Farley Mowat's Stug

[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]

Perry
I blew up the photos, and it looks like you are right. Different mantles, and the first one has the first roadwheel more forward than the second one with relation to the return roller above. I had placed both photos as being accross from the church here in Shilo....looks like I need to rethink that.

I'll keep an eye in the Shilo archives to see if any photos of that area from the 50s show up. No doubt there are photos somewhere that show the German vehicles, whether incidental or not.

[James P]

Originally Posted by rob love

Perry
I blew up the photos, and it looks like you are right. Different mantles, and the first one has the first roadwheel more forward than the second one with relation to the return roller above. I had placed both photos as being accross from the church here in Shilo....looks like I need to rethink that.

I'll keep an eye in the Shilo archives to see if any photos of that area from the 50s show up. No doubt there are photos somewhere that show the German vehicles, whether incidental or not.

Yep..... Jagdpanzer in the LH pic Stug in the right. Sad how these vehicles where treated and lost. Interesting they are still wearing a correct coat of dunkelgelb paint.

[jdmcm]

But we're they actually "lost"? Or we're they sold off by the museums? Or was there some misappropriation? Not trying to open a capital case here, just sadly curious as how something with legitimate Canadian military history attached is now part of a private collection in the UK instead of here, where one could argue, it should rightfully be. Thanks for all the replies and input, it is fascinating to hear how things worked around the bases and museums regarding these artifacts.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by jdmcm

But we're they actually "lost"? Or we're they sold off by the museums? Or was there some misappropriation? Not trying to open a capital case here, just sadly curious as how something with legitimate Canadian military history attached is now part of a private collection in the UK instead of here, where one could argue, it should rightfully be. Thanks for all the replies and input, it is fascinating to hear how things worked around the bases and museums regarding these artifacts.

I would suggest that "lost" is not the right word. Perhaps "sold" or "traded" are the correct terms. Perhaps one day when we meet face to face, I can share the stories I have heard. There would seem to be variations to each.

[lincwel]

It seems that many years ago there was something in Wheels and Tracks magazine inc a photo of it being loaded