61Ferret

I acquired my 1942 M3A1 White Scout car back in 2017 and it's one of the ex-Greek army scout cars that was brought back to the USA in the early 90's.  I've been slowly working on changing things to make it represent one that would have been used by the Governor General's Horse Guards during the Italian Campaign.  The scout cars issued to GGHG had been used by the British in North Africa and the GGHG used them for their Assault Troops in Italy.  To help with making it represent one used by the GGHG, I have just installed a Wireless 19 Set but still missing some cables.  I fabricated and mounted the aerial brackets last year and do not interfere with the canvas top when fitted.  Fitting Instructions, dated 1945, issued by The War Office were used as my guide for fabrication and installation.

Cheers, Terry 

3 minutes ago, armoured_smiler said:

or is it 179th Field Regiment?

Pretty sure the driver's/vehicle's left fender has a 1st Canadian Divisional sign on it.  Others have suggested the same thing making it a Scout Car serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery.

1 hour ago, Packhow75 said:

Pretty sure there is someone on the Maple Leaf Up forum at the moment asking for Photos of WSC in Canadian service.

Not you by any chance?

 

Tim

No, not me, but I have seen the post on MLU.  I'm slowly working on making my Scout Car look like one that would have been used by the Governor General's Horse Guard in Italy for Recce/Assault Troop use.  They were issued with British M3A1's that were used in North Africa.  Have built and installed antenna mounts on the back and now working on an interior stand for a 19 wireless set.  Some pics attached from Remembrance Day a few weeks back. 

Since selling my Ferret and acquiring a M3A1 Scout Car, I haven't been on this forum for a while but have found my way to this thread via the G503 Forum.  The photo of the Scout Car having a unit sign of 43 was also posted on the M3A1 Facebook page where I posted my thoughts on this.   I’m going to suggest 2^nd Canadian Field Regiment (Artillery) of the 1^st Canadian Infantry Division.  From 1939 to 1943 - Training in the U.K. July 1943 - Sicily.  1943 to January 1945 in Italy.  They were in Holland, post January 1945.  In the Facebook post/thread, I believe that the member here going by the user name of Old Git stated the photo was dated May 1945.  This would also help to support my thoughts on this.   The reason for my suggestion as follows.

• In the photo, the two soldiers in the Scout Car definitely have a cap badge that is in the shape of a Commonwealth Artillery Cap Badge.
• In the photo, on the driver’s right fender, there is a unit sign.  The number 43 over the typical unit sign rectangular base that has a dark coloured top and light coloured bottom.  From https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/vehicles/markings/unitsignsinfantryunits.htm, one of the choices would be 2^nd Canadian Field Regiment (Artillery) with red top and blue bottom back on the unit sign.
• From the photo, on the driver’s left fender, there is a formation sign.  It appears to be a maple leaf over a dark coloured base.  From https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/vehicles/markings/formationsigns.htm, one of the choices would be 1^st Canadian infantry Division.  A gold maple leaf over a red background.
• Research on the internet suggests that red appears darker than blue in black and white photographs. 
• With the dark shade being common to both the unit and division sign and assuming the dark shade being red as per the info I found on the internet, this strongly suggests the photo being of a Scout Car in service with the 2^nd Canadian Field Regiment (Artillery) of the 1^st Canadian Infantry Division in Holland.

If my analysis is correct, this is a nice and rare photograph of the M3A1 Scout Car in Canadian service during WWII.

Catch 22 LBDR has pretty much nailed this on the head. I went through this three years ago and once out, I took the tank to a fuel tank repair shop. They cleaned the inside and then sprayed the interior surface with an epoxy coating. There was a lot of hardened sludge at the bottom of the tank and corrosion on the upper surfaces that they easily removed. They cut two access holes into the tank so that the hard to reach areas were not missed. These were obviously welded back up before the coating was applied. The tank still looks as good today as it did the the day that this was done. I found that the fuel lines from the bottom of each side of the tank to the fuel selector valve also needed cleaning. I continuously pushed a thin flexible wire back and forth through these fuel lines. The end of the wire had loosened up a bunch of crud which easily flushed out.

Cheers, Terry.

Not an easy job! The tank has to come forward into the fighting compartment, then twist it out the top. You will need to remove the Turret, gearbox covers, air filter, gearbox stays(behind the Battery boxes) both battery boxes,battery leads and the power distribution box. Don't remove the fuel filter as I find it handy to grip when lifting the tank out. Don't forget to remove the sender/float unit and filler neck.

On the other side of the pond...The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 82 of Port Credit Ontario organized a D-Day remembrance ceremony which took place on Sunday June 5th at the Port Credit cenotaph. The ceremony started with the playing of O Canada, followed with a prayer, hymn, message, laying of wreaths and playing of Last Post. Along with the public, Legion members, St. Andrews Mississauga Pipes & Drums and 845 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, I was proud to participate with my Ferret. Although my vehicle is not WWII vintage, it was very much welcomed and respectfully parked close to the cenotaph. Lest We Forget.

The following link will take you to a compilation of pictures from a recent visit to the Canadian War museum. Those of you who have already visited know the museum is an excellent experience and for those of you who have never been...make it a priority. For those of you that distance makes it difficult....enjoy the following!

Cheers, Terry.

I live in the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and there is a non-profit organization called Heritage Mississauga that promotes local heritage/history. Last fall, they produced/launched a video titled "I am Mississauga - Mississauga Remembers". A great video...well done. The following link should take you to that video.

http://www.heritagemississauga.com/page/I-Am-Mississauga---Mississauga-Remembers

Having participated with my military vehicle in the last two Port Credit Remembrance Day ceremony processions and the recent WW1 Souterrain Exhibition, I am proud to say that Mississauga does Remember and I am honoured to be part of this community.

Cheers, Terry.

As pictured, the valve is in the reserve position. When I had the fuel tank out of my Ferret a few years back, it was easy to follow the fuel lines back to each side of the tank and hence confirm the main/reserve position on the fuel cock.

Cheers, Terry.

Awesome video! Looks like you and your group, King's Own Texas Dragoons, have a great thing going there. You've managed to achieve the perfect mix of military vehicle expertise and having a hoot. How cool is that!!! If I knew that my Ferret could make the drive from Mississauga (Ontario, Canada) down to Texas without a major breakdown, I would certainly make the drive so that I could go out for a spin with you guys. Keep up the great work, look forward to more video and perhaps we'll meet up some day.

Cheers, Terry.

Hi Robin. Interesting thread. The engine and gear box look relatively clean or repainted. Have they been recently serviced? Have you taken apart the fluid flywheel as yet?

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year!

Cheers, Terry.

Although cloudy and somewhat cool, the rain held off and the ceremony was well attended by the public. Participants in the procession (Legion to cenotaph and back to Legion) included many Veterans, Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Politicians, St. Andrews Pipes & Drums, others and our group of four Jeeps and my Ferret. Once again, it was a honour and privilege to participate. The following link will take you to a selection of photos.

Cheers, Terry.

The exhibition is now open to the public. Opening day was yesterday and the turn -out was great. The exhibition has exceeded everyone's expectations. Support by other groups and organizations was excellent. If you're in the area, come out and be amazed!

Cheers, Terry.

For those who may want to visit or just read more about it, the WW1 Souterrain Impressions Ehibition is coming to Mississauga, Ontario. It opens on September 26th and will be in Mississauga until November 30th. From the internet and Heritage Mississauga, this exhibition illuminates the lives of Canadian veterans through the deeply personal carvings and drawings made by soldiers concealed in the allied caves and trenches near Vimy Ridge, France. The exhibition includes reproductions of carvings and images of the cave system at Vimy and the story of Canadigm’s work in developing the exhibition.

"On April 17, 1917 at 5:30am, four Canadian divisions consisting of over 15,000 soldiers who had been stationed in the tunnels near Vimy Ridge 10 metres underground for weeks, stormed the Ridge and Hill 145 successfully capturing this strategic site. During those long weeks, soldiers carved regimental badges and messages to family back home using the soft chalk walls underground. For many it was their last communication; 3,598 Canadians were killed at Vimy".

I believe that admission is free. More info available at http://souterrainimpressions.strikingly.com/

Sean/Richard. Thanks to both of you for taking the time to respond and offer some suggestions on how to address this issue. Shall certainly try the adjusting the fuel mixture and the two short pipes between the exhaust elbows are in fact loose, something that I was aware of because of the extra noise. When I first acquired the Ferret, there were some remains of a previous attempt to fill the joints and reduce the exhaust leak but there was not much there at the time and now nothing remains of that attempt. Fixing the two short pipes was on my list of things to repair but now that I know it may be causing the backfiring, I'll move it up a few spots on my list. Again, Thanks....greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Terry.

Since owning the Ferret, I've done a number of mechanical/system repairs such as carb/fuel system rebuild and recently have done some ignition work such as new ignition wires, new plugs, condenser, points and distributor cap. Overall I have noticed an improvement but continue to experience backfiring and sputtering when quickly decelerating. If I decelerate gradually, there is no or perhaps only one small backfire. When standing still at idle speed, the engine runs smooth but do notice that when driving at a lower constant/steady speed of about 20 to 30 mph, the engine does not not sound/run smooth If I marginally accelerate it runs better. I have not adjusted the ignition timing since owning the vehicle and I'm now starting to think this is the cause but wanted to check with those who have more experience as ignition issues/adjustments is not my strength. Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

Cheers, Terry.

Quite a few of the vehicles used in the re-enactments are privately owned and there were a number of privately owned vehicles brought out for display only. Of course, the museum owns a number of the vehicles with some being used in the re-enactments and others just on display. A number of the vehicles in the Gulf War re-enactment are actual veterans of the first Gulf War and more amazing is the fact they were crewed by very same British soldiers who fought in those particular vehicles during the Gulf War. Great event that is getting better each year and is well attended by the public. Three portable bleachers, each the length of a tractor trailer and with perhaps 10 or so rows of seating were brought in for the event. Bleachers were packed for the first show/re-enactments and unfortunately heavy rain stopped the second show from taking place.

Aquino Tank Day 2015 was held on May 30th and although there was heavy rain in the afternoon, the show was well attended and the Ontario Regiment Museum, staff and volunteers put on a great event. Didn't get to take as many pics as I had hoped but I've put together the following slide show. Pictures are mostly from the Gulf War re-enactment but there was also re-enactment of WWII, Vietnam and a United Nations Peacekeeping vehicle drive past. Enjoy. Awesome event!

Cheers, Terry.

[video=youtube_share;UE8_fahH6J8]

Welcome!

Does anyone know who ended up buying this Ferret?

I'm considering a Mk1 in really poor condition but it's already in the USA which shaves off a few months and several thousand dollars for acquisition. Thing is, all the fenders (and bins of course) are quite beat-up. I'm trying to decide if I would try to straighten the old ones, buy some new ones, or make up a set.

My questions are these:

How workable is the material (what gauge, ductility)?

Is there a good set of drawings out there for those of us with a shear, brake and lack of good sense?

What should I expect to pay for a set of fenders and how available are they?

 

Oh, here's the link for the auction in case somebody needs it more than I or can shed any light on it's history:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ebaymotors/1954-British-Daimler-Ferret-Scout-Armored-Car-9000-miles-/111582716167?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&forcev4exp=true

 

I wonder if it's ex-Canadian?

 

thanks,

P_

I’m 52, soon to be 53. I am relatively new to military vehicle community but I’ve had an ongoing interest in militaria since childhood. That interest slowly evolved to where it influenced my decision to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy (Marine Engineer Tech) during the mid 80’s, collect/research Canadian militaria and now includes ownership of a British MK 2/3 Ferret. The evolution was slow, the interest has always been there but as others have noted, the availability of time and discretionary funds have always been two out of many factors that determined the level to which I could get involved. The list of reasons for available funds and time is endless...kids, marriage, mortgage, etc. Although new to military vehicles, I’m not new to militaria collecting and I hear the same concerns from those involved in that area of interest.

I own and operate a small custom picture framing shop and deal with a lot of different folks on a daily basis. The success of my business very much depends on how I find, engage or communicate with potential new customers who have framing needs whether young or old. Some new customers are very familiar with the process of picture framing and are easy to engage while others are shy, apprehensive and not familiar with but want to be involved in the process. It is the later type of new customer who I most often encounter and requires more effort in gaining their ongoing business and contribution to the success of my business. I believe the same applies to the military vehicle hobby or any other similar interest group.

I’ve owned my Ferret since October 2013 and during that time I’ve had it out for numerous casual drives and two organized events. During those outings, it was most often non military vehicle owners who asked questions and showed the most interest whether I introduced myself to them or they introduced themselves to me. Although my knowledge about military vehicles is limited when compared to others, I’ve tried to communicate all the positive aspects of our hobby and make it a great or memorable experience for them. Part of the info I pass along is where and when they can attend an organized event or the names of internet forums such as HMVF or MLU. I’ve been flagged down numerous times by people who wanted me to pull over so they could have a better look at the Ferret. Although it initially felt like an inconvenience, I did pull over, engaged in conversation and had a great time. The unscheduled stop cut into my driving time but I’ll never forget the smiles on those folks when they were able to have a close up look or take a picture with the Ferret.

My introduction/involvement with the local military vehicle community has been slow, mostly due to the fact that I’m somewhat reserved and quiet when I meet new people or groups. One of the people who made that easier for me is Robin Craig. I’m sure that many of you will recognize his name from either this or the MLU forum. Back in the spring of 2013, I met Robin at a military vehicle show that was held at the Oshawa Military Vehicle Museum. Robin had taken the time to answer my questions and share his opinions about the hobby. I have always appreciated that and always enjoy any opportunity to meet or communicate with him.

Hi All. My Ferret and I had the honour of participating in Port Credit's 2014 Remembrance Day ceremony/procession and after a couple of busy months at work, I've now managed to sort through videos/pics and have put together the following video clip. It was a very emotional experience and I will certainly participate again this year. It makes all the hard and frustrating work of owing a military vehicle worthwhile. A Big Thanks and Bravo Zulu to the Alex Thomson Royal Canadian Legion Branch #82 and everyone else who either helped to organize or participated in this great event/ceremony.

Hi. Although I'm still relatively new to all of this and as some of the others have said, Welcome Aboard. I acquired a

MK 2/3 Ferret last fall and shortly thereafter joined this forum. I'm located in Mississauga, Ontario. The forum is loaded with great people and a wealth of knowledge. The numerous vehicle restoration threads on this forum have provided a never ending source of motivation to carry-on with all the work that needs to be done on my Ferret. After fixing a number of issues that kept me off the road, I've been able to drive it on a regular basis since late August. Loads of fun and no regrets about having purchased the Ferret. Look forward to reading more about your restoration and perhaps we'll be able to meet up some day.

Best Regards, Terry.

Currently working on rear left inner/outer tactra seals and had to take the fender off for that. Checked/opened a few of the different wire/conduit fittings to see where it would be easiest to disconnect the wires and ended up disconnecting at the fitting attached to the hull. Have attached a couple of pics. Although the wires were "soldered" together, they simply untwisted without the application of heat. Wires were taped over to prevent shorting out. As I disconnected the wires, I marked the them with coloured tape so I could easily match up and rejoin correctly. Hope this helps.

Best Regards, Terry.

Terry,

 

if you want to borrow a wheel while investigating this route I have a spare wheel in my jumble of parts that I am willing to loan you if it helps your tyre folks assess the subtle nuances of the beads.

 

That would allow you to still have a complete vehicle for displays etc while that is going on.

 

Will you be coming up to Coe Hill this year?

 

R

Hi Robin. May take you up on the offer to borrow your spare wheel/rim. Can you put me in touch with Dan Sicotte. He has posted info/replies about tyres on Maple Leaf Up and I would like to ask him some questions. Unfortunately I have not been able to get registered on Maple Leaf Up. Have sent you a pm with my email address and phone number so that it can be passed along to Dan.

Thanks and Best Regards, Terry.