M109 SP gun

[Bob Phillips]

One more question for the many well connected membership out there.. until several years ago Canada used the M109 sp gun.It had an *v71 detroit coupled to a Teledyne CD transmission/diff. I believe we had about 76 in total. They were retired from service about6 or 7(?) years ago and some were offered up as monuments. How many made it to monument status and What happened to the rest of them? Were they dragged across the country to be scrapped, cut up locally, sold to another user or are there still some sitting on bases out there in limbo?? Anybody know??...B.P.

[rob love]

The last one was fired a little over 10 years ago.

Initially the bulk of them were to be cut up. A video was posted on the net showing a couple lined up and in various states of dismantling. This did not sit well with the artillery, who consider the guns as their colours. The cutting program ceased and they were offered as monuments. Here in Shilo we have a total of 4: one at the main gate (welded and oils drained at 202WD), one at the RCHA (power plant and most interior fitments removed and sent to the museum as spares), one in static display (although operable if need be) and one operable. There are two more in the province that I know of. One went to the armouries in Brandon, and one more found it's way to a village North of Winnipeg, where it looks somewhat out of place.

I think for totals you would either have to look at Silverhawk's listing of all monuments in Canada and do a running total, or else you could try a FOI to DHH (or is it DSAL now?) (I believe it is a Mr Sampson who controls a lot of these monuments) to get the total numbers.

[maple_leaf_eh]

I was in a lineup somewhere sometime and noticed the man in front of me was wearing something identifying him to the RCEME tribe. I said hello and inquired about his service. He was a retired CWO maintainer whose last job included demilitarizing the M109 fleet.

He explained that one of the most frustrating things DND had to deal with, was many of the parts were classed as controlled goods. A rubber skirt or sheet metal panel for instance, was nothing special except the bolt or an angle fitting had a NATO stock number traced back to the US. Arms Control agreements prevented the Canadians from simply and efficiently scrapping that part without permissions, destruction declarations and witnesses. Quite the business!

The line moved or he got his drink and we finished the conversation.

[RHClarke]

From the slide deck showing the "demil" of one of our once proud (and still useable) M109 fleet. Let me know if you want to see more of this carnage. Sigh!

[maple_leaf_eh]

Your photo name is sadly appropriate. Yes, post more please.

[RHClarke]

As requested. Gunners! Explicit material follows. Tears will flow.