Cyprus vets

[David Cussins]

I have canadian ferret 54-82589....looking for Canadian vets that may have served in Cyprus. 1965-69.....any photos....service with ferrets...ect.....thank you.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Contact Robin Craig in Ontario. He is a few years further along researching Canadian Ferrets and might have something for you.

[rob love]

I have a number of photos of the Ferrets as they were being prepped in Canada for their deployment (goofy chicken cages over the top opening), their trip and offloading from the Bonaventure, and some photos of them in service in Cypress. I'll dig through the files tonight and see if they surface.

The chicken wire cages were not to be seen in any of the cypress photos...I suspect they were quickly discarded.

I didn't go to Cypress until 89, by which time the Cdn ferrets were long gone. I do have some photos of a Brit Ferret that hit a landmine while I was there. It blew off one of the front wheel stations and expelled both occupants. The crew commander said when he came to, he was going to give his driver shit for rolling the vehicle, not realizing they had hit a mine after travelling down the same path they had travelled a hundred times before.

[David Cussins]

Hello Rob....im in contact with Colin Stevens and Robin Craig....collected many photos and info from them....yes the cages were removed i think on there trip over...thank you all for your sevice....and thanks for responding back.
....ill try posting some photos of 589 progress soon.

[David Cussins]

Ive had ferret 589 for 31 years now...last year found out she did service in Egypt in the 1950s and went to Greece in the 1960s....over the years there have been many modifications so the era im restoring her to is about 1965....the previous owner had added a turret and removed and sold or lost some parts...i removed the turret and had to replace a fluid coupling seal....clean and paint....so heres where she is now...

[Ed Storey]

Nice looking Ferret, I am curious about the 1960s Greek service.

[James P]

Originally Posted by David Cussins

Hello Rob....im in contact with Colin Stevens and Robin Craig....collected many photos and info from them....yes the cages were removed i think on there trip over...thank you all for your sevice....and thanks for responding back.
....ill try posting some photos of 589 progress soon.

I had a talk with Bill Mulholland (RIP) many, many, years ago and he told me that the Canadian Ferrets had a patrol track through mountains that left the open topped Canadian Ferrets very exposed. The solution he said was a short term swap of Brit closed down Ferrets for the open topped Canadian Ferrets.

[James P]

Has the old Sentinel monthly magazine ever been digitized and findable on the internet ? Man, now that would be a gold mine of knowledge, insight, and pictures of the Canadian Forces during the magazines run.