25-Pounder Field Gun/Howitzer
with Limber and Field Artillery Tractor
Toronto, Ontario

The Toronto limber and gun were purchased from the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, RCA in Halifax, Nova Scotia by the 7th Toronto Limber Gunner Association. The limber was made in 1942 by RRM Co.Ltd. Both items were in rough but restorable condition, and through contacts and charitable donations from around the world and with special thanks to the Royal Artillery Association of England, many of the missing pieces were located.

The gun was made in Sorel Quebec on 09 January 1942. The Q.F in the official designation stands for "quick firing". The official rate of fire for such a gun was 5 shells/minute- which is pretty amazing, but when a desperate situation arose requiring massive firepower, crews could double and even triple that rate of fire! There is a well-known story of captured Nazi soldiers asking to see the "automatic" cannon that had been shelling them! Of special note is the plaque affixed to the gun dedicated to the late Warrant Officer Roy Munro whose special determination and dedication to the restoration kept the project on track until its completion.

In 1992 the historic gun committee set out to acquire the proper Canadian designed and built truck-limber-gun combination that would have been so familiar to our troops in the second world war. These 4-wheel-drive trucks were specially designed and built for the purpose of towing field guns and were known officially as "Field Artillery Tractors" (although the crews often called these 4-wheel drive models, "Quads"). At right is a photo of the Limber Gunners Association Quad as found in 1993. This is the typical condition of most such "CMP" vehicles (Canadian Military Pattern) on those rare occasions when they are now "re-discovered".

The early Chev and Ford CMP's had "plastic" steering wheels, but as the rubber shortage became more critical, Chevrolet switched to big wooden steering wheels, which - as was the case here - eventually rotted away after years of exposure to the elements.In fact, this vehicle was not really in as bad a shape as one usually finds them. As they were purpose-built, such trucks were often heavily modified in post-war civilian use,(meaning with cutting torches!) with virtually no thought that these were in fact important historical/heritage vehicles! Thus they had often led a very hard life before being left in fields and scrapyards to decay.

Although this style of truck was also built by Ford of Canada, this particular truck was built by Chevrolet in Oshawa, Ontario in December of 1944. (note that as is often the case even today, many manufacturers were involved in building the various styles and sizes of bodies that went on the automakers cab/chassis) There were three basic designs to the cab portion of CMP's. The first was known as a Cab-11, but as it was hot and cramped, this was quickly followed by a Cab-12 with slightly improved airflow as the windshield could open (as was common practice on many cars and trucks of the 30's and 40's. This model is the final style called a Cab-13 built from 1942 on easily recognizable by the reverse-canted windshields.

The historic gun being fired at the Victoria Day salute at Queen's Park, Toronto on May 19, 2003. Members of 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA firing the first of 5 blank shells.

For additional information, please view the pages at the Limber Gunners Association