[MV] The HUP's Home from Canada!

James Burrill (jburrill@dttus.com)
26 Oct 1999 17:30:40 -0500

Hi List,

Just for your reading pleasure, I thought I would relate this past
weekends experiances.

I had made arrangements to buy a 1942 Canadian Military Pattern (CMP)
8 cwt Heavy Utility (Personnel) from Brian Gough last year. With job,
money, weather etc, It was only recently that I could go fetch her
home. (Brian is a *v e r y * patient fellow)

The weekend started with Sam Park arriving at my house in Quakertown
PA with his F350 dully with 5th wheel trailer. Trailer was rated at
10,000 pounds.
Barry Detweiler, myself, Sam and his wife all started north to Bruce
Parker's house to see his Mk1 Carrier and his CMP C8 Heavy Utility
(Wireless) and drool over the various bits and pieces of his WWII
Canadian Fox Armoured car. Stayed the night and enjoyed seeing his
collection of uniforms, kit and British/Canadian radios.

Off the next morning to Brian Gough's place near Oshawa (home of
Chevy's WWII production plant). Brian has 2 HU(P)s in his garage that
are prime examples of restorations! We collected Brian and left for
the storage area for my HUP called the Chicken Ranch (any guessses
why???) Along the way, we stopped at another collector's yard named
Mel. Burned lots of film taking pics of his HUP, 15cwt Water tanker
(Georgeous!!!!) his 8 cwt 11 cab truck and a couple of carriers.

At the Chicken Ranch, I got to see Brian's latest project, a CMP
C-15TA or Armoured Truck. I think there are less than 10 in the world
and only 4 in private hands (Brian, correct me) This was found on a
lakefront hunting/fishing camp where it had been used there since the
war. But that is Brian's story. (Will probably be at the Maple Leaf Up
website)

Loaded the HUP without incident and took it back to Brians' and
disconnected the trailer so we could go farther West to Chris
Vickery's place. Barry Detwiler was interested in looking at a Mk2
Carrier for sale. While at Chris's, got the chance to look at his
amazing restoration of a 12 cab Chevy 15 cwt. He showed me the skin
from the door as a comparison to what it looks like now. I can't
express it well enough to describe the differance. He did a first rate
job and most was out and out fabrication! Very little could be
scrubbed and painted.

After Chris's back to Brian's for the night.

Early next morning, Brian and Mel took their HUPs to a special
veterans parade in the town of Ajax. So named to honor the sailors of
HMS Ajax and their part in the battle of the River Platt near
Montevideo. Each street in the town is named after a sailer from the
ship. The parade honored the survivors and capped a week long hosting.

We had to pass on this as we needed to make the drive back.

We had just got up to speed on the 401 highway when we heard a Pop.
Looking in the rearview mirror showed a large 3 x 4 panel sailing
through the air. A rear roof hatch on the HUP had been sucked away
from the roof rails and had dropped down in traffic. We stopped and I
walked back to fetch this 50 pound piece of metal. I don't know why we
were so lucky as to not having the hatch come through someones
windshield and decapitate them. I still shake from the thought.

As it was, the hatch landed in such a way as to be completely
undamaged. We had everything tied down and even bungied the doors in
case a bump shook loose the latch. I put extra duct tape on the
windows in case air pressure blew them out, and bungied the front
windows shut as well. The hatch was strapped down on the bed of the
trailer.

We had thought all was well secured before we left. Many tie-down
chains and straps. We just didn't think about tying down the hatch. In
the future, we will tape/strap all roof and hood hatches in case the
air flow does something you don't expect.

Next stop was the US Border. As some on this list have been wondering
about, we went in to the office to see what kind of hassles we were to
face.

I was out of there in less than 10 minutes with my paperwork. And no
duty fees.

When I went in, the agent was a bit brusk and first asked "is it
modified?" Well, at some point in the HUPs past, someone had changed
the steering wheel over to a tilt wheel. No, that's not he was worried
about. The title and bill of sale said 1942 Chevy Van and he wanted to
see if it was stock. It seems someone had tried to get a '36 Ford
through as an antique when only the frame was '36. the rest was Real
Expensive Hot Rod, you know, 10,000 just in the engine and blower?

Well, he didn't even hop up on the trailer to look inside. Just went
back in the office and and wrote up the import form. Stamped it and
said here you go.

10 minutes! No fee! No hassle. Even when he asked if it was used by
the army, his question was did the US Army use it. I started telling
him about Dunkirk and Canada making vehicles to British pattern for
the war before the US got involved. He had heard enough and didn't
seem concerned. perhaps he would have if I had said it had been used
by the US, perhaps that would have triggered the "lend-lease" button.

In any event, made it home around 10 o'clock that night. Plenty of
time to clean up and get a decent night's worth of sleep.

I will be going back next spring to pick up the other HUP chasis and a
new project....a No.11 cab Artillery Tractor. Maybe another Bren
Carrier and a 60 CWT truck. Hmmmmmmmmm I wonder what kind of reception
at Customs I will get with all that on a semi???

Cheers
Jim Burrill
Welsh Guards WWII Reenactment unit

1942 CMP C-15A
1942 Carrier Mk1
1944 CMP HUP
(soon)
1941 FAT
1940-something CMP C-60
1943 Carrier Mk2
We made another side stop at the site of Barry Churchers' farm to look
at his 1.5 ton Chev, 11 Cab Field Artilley Tractor (aka FAT) and
limber. Along the way we saw several M-37s and some bodacious
searchlights! After the tour and coffee, we finally set out

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