The Universal Carrier was a small, lightly armoured, open-topped, fully-tracked vehicle used by the Canadian Army primarily in the Second World War. There were several models utilized, including both 6 and 8 bogie wheel versions. All the vehicles listed below were sometimes colloquially referred to as "Bren Gun Carriers" due to the main armament of the earliest versions used in the British Army, who developed the vehicle.
Canada produced 857,970 military vehicles from 1 September 1939 to 1 September 1945; included in this total was 28,992 Universal Carriers (3.37 percent of the total) and 5,000 Windsor Carriers (0.58 percent of the total). These figures include models for export in addition to those actually utilized by Canadian forces.1
A Universal Carrier in Zwolle, 13 Apr 1945. The Archives caption lists this as a vehicle of Le Régiment de la Chaudiere, but the vehicle markings do not match. LAC Photo.
History
The Carrier stemmed from a variety of vehicle designs introduced into British service between the Wars. Designers of initial prototypes in the 1920s envisioned two uses for tracked carriers; tractors for pulling field guns, and as mobile mounts for machine guns. What eventually became the Bren Gun Carrier was designed on Horstmann suspension. Two coil springs were mounted on each side, and the tracks on each side to be slowed or speeded; on gradual turns the centre bogie wheels could also be forced away from the hull so as to disalign the tracks, making the vehicle very manoeuvrable.
Scout Carriers of the British Army in France, 1939. IWM Photo.
Early CarriersIn 1939, when British soldiers went to France, there were three types of carrier; the Bren Carrier (the most common type) which mounted a Bren Gun as main armament, the Scout Carrier (with room for an extra man or a No.11 Wireless Set in addition to a weapons mount in the rear compartment for either a Boyes anti-tank rifle, or an additional Bren Gun) and the Cavalry Carrier (intended to carry six soldiers, under armour, with the ability to keep up with fast moving tanks). The concept of a Mobile Division, in which the Cavalry Carrier was envisioned to operate, was evolved into the Armoured Division, and the need for Cavalry Carriers disappeared - only 50 were built.
Universal CarriersAfter the Battle of France, carrier development was rationalized, into a Universal design, and the Universal Carrier Mark I was born. The Universal Carrier had more armour than the previous Bren and Scout designs, including bulletproof protection for the engine. Mudguards and crew steps were added to the hull sides, and a compartment for extra stores or passengers was added behind the driver.
The Universal Carrier Mark II had a permanent mount for a 2-inch Mortar, as well as a welded waterproof hull. The Mark III was similar, with a modified air inlet and engine cover.
All types of Universal Carrier were only lightly armoured, which made it proof against small arms fire though not close-range machine gun fire. Carriers weighed just over 4 tons, and several variants both official and unofficial were developed to mount a variety of weapons including the 3-inch Mortar, 4.2 inch mortar, and Vickers Gun, with field fittings of Browning machine guns and even PIATs also seen. The Wasp was a purpose built variation that carried a tank of fuel (jellied gasoline, later popularized as 'napalm') and a flame projector that was greatly effective against soft targets.
The carrier had an 85 horsepower engine (later replaced by a 95 horsepower engine) that could drive the vehicle 30 miles per hour. The carrier was small, being just over 5 feet tall, almost 7 feet wide, and between 12 and 13 feet long.
Canadian units arriving in the United Kingdom in 1939-40 found shortages of all types of vehicles; Canadian-made universal carriers did not arrive until 1941. At the end of Aug 1941, Canadian units in the UK had need of 730 carriers with only 519 on strength. Canada at that time was using Univeral Carriers instead of the specialized Mortar Carrier and Observation Post Carriers called for in divisional War Establishments. At the end of Aug 1943, some 2,359 Canadian-made Carriers were on strength, with 143 British-made Carriers in Canadian units. Powerplants were a mixture of 95-horsepower motors, and older 85-horsepower motors. By the beginning of 1944, 3,888 Canadian-made Carriers were on strength, against only 72 British-made.
Canada produced 857,970 military vehicles from 1 September 1939 to 1 September 1945; included in this total was 28,992 Universal Carriers (3.37 percent of the total) and 5,000 Windsor Carriers (0.58 percent of the total). These figures include models for export in addition to those actually utilized by Canadian forces.1
A Universal Carrier in Zwolle, 13 Apr 1945. The Archives caption lists this as a vehicle of Le Régiment de la Chaudiere, but the vehicle markings do not match. LAC Photo.
History
The Carrier stemmed from a variety of vehicle designs introduced into British service between the Wars. Designers of initial prototypes in the 1920s envisioned two uses for tracked carriers; tractors for pulling field guns, and as mobile mounts for machine guns. What eventually became the Bren Gun Carrier was designed on Horstmann suspension. Two coil springs were mounted on each side, and the tracks on each side to be slowed or speeded; on gradual turns the centre bogie wheels could also be forced away from the hull so as to disalign the tracks, making the vehicle very manoeuvrable.
Scout Carriers of the British Army in France, 1939. IWM Photo.
Early CarriersIn 1939, when British soldiers went to France, there were three types of carrier; the Bren Carrier (the most common type) which mounted a Bren Gun as main armament, the Scout Carrier (with room for an extra man or a No.11 Wireless Set in addition to a weapons mount in the rear compartment for either a Boyes anti-tank rifle, or an additional Bren Gun) and the Cavalry Carrier (intended to carry six soldiers, under armour, with the ability to keep up with fast moving tanks). The concept of a Mobile Division, in which the Cavalry Carrier was envisioned to operate, was evolved into the Armoured Division, and the need for Cavalry Carriers disappeared - only 50 were built.
Universal CarriersAfter the Battle of France, carrier development was rationalized, into a Universal design, and the Universal Carrier Mark I was born. The Universal Carrier had more armour than the previous Bren and Scout designs, including bulletproof protection for the engine. Mudguards and crew steps were added to the hull sides, and a compartment for extra stores or passengers was added behind the driver.
The Universal Carrier Mark II had a permanent mount for a 2-inch Mortar, as well as a welded waterproof hull. The Mark III was similar, with a modified air inlet and engine cover.
All types of Universal Carrier were only lightly armoured, which made it proof against small arms fire though not close-range machine gun fire. Carriers weighed just over 4 tons, and several variants both official and unofficial were developed to mount a variety of weapons including the 3-inch Mortar, 4.2 inch mortar, and Vickers Gun, with field fittings of Browning machine guns and even PIATs also seen. The Wasp was a purpose built variation that carried a tank of fuel (jellied gasoline, later popularized as 'napalm') and a flame projector that was greatly effective against soft targets.
The carrier had an 85 horsepower engine (later replaced by a 95 horsepower engine) that could drive the vehicle 30 miles per hour. The carrier was small, being just over 5 feet tall, almost 7 feet wide, and between 12 and 13 feet long.
Canadian units arriving in the United Kingdom in 1939-40 found shortages of all types of vehicles; Canadian-made universal carriers did not arrive until 1941. At the end of Aug 1941, Canadian units in the UK had need of 730 carriers with only 519 on strength. Canada at that time was using Univeral Carriers instead of the specialized Mortar Carrier and Observation Post Carriers called for in divisional War Establishments. At the end of Aug 1943, some 2,359 Canadian-made Carriers were on strength, with 143 British-made Carriers in Canadian units. Powerplants were a mixture of 95-horsepower motors, and older 85-horsepower motors. By the beginning of 1944, 3,888 Canadian-made Carriers were on strength, against only 72 British-made.
Please watch the movie for a small impression about the Universal Carrier. After 60sec. you will see the flametrower!
Most of the parts are not mounted on the Universal Carrier, we have made the mudguards exactly as the originals.
The Universal Carrier is almost finished. But there are still some small things to do!
On the road to Markelo where I had my first exhibition with the Universal Carrier.
Together with Erik Nijenhuis, owner of the Ford Jeep and his son as passenger in the Universal Carrier.
Together with Erik Nijenhuis, owner of the Ford Jeep and his son as passenger in the Universal Carrier.