Canadian War Museum Trades ?

[Robert Dabkowski]

Has anyone heard rumours of CWM trading HMVs with US collectors and with Swords&Plowshares Museum ? I hear that the Panzer I has gone south.

Any hard information out there ? Robert in Toronto

[Don Dingwall]

See the Convoy froum.
http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/105276

In a thread "need tracked vehicle" I posted some info you may find useful. I'll include my two cents that I posted in full, here......



CWM Trade Info:

It should be noted that I am NOT a full time permanent employee of the CWM, nor do I speak for them, but I do have some knowledge, from a close range perspective, what goes on there.

As far as trades go, it's a bit more complicated than that. Last year there was an ongoing collection rationalisation begun by all collections managers. The point of it was to do a FULL inventory (first time in recorded memory) of all the assets and artifacts of CWM, prior to the big move to the new building. Simple fact was, they could only take so much with them, the rest had to go. Then each manager had to make some tough decisions--for example, one part of the collection had a preponderance of artifacts, in one case over 30 of the same item. This had to be pared down to two or three. Only makes sense. There are things coming out of that institution that should NEVER have been accessioned in the first place, and the staff are doing their best to do the right thing, and from what I have seen, that is exactly what they are doing.

In the case of the Panzer I, it was a useless hulk, and Rob is quite right that it would never have been rebuilt here. That's a stretch for anyone BUT Littlefield. The long and the short of it is this, that for a Panzer I, the CWM got or gets a Grizzly, M3 Lee, Stuart, Churchill, Staghound and at least one or twoother vehicle I'm forgetting, or have forgotten. All runners by the way.
Damn fine deal to all except a fool.

In terms of trades generally, another offshoot of the collection rationalisation was to "spread the wealth" so to speak. Smaller museums, private and public, as well the military museum system, across the country have benefitted greatly from this process, after generations of wilting on the vine. The decision was made several years ago to focus the vehicle collection particularly on what was REALLY RELEVANT to Cdn. vehicle historical usage, development, manufacture or design.

I know of no individuals who have made a trade, only institutions or organisations, S & P being one. It had TWO Ram hulks. I wouldn't even call them vehicles really. Both had been luckily rescued by Calnan and Company from rusting away after being used as ploughs. S & P has neither the resources, nor the facilities to restore them or even to do anything useful with them. So they traded them to CWM (don't know if they've physically moved yet though), as the CWM was in need of spares for it's own Ram, and had an excess of CMP's and related parts, as well a whole pile of miscellaneous items that S & P will put to good use I'm sure, and that are more suitably within it's abilities to do something with.

In the end, the CWM vehicle collections staff know one thing -- it's FAR better for the museum to continue to trade when and where it is feasible, and to it's advantage. Even if they were willing or able to sell something outright (highly unlikely at ANY time), the funds would go into general acoounting, and NOT back into the vehicle collection. Other Museums and organisations are benefitting immensely from this current rationalisation. Oh, you say, but Littlefield is an individual. Wrong. He is the director of a legitimate aassociation, Military Vehicle Technology Foundation.

http://www.milvehtechfound.com/

Hope this helps clear up some misconceptions.

Cheers
Don

[Al Nickolson]

Hi,

Part of the 2003 MVPA Convention in California, included a tour of the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation. I've attached a few photos of the Panzer I. This was my second trip to see Littlefield's collection.