Recent content by exspy

Your grandfather sounds like an interesting guy. Can you tell us more about his service? I had never heard of the three-year rule, but a) I can't see all of the Regular soldiers who went to Korea with their respective 2nd Battalions having to forfeit their wings for no other reason than an...

Completely blocked if one doesn't have an account.

Don't forget the SS11B1.

You're just not going to give up, are you. I would suggest you visit the modelling site called missing-lynx. Lots of info on Canadian Centurions. I also learned a lot from Maple Leaf Up, which is now defunct. Might be available on the wayback machine. Look online for links to Jason Bobrowich and...

I'm afraid I'm not the one to ask about colours. Having said that, I was corresponding with the RCR officer who was responsible for painting the camouflage scheme on their newly arrived M113A1's in Germany. He told me that the paints used were obtained from British Army stocks. This is a photo...

The RMC graduation entry for Joe Aitchison, Class of '63.

There is a statue of him at the US Army's National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia. It's based on the photograph of him on the cover of We Were Soldiers Once... And Young.

I'll just throw this into the mix. Isn't it time to re-animate The Canadian Guards? It's what Strome would have wanted.

Didn't Command learn from the confusion of naming a Formation (ie The Canadian Airborne Regiment 1969-1977) a Regiment?

Not a good camouflage reference photo for a Mk 11 but it does show the long range fuel tank bolted to the rear of the chassis.

The two photos below are from after the 1970 move of the Canadians from Northern to Southern Germany. By 1970, Canadian Centurions in Germany had been upgraded to Mk. 11 standard by having the front glacis up-armoured, the main armament upgunned with the installation of the L7A1 105mm gun with...

While the new CF ranks for officer and other ranks were used officially, Navy personnel were allowed to retain their traditional rank names right from the beginning. The reasoning being that when Canadian ships visited foreign ports, it would be embarrassing to identify the ship's Captain to...

Only the second photograph I've ever seen of a Black Watch wearing the cap badge with CF Greens. No Tam with red hackle in the new CF.

Collar badges were not authorized because everyone was supposed to look unified. One uniform, one CAF. No element distinctions. Hence the new rank flashes. Not Army, Navy or Air Force. A new unified look. Like a large extended single family.

On January 1, 1972, the CF Green uniform became compulsory wear for all regular male members of the CF. Berets were not authorized for wear with CF Greens which would have been disconcerting to Armoured and Airborne soldiers. Below is a newspaper photograph of a 3 Mech Cdo Guard at Lahr for the...