# H-Huts in CFB Shilo



## GunnerGleadall (14 Oct 2012)

Does anyone remember the H-Huts near the jump tower in CFB Shilo?  When our regiment was still located at CFB Fort Osborne Barracks, we would stay in the H-Huts when were were not sleeping in tents when on exercise. There were some really great memories their; however, when I last looked, all of the H-Huts at CFB Shilo had been torn down and replaced with new ones.  Does anyone remember when this change took place?


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## FJAG (14 Oct 2012)

In 1965 I was in the 7th Toronto Regt and we were flown to Shilo in November for our annual artillery competition. We came in after dark and I can still recall getting up at 0 dark thirty as the dawn glimmered on the horizon and looking out in the freezing cold (for a Toronto boy) at the jump tower and the (to me) endless flat prairie.

Lived in Shilo a total of seven years since then.

Most H Huts in Shilo have gone the way of the Dodo. Some were bought by farmers and are now set up at various farms around the region.

The ones at the jump tower had a mixed fate. Some went but a number where converted and upgraded for use by the German Army Training Establishment Shilo. 

I haven't been there since GATES left and I just did a quick Google maps airphoto lookup and it looks like they are all gone now.

As an aside I joined the Third in the summer of 1970 just as they moved from Osborne to Shilo. Good times although I'm still not fond of the L-5.

Cheers


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## GunnerGleadall (15 Oct 2012)

Yes you are right; however, now they have also taken down the jumper.  In February of 1969, I took my jump course in CFB Rivers Manitoba.  Our troop was the first troop that took the first five jumps from an Otter, instead of the jump tower in CFB Shilo, then five more jumps from the C130 for a total of 10 jumps.

You mentioned that you were in the 3rd RCHA,  in 1970.  What Battery were you in?  My Battery was "G" Battery.


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## FJAG (15 Oct 2012)

They kept the tower for many years as an aerial base for the Shilo cable service. That's probably changed too then.

Glad to say that by my jump course Otters were pretty standard. I never thought the tower too safe.

I was posted in in 1970 and at the time was in H Bty until spring 71 when H was disbanded. At that point was transferred to J. In 72 I went to 2nd Horse in Pet - F and D Btys.

Came back to the 3rd in 78 and this time in G until I got out in 81.


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## Rifleman62 (15 Oct 2012)

The H Huts by the jump tower were "Q" lines, originally built (1943??) to house Cdn soldiers training to fight the Germans in WWII. I always though it funny that GATES occupied Q Lines and the grandsons of the soldiers ......

In the summer of 1963  and 64 the whole Q Lines parade square was filled with Manitoba YSTP. I did my summer long Jr NCO in 63, followed by Gp1 Infantryman in 64.

The Militia used the barracks for years after, then eventually moved to the Bunker.

FJAG was the RSSO of 26 Fd Regt when we did a Black Bear. I remember at end Ex, the German General addressing the troops formed up in a hollow square using a very small hand tape recorder to que his critique. FJAG translated for us.


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## FJAG (15 Oct 2012)

Black Bears were kind of fun and the Germans provided the ammo - 400 rds HE per serial. I did four with 3 RCHA and then they got tired of it so I volunteered militia units for others. They loved shoting that much ammo in one day and we could always make a week end exercise of it - did 13 serials before the Germans went back to having their own artillery there. 

Mostly used M113s as the FOO vehicles but got to use a Leopard 1 once. That was even more fun because they have a very smooth ride across the prairie.


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## Colin Parkinson (15 Oct 2012)

I stayed in the H huts while on course, apparently my dad spent a bit of time in them in WWII despite being a medic in the RCAF. As for Black bear ex, they flew us (15th RCA) by herc with all our vehicles and our 6 guns. The airlift and the ammo allotment was a real eye opener for a Reserve unit and some of the best training we had done. If you had a part in getting us out there FJAG, then I will say thank you very much!!!


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## jollyjacktar (15 Oct 2012)

My Dad was in Shilo during the winter of 42/43 following his graduation from Gordon Head.  I know he said it was a bloody cold winter and it sounded like a miserable time.  He called them tar paper shacks.  I remember seeing H Huts in Shilo in 81, IIRC they were in the "K" lines.


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## Old Sweat (15 Oct 2012)

Shilo used to be a sea of H Huts. When I arrived for recruit training in December 1957, there were a few of the newer buildings in the L Lines  - two 250-man and one 180-man barrack blocks, a mess hall and maybe a canteen, which I don't recall being inside. Everything else in the camp - Camp HQ, the RCSA and CProC School, the RCA Depot, the hospital, QM, RCEME workshop, 28 COD (the para packers) and the various messes except for the RCA Home Station officers and sergeants messes were in wartime construction. (The PMQs were recent, of course. Before they were built, families lived in partitioned H Huts.) Given the shoddy construction and anemic heating, it was no fun sleeping in an H Hut in Shilo in January and February. And the tree had yet to finds its way to the campsite in any number.


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## AJFitzpatrick (19 Oct 2012)

Would  the old army huts that were at UBC be considered H-Huts ? I spent the first 5 years of my life in one of them.


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## Sigs Pig (20 Oct 2012)

Maybe someone can help with pics?
http://www.airmuseum.ca/catplan3.html

ME


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## Colin Parkinson (22 Oct 2012)

AJFitzpatrick said:
			
		

> Would  the old army huts that were at UBC be considered H-Huts ? I spent the first 5 years of my life in one of them.



Yes, in fact when my dad de-mobbed from the RCAF, he moved out of the Sgt Mess at Jericho (now the hostel) and into one of those H huts to start med school.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.law.ubc.ca/files/images/building_campaign/huts3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.law.ubc.ca/building/history.html&usg=__irVoXn2w0jHmQaEpduSB2X1wh0M=&h=270&w=290&sz=35&hl=en&start=3&sig2=B2OzCRPhnCCY8Niczygu7Q&zoom=1&tbnid=SlOsaXmKKAW2tM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=115&ei=CpGFUIT2CqfQyAH9m4CIBA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DH%2Bhuts,%2Bubc,%2Bhistory%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1


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