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THE OSHAWA DAILY TIMES, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1940 PAGE THREE 'S. Tanks Open New Training Era for Ontario Regt. 2 - FIRST TANK SHIPMENT QUICKLY PUT IN SHAPE 'BY EXPERT MECHANICS "Ontario Regiment (Tank) Supplies Group of Men to Recondition Ancient Yankee Vehicles -- U.S. Army Men Chalk on Comments Camp Borden, Oct. 8--First con- tingent of six~ton tanks to arrive in Canada from the United States rumbled off their railway flat-cars Friday, more than a quarter of them under their own power. Some of the long-unused engines were balky; these were towed off by tractor and crews of mechanics set about proving the interiors in efforts to start the recalcitrant en- gines. Two hundred of the 238 tanks which arived had been used as trainers in the U.S.A, and 36 are new. They are of the French Re- nault type, weighing six tons each. Slow, obsolete and long-unused as they are--speed is three miles per hour -- they are expected to prove invaluable as aids in tank training. Although the tank men had never seen this particular brand or variety of machine, they stepped jato the flat cars, soon found how to open up the engine hood, They learned where the petrol tank was and where to put in the water and oil, and with a few twists of a crank had more than a quarter. of the total number running in 8 few minutes. OFF THEY GO With no knowledge of this pat tern of tank they looked over the controls, decided that they were quite similar to a type they under= stood, and with less excitement than a man who for the first time drives a car with the gearshift on the stearing post, drove the newly- acquired training machines across the flats and onto the ramp, down onto the ground and away about a mile to the tank park. Because it is difficult for a driver of a tank to back up since he can only see ahead and must trust to the directions of someone in front of him, a large bull-dozer used in road construction was used to drag off the machines which would not respond to a few twists of the oak was expressed by several officers and men that the tanks were in such good condition. The gines worked well, despite the fact that they had been in storage for several years. Many had been heavily greased about the engines to keep. out rust in places already oxidized through use. As the mo- tors started up vast clouds of smoke poured forth, but as the oil burned from the heated engines the smoke screen effect disappeared and the machines rolled away to the park with ease. Quite a stir was caused in camp as the new tanks clanked down the roads.. They made a terrific noise compared with the smooth, quiet- running British tanks to which the soldiers are accustomed. The clat- ter sounds like a six-cylinder car in which two connecting rods have burned out. LINKS RAISE ROW The noise, however, is not from the motor, but from the peculiar suspension of the tracks, which bang loudly each time a new link takes hold. Before the tanks were shipped, it appears, United States army mech- anics 'went over the machines. On nearly every one was chalked some cl c comment. Some of these es referred to the running lities and others were wise cracks. "0X. Canada, you take it!" was chalked on the side of one Renault, obviously written by an exasper- ated mechaaic who had had no luck with the machine. "will start with gas" -- "engine selzed"-- possibilities" --will start if coaxed," and 'no chance," were among comments chalked on other tanks. The tanks are of the Great War variety, when speed was a much different proposition than it is to- day. The machines the soldiers of today have been using have a speed of probably up to 45 miles an hour, Machines which were in running order were given a thorough in- spection and put to work at once training drivers end maintenance men in their task of learning "for greater thinge to come." THOROUGH OVERHAUL Lieut. Jobson obtained ten me- chanics from each of the four units in the Armored Brigade, including the Three Rivers Regiment (Tank), the Ontario Regiment (Tank) Fort Garry Horse and First Canadian Cavalry Regiment, and put them to work. Those machines, which . do not yun of their ewn accord will be overhauled, overhauled and over- hauled again until in the end they are guaranteed to perform with the best of them. : Controls of the new machines are quite similar fo those which have been used for training the tank corps, but are of a considerably simplified design and type. They have no dash panel with its usual J assortment of gadgets. 4 The mechanics are going to have just about the best possible type of . training in having to put into working order the machines which are not performing properly. The "i drivers are going to get plenty of practice as son as the tanks are approved for service, and the troops who will carry out technical schemes with their co-operation will learn at first hand just what part tanks play in actual warfare. Because the new machines move so much slower than the modern tanks, they will not run berserk with the tyros. Most of the United States tanks will require about ten days or more to be put into shape for training purposes, but that will be pleasure and profit for the armored corps now being organized at Borden, first of its kind in Canadian his- tory. Because training men in me- chanics is half the battle as far as tank soldiers are concerned, no better way could be found than in tearing down and re-assembling the fighting machines now arriving from across the boundary line, "It will all be part of our train- ing scheme," Col. F. F. Worthing- ton, commander of the Armored Fighting Vehicle Troops, declared, and there was a glint of rare satis- faction in his eye. SOLD OTTAWA IDEA He it was who "sold" the Defense Department at Ottawa on the idea of making a deal for the American tanks, and then spent considerable time, several weeks in fact, in smoothing out the details in both countries. Instead of sixteen tanks, the most the tank corps here has had at any time, it will now have upward of 300, it was pointed out, and the units now can 'realy go to town" with their training. "Any mechanized unit is only as good as its personnel of mechani- cally-trained men," Colonel Worth- ington said. "If the whole unit is not thoroughly versed in mechanics, we can't keep up the standard of mechanical perfection necessary to operation in the field, "This is basic. We must have it. Mechanical training is as import- | ant to a tank soldier as teeth are to a man wanting to eat a roast of beef. "These machines from the United States are basically the same as any tank we are likely to get in me- chanized warfare," Colonel Worth- ington went on. "One great advan- tage, fer our purpose of training, of these little fellows, compared with they are very simple. MECHANISM SIMPLE First Shipment of U.S. Tanks Reach Camp Borden Arrival of the first shipment of over-age U.S. tanks at|the tanks were enroute to Camp Borden, . At the left they are | Camp Borden last week was a big event in the lives of the | pulled into a railway yard siding, while at the right a civilian Ontario Regiment (Tank) and the other units comprising the | is seen peering into the heavy steel monsters. The tanks which the most up-to-date tank, is that | Armored Bricade under the command of Col. F. F. Worthing- | have been idle for many years are being completely overhauled ton. At the top left, an unidentified Ontario Regiment soldier | this week and as soon as they are completely rehabilitated will "In teaching mechanics to 8 yioht is a view of the tanks as they rolled into Camp Borden! other Armored Brigade units. group of raw men, one must start with elementary mechanics. The | mechanism of these tanks ic simple and therefore ideal to work with in tuning xo ey sve oe, | Another Shipment of Tanks Reaches Camp Borden Units; heck Up Quickly iii ini imc Colonel Worthington could not let the poportunity slip to get in a good word for United States War Department and other officials who had worked on the deal. "They're a fine lot" he said warmly. "They play ball 100 per cent. I feel rather satisfied, you | know, about this job, end it's not | going to cost the taxpayer ' very | much." [ AIR TRAINEES FROM ENGLAND REACH LANADA 100 Believed to Have Land- ed, But Details Kept Secret : --Toronto Soldiers Return An Eastern Canadian Port, Oct. 9--A huge liner, carrying several hundred passengers, including a few refugee children and a number of airforcemen, docked here Mon- day night. The ship stopped pre- viously at an east coast Canadian port after the Atlantic crossing and most of her 1,500 passengers disembarked there. The airforce- men were believed to have come to Canada to complete their training under the British Commonwealth plan. Also aboard here were 50 to 60 Canadian soldiers returning from England because of ill health. None of the soldiers, among whom were Harold W. Hamilton and Willie Walteis of Toronto, and Cliff Arm- itage of Calgary, was wounded, a spokesman said, A Royal Canadian Air officer at the dock to welcome the airmen, said: "That is something we know nothing about," when asked by newspapermen if the men were stu- dents or instructors. A passenger said, however, that there were about 100 airmen aboard, and that they were coming to Canada to be trained as pilot officers. Newspapermen were not allowed aboard the liner when she docked but it was learned there were fewer than 100 children aboard, and that they were sent under pri: vate sponsorship. A heavy thunderstorm broke as the ship was edged into the dock. Many crowded the deck rails, and as the rain beat down on thei: faces cheerily shouted to those o the deck: "How's the weather dow: there?" aboard flat cars. Mechanics C The lower close up views were taken while | | hoists the British flag over the erstwhile U.S. tanks and on the be used in training exercises by the Ontasio Regiment and the [ | loiled, watered, and given a supply |of spark plugs, but it was found [that time was lost on some of the { machines that were balky, so all | were towed away yesterday. | Many of the tanks have never The others are given a more thorough check-up by highly-train- Camp Borden Mechanics only a four-cylinder motor, they!cd mechanics who go over them . proved powerful enough to negot- | with a fine-toothed comb to make Work on U.S. Arrivals iate any obstacles encountered on certain that they are in perfect and Soon They Take the exacting ground covered yes- order before marking them fit for Every Obstacle on High terday. Through sand pits and brush, up | So quickly are the Renaults being [hills and down slopes, up and down, | ut into shape that there is prac- |troops. service. ington, M.C, and bar, M.M. and bar, who is cbmmandant of the bri- | gade. | Each of the four units will prob- ably have at least 40 of the newly- acquired training machines within {a week. Each unit will then be able to train drivers at a fast rate and other members of the unit will obtain experience in tactics, man- oeuvres and all the other items which go to rgind out the full {training of a tae regiment. - As more machines are received |they will be overhauled and sent out for training purposes to the Camp Borden, Oct. 9.--Within a |back and forth, the tanks were {i ally a steady procession of them | pa] | week, 40 of the 300 light tanks ar- | manoeuvered by experienced driv- |; "iho proving ground, where the | Sees riving here from the United States ers who handled the machines as |, qt experienced drivers put them will be in the hands of each of the {though they had been driving them ||. 0} rigid tests before handing four units of the Armored Brigade |for years. There was not a single |}. out to the tyros. for training purposes. aults arrived at Camp Borden only | on Friday morning, several had | passed 'their general inspection | tests Monday and were out bounc- | ing and careening around the prov- | Monday. ing ground. task toward which the nose of a] Although the new six-ton Ren-|tank was pointed that it did not! | surmount with ease, Mechanics Loosed Another 81 tanks were unloaded These were towed from | four units which make up the Can- | the flats straight to the tank park, ladian Armored Brigade. They are Start Training | First Canadian Cavalry Regi- | ment, Fort Garry Horse, Ontario Regiment (Tank), and Three Rivers Regiment (Tank), are the Although the Renaults, which [where a gang of about 60 mechan- [attached to the Canadian Armored were built from a French pattern |ics began working on them. Some | Fighting Vehicles Training Centre, popular during the Jast war, have |of the first machines were gassed, |commanded by Col. F. F. Worth- Ontario Regiment Trumpeters Score Hit In All Centres During Western Ontario Trek The Trumpet Band of the Ontario Regiment (Tank) which accompanied the detachment of that unit which participated in the Western Ontario manoeuvres of Camp Borden troops last week scored big hits wher- sver they paraded. This picture shows them as they paraded through Kitchener, They were enthusiasti sally acclaimed with Kitchener girls tossing cigarets to them with their names and phone numbers jotted on the packages. Evil Forces caten By Britain Belleville, Oct. 9.--At a meeting of Belleville Rotary Club on Mon- day, Rev. A. Marshall Lafferty, of | Stirling, formerly connected with {Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto, declared the British Empire would certainly smash the forces of evil upholding the Nazi doctrines. The speaker cited quotations from out- standing world figures to support his opinion. : Rotarian W. J. Morrison, super- intendent of the Ontario School for the Deaf, introduced the speaker, {and Rotarian Mackenzie Robertson warmly thanked him. Announcement was that the Dis- rict Governor of Rotary, Alex. Ross, of Toronto, would pay the local club a visit on Oct. 21. Discussion ensued on the visit of a Toronto radio group to the city this month. Proceeds will be used by the club in patriotic work. "Forgotten New Intere Battalion" From Oshawa is Taking st In Work Training Program Regiment May Pay Visit to Oshawa as Part of -- Detatchment Which Participated in Western Ontario Manoeu- vres Enthusiastic Over Experiences No time was lost by Col. operating. READY FOR WINTER When The Times writer visited the camp most of the soldiers were on leave and consequently no ade- quate picture of the tank troops' training schedule or daily routine was available. All ranks are now comfortably housed in the wooden huts © which have been erected throughout the camp. The wooden buildings each house 64 men with the 'buildings clustered around 2 central ablution structure, Each hut is one large dormitory with double-tiered beds with mat- tresses arranged on each side At present one wood stove is used for heating each hut but later on when the weather becomes more severe each hut will have three stoves. Sergeants have their own hut while the officers are quartered in ag simi- lar building which also houses the officers' mess. The officers are quartered with two men to a cubicle while the mess itself is handsomely furnished for comfort and in good taste, The men themselves are taking a keen interest in the ncw training syllabus and any unrest which may have existed due to lack of training facilities early in the summer has completely disappeared. Arrival of the U.S. tanks has whetted the sol- | diers' appetite for real tank train- ing. Further impetus has been given the training program by the depar- | ture of two officers and six N.C.O.'s for advanced tank training over- seas. The group consists of Cap- tains H. R. Schell and H. E. Irwin, CSM. Barker and Wright, and Sergeants Wilkins, Whattem, French and Sherrif. When thoy re- turn they will be in a position to give instruction in the latest tank tactics as developed in the present war. MAY VISIT OSHAWA the arrival of the US. tanks the Ontario Regiment soldiers who participated in th Western Ontario scheme, approximately 200 all ranks, insisted on discussing their experiences. Quite obviously the trek through Western Ontario cities and towns was the highlight of all training routine and military ex- periences since the Ontario Regi- ment was mobilized 13 months ago. There is a possibility that the Ontario Regiment's First Battalion, which some of the soldiers for a time felt was the forgotten bat- talion, will pay a visit to Oshawa this fall as a part of a cross coun= try training manoeuvre At present this possibility is only in the sug- gestion stage but a cross country cruise to Oshawa is admitted to be a manoeuvre which would be of considerable benefit to the unit. So far as Oshawa itself is con- cerned, should such a visit material. ize the city and its citizens would have to open their hearts by way of entertaining the boys or else risk losing their affection to Kitchener with its abundant hospitality. LIKED KITCHENER The Ontario Regiment were loud- Karn's Drug Store FOR PROMPT DELIVERY Phone 78-79 Apart from the enthusiasm over | (By Stan Shantz, Times Staff Reporter) The Ontario Regiment (Tank) began a new era in their military activity Friday when the first shipment of United States tanks arrived at Camp Borden. A visit to the Oshawa unit over the week-end found everyone from the officers to the last buck private enthusiastic and eager to begin training upon a scale hitherto impossible. : F. F. Worthington, commander of the Armored Brigade in putting the U.S. tanks which will be used for training his troops into condition for manoeuvres. Immediately they were unloaded, mechanics from the Ontario Regiment (Tank) and the other three units comprising the Armored Brigade, were put to work to get the old machines These men found the over-age vehicles in: all stages of mechanical condition. oh y est in their praise of hospitality shown the army at Kitchener where they spent the first night. The near unanimous verdict of those on trip was that they would sooner live in Kitchener than in any other city apart from Oshawa. The welcome the soldiers received in Kitchener was overwhelming and the Ontario Regiment was singled out for most attention by Kitchener and Waterloo citizens generally and the feminine population in particue ar. As the unit move through Kitche ener's main street more than come ly Kitchener maiden, many of them bearing such obviously German names as Schmidt, Schneider, Bauer, Faulhafer, and Lautenschlae ger, descendants of German immie grants, tossed cigarettes to the sole diers. Some girls, so it is said, had pencilled their names and telephone numbers on the packages. The Trumpet Band of the One tario Regiment (Tank) was speciale ly singled out for the acclaim of the citizenry. In fact their ability om the trumpets and drums won them recognition not only in Kitchener but at cther points on the trip. Af Hamilton the Ontario Regiment band won the popular vote in 8 radio broadcast. Only a portion of the Ontario Regiment made the Western One tario tour but those who missed out are hoveful that when another scheme ic laid out tha® they will also be included. Incidentally Kitche ener has invited the camp come mandant to stage 8 return scheme with 10,(00 men instead of the 5,000 who participated in the scheme last week. The camp comman<ant incle dentally is giving serious considere ation to such a manoeuvre, » SIRLOIN = 23 Wing Steak BUEHLE