Update on the Staghound restoration After the Staghounds restoration, I concentrated on collecting photos and information from this armored car and from the regiments which used it in WWII. Countless hours were spent searching in Canadian, British and Dutch archives, corresponding with museums, veterans, Dutch historical societies etc. and collecting historical books and publications. The following article is a result from this search.
Most photos may be clicked to larger full-screen sizeAround mid-1945, the demobilizing Canadian army brought its surplus vehicles to Demob Vehicle Parks in Holland located at Deelen, Stroe, Enschede and Soesterberg. After WWII
The XII Manitoba Dragoons (XIIMD) turned in all their AFVs to "a depot at Arnhem Airport" on 5th July 1945.
Photo from Deelen Demob Vehicle Park with XIIMD AFVs.
D-squadron vehicles on the left, C -squadron vehicles on the right.
Note scoutcar 144 from 14th Troop second in line on the right.
Source: Brandon Armoury, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.The Dutch army had to be re-equipped which was mainly done by using vehicles from Canadian stock. All (around 72) XIIMD Staghounds went to the Dutch army. In total they got 108, the balance mainly coming from the Royal Canadian Dragoons.
On 18th June 1945 the Pantserschool (Armoured vehicle school) was formed under the leadership of Major (later Brig.Gen) J.J.G. Beelaerts van Blokland. Initially it was established in the Prinses Irene Barracks in Bergen op Zoom, but when the Pantserschool expanded, it moved to the Willem III Barracks in Amersfoort at the end of 1945. There it finally expanded to three squadrons “Huzaren van Boreel”. Dutch service
Photo showing Dutch registration number “34909”.
Other confirmed Staghound registration numbers are
34910, 34945, 34948, 34958, 34964, 34971, 34974, 34976, 34980, 34986, 34993, 36605.On May 10th 1946, the Pantserschool had two operational Staghounds, F235320, F235371 and one inoperational car with number F235342. In the following months, more vehicles were added and were renumbered using a 5-digit system. My Staghound was registered 34909, the number was found on the hull hidden underneath some layers of green paint. No photos from the car in that period have been found till now.
Around 1950, the Dutch army had two armored car squadrons, 1st and 2nd Eskadron Pantserwagens (Armored Car Squadron), so it could be it served in one of these or was held in reserve. In 1958, Dutch army vehicles got new registration numbers in the form of license plates. At that time, the number of operational Staghounds was down to 31 as many had been scrapped or converted for a static role as airfield "bunker" fortifications. The registration number range allocated to the Staghounds was KN-32-82 to KN-33-12.
In 1959, the 1st and 2nd Eskadron Pantserwagens were renamed to 440 and 441 Eskadron Pantserwagens (440 and 441 Squadron Armored Cars). Mine got registration number KN-32-84 and was allocated to "440 Eskadron Pantserwagens."
The wartime task for these squadrons was defending the Dutch military airfields in the southern part (441) and western (440) part of the country. Spare parts were always in short supply and as time went by, it got more difficult to keep the Staghounds operational and in 1964 both 440 and 441 Eskadron Pantserwagens were demobilized.
On the car, some wartime modifications were found indicating that 4-Ft. wading equipment and “12ft No9 trackways” had been installed.
Photo showing KN-32-84 around 1964 after demobilization.
"440X" marking from 440 Eskadron Pantserwagens on right fender.
Location Soesterberg, 573 Verzamelplaatscompagnie.
Courtesy S. Ruys.
Detail from previous photo for comparison with photo below.
Wartime service
Details from the wading equipment can be found in Chilwell Catalogue 72/533 titled “4-Ft wading instructions for the armoured car, Staghound, (T.17.E.1.). 4-Ft. wading equipment.
Staghound 4 Ft. wading instructions, Chilwell Catalogue 72/533.
Page 2 from wading instructions with foreword mentioning some of the preparations.Installing the wading equipment was a major modification. It involved removing the jettison fuel tank system, work like flame cutting and welding various brackets to the hull and sealing every potential leaking point. The modification took a few weeks to carry out, therefore, only Staghounds actually assigned to a fighting unit were modified.
The work was done by the XIIMD themselves with the assistance from specialist welders and fitters from 40 Light Aid Detachment. The job started on May 19th 1944 and finished in June whereafter the equipment was submerged and checked in special test basins in Maresfield, U.K..
Drawing from Chilwell Catalogue 72/533 showing air ducts.
Photo (9th September 1944, Blankenberge)
from XIIMD B-squadron HQ rear link Staghound No 3 showing air exit duct.
Source: Library and Archives Canada PA-144147.Modifications still visible on the car are the 90 degree bent rear steps, the cut air intake cowl, the chiseled-off crowbar bracket and the welds that attached the air exit duct to the rear of the car. Also, sealing compound was found in a few places.
As I have never seen a RCD Staghound with the 4 ft wading equipment, things started to point in the direction from XIIMD.
The "12ft No9 trackways" were developed by XIIMD when they trained in the U.K. and were also used by other Canadian and British regiments for crossing small streams. In XIIMD, every fighting troop (2 Staghounds, 2 Ford Lynx Scoutcars) and every heavy troop (2 Staghounds, 1 Ford Lynx Scoutcar) had one set of these aluminium trackways. They could have been used in squadron headquarters also but I have no information confirming this.
Photo from the lower rear armor plate showing the 90 degree bent steps and
the remains of the welds from the air exit duct mounting bracket.
Photo showing flame cut edge from cover over air inlet.
The location of the now missing crowbar bracket was at the center bottom from the photo.12ft No9 trackways
There were 20 fighting troops and 4 heavy troops, so there were at least 24 sets of trackways. The trackways were carried by the 2nd car, also known as "Sergeants Car." For mounting the trackways on the car, a support was welded on the hull sides. Later, in some cases, a cross-bar was welded on top of the armor plate above the drivers and co-drivers heads for the same purpose. Other crews just strapped the trackways on their car with chains and/or leather/canvas straps.
Photo (14th February 1944, U.K.) showing trackways installed (without crossbar) on XIIMD
D-squadron Staghound. Source: Library and Archives Canada.
Photo (27th July 1944, Normandy) from XIIMD, 5th troop ( A-squadron) "Sergeants Car"
showing crossbar without the trackways installed. Source: IWM catalogue number B8114
Photo (8 September 1944, Oostende) from XIIMD, 7th Troop ( B-squadron) "Sergeants Car"
showing crossbar with the trackways installed. Source: Regimental Scrapbook XII Manitoba Dragoons.On the roof plate above the driver and co-driver, two rows of welds about 50mm apart were found. Initially no attention was paid to this, thinking it was a Dutch modification, but with the later knowledge about the trackways, it was clear that the welds were once holding the crossbar supporting these trackways.
