Bren Gun Carrier
Thank you Canada - Millennium Program (May 2000) & Bren Gun Carrier Restoration.

Title: Universal Carrier - Thank you Canada - Millennium Program (May 2000).

Pictured: W.M. (Bill) Sutherland and Janet (Nettie) Ottenbreit.

In Thesinge, Holland (near Groningen), Bill explains to Nettie Ottenbreit, where her late husband, George Ottenbreit sat, when he drove 6 Detachment’s Universal Carrier (Bren Gun Carrier), over the Black Friars pontoon Bridge, to cross the Rhine River, March 28, 1945. On that eerie, artificial moonlit night, 6 Detachment, including Bill, rode in the carrier that George drove.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

A bit more on our crossing the Rhine as mentioned in the above Website. George Ottenbreit was not a carrier driver but a farm boy from Saskatchewan with some talent with machinery. A few hours before we were to cross the Rhine River on the Blackfriars Bridge, "Tramp" Anderson, the driver of 5 Detachment's carrier, somehow scalded his foot (the initials SIW {Self Inflicted Wound} were bandied about but nothing came of it). As a result, Tramp was evacuated and the Platoon was short one driver, immediately prior to a crucial move. A new qualified driver was not available on such short notice. For some reason, Cec* decided, Joey Tanner, 6 Detachment's driver, would drive 5 Detachment's carrier for the trip across the Rhine and George Ottenbreit would drive for 6 Detachment. 6 Detachment's position in the Platoon's order of march/travel was last. I was in 6 Detachment.

It was night and no headlights. George had some difficulty originally, with the steering mechanism. As you described, a minor adjustment on the steering wheel would translate into a minor correction in the steering. A major adjustment on the steering wheel, depending on the degree of "major" either partially locked a track and/or totally locked a track, for turns other than minor steering adjustments. The trick that George had to learn en route was the degree of major adjustment required to steer the carrier.

It was somewhat traumatic! Prior to getting to the bridge, 6 Detachment carrier, c/w me on board, side-swiped a Sherman tank, coming from the other direction. The deep scratches from the Sherman's track, could be seen on the left side of our carrier. The track also removed our makeshift strapped on house door that kept our supplies; food, water, gas, spare packs, etc., held between the back of the passenger compartment and the door. We lost all our gear as a result. Thankfully, I didn't have my arm over the side or, I would have lost it!

Then we got to the Blackfriars Pontoon Bridge. It was just a deck floating on barges/boats with no side rails/walls. It was quite narrow. Only made for one-way traffic. The men from the Rifle Coys were marching on the left and driving right beside them on the right side were the vehicles including us. The amount of clearance between the men on our left and the river on our right was minimal.

I fully expected George, inadvertently, to either accidentally, knock some riflemen into the river or put us into the river on the other side. The Rhine was about a mile wide at the spot and it seemed an eternity to get across. Guardian Angels were watching over us that night. We didn't knock any riflemen into the drink and we didn't have to swim either. I must admit, I had my boots untied, in case I ended up in the drink and had to swim. I really felt for the riflemen. If they had been knocked into the river, it would have been game over for them. They were loaded down with packs, weapons, ammunition, etc., and wouldn't have had a prayer.

On the opposite shore, we all breathed a sigh of relief, at having made it across without incident. But not quite, we managed to fish-tail, in the dark, into a pile (about four feet high) of full ammunition boxes and knocked them flying. Fortunately nothing exploded.

The good news was the Germans had pulled out of Hoch Alton, which was to be our objective! Third Division had made the Rhine crossing and Montgomery dictated that his "Iron Brigade", which included us, was to pass through and have the privilege of taking Hoch Alton! A nasty bit of high ground and from aerial photos, bristling with 88-guns.

Now you know what thoughts cross my mind, when I hear "Bren Gun Carrier."

Bill Sutherland.

Friday, December 30, 2005

There was the regular Universal Carrier, c/w steering wheel and only three bogey wheels and the T-16. A T-16 was steered by two levers, much like a bull-dozer and had four bogey wheels. Cec's carrier was a T-16, as I recall, driven by Eric Emperingham. In Cec's Platoon, I rode in a Universal Carrier/Bren Gun Carrier, driven by Joey Tanner.

I believe the T-16's were the newer improved version of the carrier and in theory they were eventually to replace the old three bogey wheel carriers. Except for Cec's T-16, the rest of 3 -Platoon finished the war using the old model carrier.

So that you can see the difference, I attach a picture of one of our Regiment's T-16 carriers, c/w signal equipment and signallers (unknown to me). The picture was taken in Groningen and appears in the book, "Vier dagen in april", about the liberation of Groningen. Note the four bogey wheels. The other image is a drawing of a Universal Carrier, equipped with a flame thrower. It appears in the book, "The Tools of War 1939/45" (Readers Digest). Note the three bogey wheels.

I was not aware that any of the carriers of the Canadian Army ever returned to Canada, after the war. I thought they and all sorts of other equipment were sold/whatever to liberated countries.

Bill Sutherland.

* "Cec" is Capt. Cecil E. {Cec} Law, Mortar Platoon Officer

Coming soon to this page...story and photos of the restoration of a Bren Gun Carrier in Estevan, Saskatchewan.

Bill Sutherland's comments on the restoration:

"Considering the current location of the being restored carrier, in the heart of SSR country, I would suggest that it could be given the SSR Regimental TAC number 69 in the appropriate place (See page 31 in the book, The March of the Prairie Men, for front location). The TAC number was also painted on the left rear "fender."" - 1Jan2006

BS/gs 1 Jan 2006