Calgary's Mewata Drill Hall, or Armoury, is home to several units, including the Calgary Highlanders and the King's Own Calgary Regiment.
It was good to meet some of the team and I imagined the soldiers that had passed through Mewata over the course of the last century. A sobering thought.
Constructed during WWI, the Armoury at one time featured an underground 30 meter range and a bowling alley. I was told these were off limits due to structural damage; too bad, it would've been fun to blast away.
There's a Sherman tank outside the Armoury, standing there, resolute, against the enemy. These days, that would be the Weather. Go on, tank, shoot the snow!
Train hard, think positive, fight easy.
LSP
That is not just any old Sherman, that is a Sherman Firefly.
ReplyDeleteIt just occurred to me that you'd need an indoor drill hall in Canada because troops standing at attention in the sub-zero+chill factor temperatures wouldn't work. Guys would freeze to death in place. There doesn't seem to be a portion of the drill hall set aside for equestrian activities. What is the Alberta Light Horse to do during the winter drills?
ReplyDeleteThe Canadians used Shermans well into the 1960s, Anonymous. I wasn't aware of that 'til yesterday. They have Leopards now -- not sure how many.
ReplyDeleteThe ALH has a tough time of it in the winter, LL, but they're made of pretty stern stuff.
ReplyDeleteI've slept on that floor. Big place, smells old and funny, but I love it.
ReplyDeleteLL - the ALH are now armoured recce, which in Canadian terms mean they drive old Mercedes G-Wagons and pretend to be armoured vehicles. However, up the road in Edmonton, the Lord Strathconas Horse, which normally drives Leopard MBTs, maintains a mounted troop in red coats and lances for parades and PR events. Very impressive. You can see them at the Calgary Stampede.
I know if my First Sgt was in charge, he'd just order the Privates to clap coconut shells together. Probably have a whole day of "winter cavalry" D&C lessons. Our own version of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." (That would probably come later, when First got bored!)
ReplyDeleteThe Israeli's upgraded their Shermans with even bigger guns and used them well into the seventies.
ReplyDeleteThe DLC will be happy to have their commander and stalwart leader back at the compound. I think that Blue Scout agrees.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine drove a Centurion(!) in the IDF in the early '80s, Anonymous. He told me it'd been upgraded -- like the Shermans, I guess.
ReplyDeleteBlue Scout gets to come back to te Compound tomorrow, LL. He's been having fun with his dog pals in the country...
ReplyDelete