"Ironsides"
Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicle Museums and Monuments
by
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During a battlefield tour of Normandy with the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in May 1989, our course had the privilege of being escorted and briefed by Brigadier-General S.D. Radley-Walters, CMM, DSO, MC, CD. Listening to him describe the battles he took part in while standing on the ground in bare farmer’s fields where the action took place was a fascinating experience. The stories have been told that “General Rad” had been shot out of four tanks and two armoured cars during his earlier visit to Normandy. We stayed in Caen, and by day were driven by bus to St Aubin-sur-Mer and the Normandy beaches with a group of Canadian and German veterans. Our group hosted Col Helmut Ritgen of the Panzer Lehr Division, and his perspective of the actions that took place on the ground we were standing on was sobering to say the least. There are always two sides to a battlefield story, and it is rare to speak with people who were actually there when things recorded later took place. Suffice it to say, there is a lot that isn’t in the history books from the participants perspective.
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About the Book
Major Hal Skaarup has woven together an informative and detailed synopsis of the carefully preserved and restored armoured fighting vehicles on display in Canada. He highlights the importance of these upon key turning points in history when these AFVs were in use as tools of war at home and overseas. We often associate the evolution of military prowess with the advancement of sophisticated technology. Major Skaarup's descriptions of Canadian armour as it evolved to the level it has today reveals that military planners have had to be continuously creative in adapting to the changes in modern combat. They had to devise many intricate techniques, tactics and procedures to overcome the insurgents and opposition forces faced in Afghanistan and future overseas missions where Canadian armour will be brought into play. This guide book will show the interested reader where to find examples of the historical armour preserved in Canada, and perhaps serve as a window on how Canada’s military contribution to safety and security in the world has evolved.
About the Author
Major Hal Skaarup has served with the Canadian Forces for more than 40 years, starting with the 56th Field Squadron, RCE and completing his service as the G2 (Intelligence Officer) at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick in August 2011. He was a member of the Canadian Airborne Regiment, served three tours with the Skyhawks Parachute Demonstration Team, and worked in the Airborne Trials and Evaluation section. He served as an Intelligence Officer overseas in Germany and Colorado, and has been on operational deployments to Cyprus, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. He has been an instructor at the Tactics School at the Combat Training Centre in Gagetown and at the Intelligence Training Schools in Borden and Kingston. He earned a Master's degree in War Studies through the Royal Military College, and has authored a number of books on military history.