western gate disappeared, along with the Stug. The local story was that some higher ups at the base deemed the Stug was a ‘tank’ and not appropriate for an artillery museum so it was traded out west for something more ‘artillery appropriate’. Not at all sure what that actually was, but I suspect that in the process of the trade, Shilo may have lost title to the Stug. From what we knew at the time, the engine from the Stug was removed when it became one of the gate guardians and it was probably either scrapped, or some farmer bought it and its sitting in a shed somewhere in the area. There used to be a big surplus/scrap dealer in the Brandon area that bought a lot of stuff from the base. Might have ended up there. And the rest, as they say, is history.

David

[rob love]

I was sent these photos from Colin a few months back, trying to confirm if it was Shilo. In the photo, the vehicle is parked across from the chapel on what is now the MFRC parking lot. We now have the canoe memorial park across the street form this location.

Re how it/ they left Shilo, I have heard 3 or 4 stories, so it is hard to pin down which one is true. Suffice to say the museum used to be run by the military. It is now run by civilians better trained in museum operations and procedures.

I'm not sure I would call it a national treasure mind you. Had it been one that Currie won his VC helping to knock out, then perhaps. Was it valuable....no doubt. But a national treasure?

Several other Farley Mowatt pieces were discarded to the local milsurp yard back in the 70s as part of a compound cleanup. They have since all found new homes. We have verified several pieces which remain in Shilo as Farley Mowatt bring-backs.

[Perry Kitson]

Looks like a Jagdpanzer IV in the photo on the left. I wonder where it went to. Ottawa?

[jdmcm]

So reading Hanno's link are we to assume the Stug made it from Shilo to Currie Barracks in Calgary? And I understand the seventies were a wild decade, but given that, how does a WW2 German assault gun fall off the radar and end up in the USA? This is the part where I imagine all kind of nefarious and underhanded back room deals and manilla envelopes full of cash...like Kelly's Heroes but Stugs instead of gold bullion...and to Rob's point, I will retract "national treasure", I mean you're right Rob, it's not a Sherman for gods sake, what was I thinking? Now having grown up reading Farley Mowat, he was a national treasure!

[rob love]

Originally Posted by jdmcm

...and to Rob's point, I will retract "national treasure", I mean you're right Rob, it's not a Sherman for gods sake, what was I thinking? Now having grown up reading Farley Mowat, he was a national treasure!

Two of the items that were scrapped during the cleanup in the 70s were a flak 38 and a flakvierling. There was still a 20mm receiver hanging off the flakvierling, and I found another 20mm receiver which had sunk out of sight under an 1898 RCD limber that I recovered. A sale was arranged about 2 or 3 years ago to an American. He needed to have the receivers cut as per BATF guidelines to import, so I offered to do that. As I was cutting the first one, I noticed a number that I did not notice before. I went to the glovebox of my nearby M38A1CDN3, where I had (and still have) a listing of the Farley Mowatt bringbacks with some serial numbers from a listing from CWM. Turns out that number, along with the number I found on the second receiver, were both listed as being from Farley Mowatt's bring backs, as did the flak30/38 chassis. It kind of pained me to be cutting those receivers up, but it wasn't me that made the decision to send them to a scrapyard. Both guns and one of those wishbone type trailers for them headed off to the US for restoration.

I think I have seen pretty much all of the larger artifacts stowed away in the museum, and it does not look like the missing 3 receivers or the barrels are in the museums collection. Whether they went a different route to scrap, or remain sunk into the clay at my favorite scrapyard™ may forever remain a mystery.

[Perry Kitson]

Rob,

I was referring to the vehicle in the left hand photo, definitely the "saukopf" mantle and L/70 75mm gun. The Stug has the box mantle. I believe these are two different vehicles in the photo's.

Perry

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Perry Kitson

Looks like a Jagdpanzer IV in the photo on the left. I wonder where it went to. Ottawa?

I only count 6 road-wheels on it. Doesn't the Jagdpanzer IV have 8? The suspension looks a lot like the panzerkampfwagonIII, while the upper looks like a Jagdpanzer. But in all honesty, I know f-all about German armour.