_Axe_ Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Well, yesterday I was at Canadian Forces Base Borden to cover a chess tournament (hey, cut me some slack. I'm a community journalist) and I stopped by the Worthington Tank Park. Now, usually there are a few tanks outside, while a good portion of them have been in storage. Well, what do my eyes see but 12, count 'em, 12 tanks of varying makes and classes sitting out in the open, getting ready to be moved to a new storage place on base. Luckily I had my camera and snapped pictures of them. Now, I would love to let everyone here have a gander at them but I need some help. If there's anyone who could host 15-20 pictures, I'd be more than happy to supply them. I have all the particulars on the AFVs but I would love to see if everyone here could identify them. Two of them almost stopped my heart and I'll explain why later. So, there you are. Any interest? P.S. One of the AFVs is one of only two left in their original condition in the world today, according to a fairly reliable source. Jason 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 How come black doesn't have a king? Is it a chess tournament for those who have decided the game unfairly favored the monarchy, and now a random piece is elected president/premiere/prime minister every 4-7 turns? Would there be different shades on each side to represent factions/parties? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Check with Geoff Winnington-Ball at Maple Leaf Up (www.mapleleafup.org - maybe he can use the pics for his website). If the pics are medium sized shoot them my way. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Axe_ Posted May 8, 2004 Author Share Posted May 8, 2004 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: Check with Geoff Winnington-Ball at Maple Leaf Up (www.mapleleafup.org - maybe he can use the pics for his website). If the pics are medium sized shoot them my way. Done and done. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 I remember touring some of the vehicles when they were in one of the hangars three summers back. I was surprised by how small the Valentine was and how big the Staghound was! The green paint is actually a preservative - I suppose if they ever get any money and storage space they will redo them in proper colours. Popular word in the community is that the German stuff was among the goodies Farley Mowat brought back at the end of WW II - as recounted in his memoir My Father's Son. His hope was that they would not rust away on plinths as so many German Maxims and howitzers did at the end of WW I across Canada, but would instead be fully operational, rip-roarin', snortin' hunks of machinery that woudl terrify Canadian audiences and make them appreciate how scary it was to be at the Savio River in October 1944, or in the middle of Buron in July, when Panthers were on the prowl and your personal protection consisted of a cotton shirt and a wool battledress blouse. Sad that it never came to pass. http://members.shaw.ca/ww2uniforms/tanks/ The directory of snaps can be found above. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Axe_ Posted May 8, 2004 Author Share Posted May 8, 2004 Thanks Michael. Much obliged. The T-34 and the flail tank were the two that blew me away. And you're absolutely right about the Valentine and the Staghound. My thoughts exactly! As for the Wirblewind, I understand it is one of only two in the world in such good condition. I've always been curious -- what do you think caused the damage to its turret. I put my meat hooks into the pictures for scale. (Plus my meat face into the Stuart picture.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent Pollock Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Michael, are the two Stuart pix actually of a Stuart; it looks like a Matilda II? And is that a Centurion beside it? Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: I remember touring some of the vehicles when they were in one of the hangars three summers back. I was surprised by how small the Valentine was and how big the Staghound was! The green paint is actually a preservative - I suppose if they ever get any money and storage space they will redo them in proper colours. Popular word in the community is that the German stuff was among the goodies Farley Mowat brought back at the end of WW II - as recounted in his memoir My Father's Son. His hope was that they would not rust away on plinths as so many German Maxims and howitzers did at the end of WW I across Canada, but would instead be fully operational, rip-roarin', snortin' hunks of machinery that woudl terrify Canadian audiences and make them appreciate how scary it was to be at the Savio River in October 1944, or in the middle of Buron in July, when Panthers were on the prowl and your personal protection consisted of a cotton shirt and a wool battledress blouse. Sad that it never came to pass. http://members.shaw.ca/ww2uniforms/tanks/ The directory of snaps can be found above. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 I wasn't going to mention it Brent.... Axe, if you go back to Worthy park, there are two M5 Stuarts by the RCAC memorial. I tried polishing the gold leaf letters on the memorial when I was there in 2001....the tanks by this memorial were Stuarts. What a shame the memorial is in such a state of disrepair. [ May 07, 2004, 10:39 PM: Message edited by: Michael Dorosh ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Axe, If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, it would be that next time you use a longer lens on your camera (if you have one) and stand further back if possible. That way, there will be less distortion of perspective and the pictures will render the vehicles in truer proportions. Otherwise, thanks. It was great to see these. The Vickers especially interested me. Do you happen to know if that is the AA version? Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tero Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Originally posted by Axe2121: (Plus my meat face into the Stuart picture.) That seems to a Matilda, actually. (The tank I mean. ) And the double barrel seems to be a Churchill Mk1 with a 3" gun in the bow and 2prd in the turret. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beady Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Originally posted by Axe2121: Well, yesterday I was at Canadian Forces Base Borden to cover a chess tournament (hey, cut me some slack. I'm a community journalist) and I stopped by the Worthington Tank Park.*Where* is/are CFBB/Worthington? I'm an hour south of Montreal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mace Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Originally posted by Brent Pollock: Michael, are the two Stuart pix actually of a Stuart; it looks like a Matilda II? Matilda IIs alright. And I do believe, an Axe2121 in front of it. Does that make me a waffle grog? Mace 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Axe_ Posted May 8, 2004 Author Share Posted May 8, 2004 Hey, I'm no armour grog. But I shold have known that was a Matilda. My bad. As for Borden itself, it is about an hour and a half north of Toronto. It's about 15 minutes west of Barrie. Mr Emrys -- pure capitalist naturalist nonsense!! I studied the great photography of Georgii Zelma. The T-34 is not to be pictured as some mere gun on wheels. It is the pinnacle of the fusion of Russian spirit and labour! It deserves to be shown in the exact way as it would to cowering Hitlerites moments before grinding them under its tracks! I used the wide angle to get in close. The photos I have are much higher resolution -- 300 dpi -- and if anyone wants any of these or all of them -- drop me an e-mail at jasonballantyne at sympatico dot ca. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Axe_ Posted May 8, 2004 Author Share Posted May 8, 2004 Originally posted by Mace: Does that make me a waffle grog? Another in your long list of talents Mace. Time to update the resume. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Originally posted by Axe2121: Mr Emrys -- pure capitalist naturalist nonsense!! I studied the great photography of Georgii Zelma. The T-34 is not to be pictured as some mere gun on wheels. It is the pinnacle of the fusion of Russian spirit and labour! It deserves to be shown in the exact way as it would to cowering Hitlerites moments before grinding them under its tracks! In other words, you got stuck with a camera that only has a wide-angle lens. Pathetic. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 What's up with the Ram? It doesn't look like the one at Bovington - no little MG turret 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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