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Canadian Car, Light Reconnaissance, G.

M. Mk.1, "Otter", Part 1, Revised

10/22/00

The Otter was manufactured by General Motors Canada and served in a number of roles from 1942 to
1945 in the Canadian Army. Based on the Chevrolet 15cwt 4X4 chassis, the armoured car was
Canada's first attempt to manufacture a mass-produced wheeled armoured vehicle. Although a bit
underpowered, the combination of Hamilton Bridge Company's body and General Motors' production
line expertise made the Otter a successful AFV that had its own unique personality. Part 1 will
provide you with the basic story of the Otter with general interior sketches from the operator's
manual. Chris Shillito has sent us some beautiful interior photographs of a restored Otter owned by
Mike Ebling. Mike has done a remarkable job with this vehicle and I think you will enjoy the color
photographs that make up Part 2 of our coverage of this very important AFV.

Picture 1:
The Otter was crewed by
three men with the driver
and commander up front
and a gunner located
behind them in a roof-
mounted turret. The
chassis is a traditional
front-engined truck
design (although the
Otter was called "Car,
Light, Reconnaissance")
and it mounted either a
No.19 wireless set or a
Boys Anti Tank Rifle,
but rarely both. The
configuration depended
on the role of the vehicle
in its unit at that time.

The Boys rifle is mounted through a forward port located between the front two vision flaps of the
driver and commander.

This first series of stowage sketches illustrate the wireless version of the Otter; we will examine the
Boys AT version later. This is the left hull side of the vehicle with the commander's seat back seen
folded down next to the left side hull door. At the far right are the vision flaps for the commander and
driver with the smaller port located between them for the Boys (not mounted in the wireless

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vehicles). Up above the commander is a head bump pad and the centrally located turret opening is
seen farther back in the roof. On the far wall in front of the commander's door is a portable fire
extinguisher, vehicle emergency lamp, water bottle, and battery for the lamp while on the roof next to
the bump pad is the wireless control panel. On the wall behind the side hull door is mounted a Lee-
Enfield Service Rifle in front of a map case on the upper left and signal cartridges on a shelf to the
right. Directly below the rifle is stowed the Bren .303 Machine Gun with associated cleaning gear
and spare barrel. On the floor below are smoke generators and charges for the smoke discharger
mounted on the front armor plate above the vision flaps. Between the commander's and driver's seats
is the transmission cover with gear shift and glass vision block (Triplex) spares for the front flaps.
The parking brake lever and transfer case gearshift lever are also seen on this side of the transmission
hump.

Picture 2:
This is the right side of
the interior of the
wireless Otter variant,
showing the No.19 set (a
No.11 set could also be
mounted instead) and two
6-Volt batteries below.
Above the radio is
another Lee-Enfield with
stowage for radio spares
and the telegraph key
mounted above the rifle.
To the right of the radio
is another water bottle
and cylindrical
variometer for one of the
radio antennas. Up above
is a storage box for .303
ammo (2 belts of 50

rounds each). Forward of the driver's hull side door is another water bottle, portable fire extinguisher
and a storage bracket for more glass blocks. The No.19 set became the primary British and
Commonwealth radio set from 1942 on and contained both a sending and receiving unit packaged
together. Manufactured by a number of companies both in Europe and North America, the No.19 was
such a popular and well designed set that it was used for many years after WWII.

Picture 3:
This is the basic wiring diagram
for the No.19 set and associated
equipment. The two aerial wire
leads come off the top of the face

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of the radio, one looping up and
over to this side of the rear plate
for the outside Aerial No.3 and the
other leading to the Variometer
and then out for the Aerial No.1.
Both antenna were mounted on
either side of this back plate on
their own platforms. The smaller
box sitting to the left of the No.19
Sender-Receiver box (SR) is the
power supply unit with a short

power connection at the upper right leading to the SR. At the bottom of the power supply unit is the
power wire that comes from the fuse box mounted on the wall over the radio and initially from the
twin batteries below (not shown here) through a battery cutout switch box that is shown on the floor.
The connection/control box located on the roof between the driver's and commander's seats that we
saw earlier and drawn again here is connected to the lower left side of the SR front face. The
connection/control box is where the crew plug in their headphones and mikes to the radio system.
Once again, the small box to the right of the SR provides storage for spare radio tubes (valves) and an
ammo box for .303 shells is mounted above the radio on the wall between the fuse box and telegraph
key stowage bracket.

Picture 4:
The rear of the wireless
Otter looked something like
this. Previously seen
stowage on the left includes
a water bottle and .303
ammo box with the radio
antenna variometer
mounted on the rear plate.
Also on this back plate can
be seen the bolts attaching
the antenna brackets outside
that we mentioned earlier.
Below are straps holding a
machete in its sheath with a
lanyard. Further below are
long cleaning rods for the
Bren MG mounted in the
turret and below the rods

are large bins for such items as haversacks, Bren ammo boxes, and a portable cooker under more
haversacks. In the bins at the far right are 2-gallon water can "flimseys" (desert stowage only). Up on
the wall, in the corner at the right in the sketch, is a first aid kit. The interior of most Canadian built
vehicles in WWII were painted white, an influence passed along from the Americans, rather than the
British aluminum paint used in most of their vehicles. But this rule does have exceptions and British

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used Otters may have been painted aluminum (dull silver) inside.

Picture 5:
Both the commander and driver
have a forward vision flap with
slits protected with glass blocks.
The flaps could be opened by a
lever on the left and were hinged
at the top to open out. When the
flaps are completely raised (or
removed) glass windshields could
be mounted to provide an
unobstructed view and protection
from the elements. Between the
visors is the armoured port with
flap for mounting the Boys AT
rifle, this one also opened with a
lever (this time at the top), and
there is a small pivot gun mount at
the bottom of the opening to
attach the weapon. The smoke

grenade launcher is the same type as the British tanks used with a barrel that hinged open for quick
loading and a spring percussion firing mechanism. Seen under the driver's visor is the large black and
square instrument panel. The steering wheel is shown removed in this sketch to illustrate the location
of dials and controls. Below the panel on the floor are mounted the clutch, brake and accelerator
pedals (from left to right) and the two hand levers to the right of the gear shift (4 forward and 1
reverse) are the hand brake and transfer case shifter (closest to us). The power for the Otter was
produced by an American made 6-cylinder, GM 270cu. in. overhead valve engine that allowed speeds
of 40mph on roads and 25mph cross country. Range was around 260 miles on roads and about half
that for cross-country travel.

Picture 6:
The interior of the Boys
AT rifle version of the
Otter is stowed in a
similar manner to the
wireless version with the
Boys weapon stored in a
canvas cover and stored
on the left hull wall under
the door until it was
needed. There is a tool kit
for the Boys rifle located

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under the commander's
seat, but otherwise the
stowage is exactly the
same as for the wireless
vehicle. The shelf on the
far side of the Otter where
the radio was mounted is

left empty and there is no connection/control box on the roof between the commander and driver. The
antennas are also not mounted on the rear hull plate, and the variometer is not necessary without an
antenna. Otherwise, the right hull side and rear stowage is the same as in the wireless Otter. Armor
protection for this AFV was designed to defeat .303 AP at the front and .303 ball at the side rear and
roof. This requirement translated into armour thickness of 12mm for the hull front and roof, 10mm
for the hull rear and 8mm for the turret and hull sides.

Picture 7:
Looking through the driver's door of a
preserved Otter you can see some of the
equipment we examined earlier in the
stowage sketches. The gear shift lever rises
from the bottom of the photo to the center
with a black ball handle at the top and the
black instrument panel is at the base of the
large steering wheel. This vehicle has the
armoured visors removed and replaced
with windshields. The rear end of the black
cylindrical smoke discharger can be seen at
the top of the front plate. Also mounted
here is what looks like a Boys AT rifle with

the butt end covered in a protective canvas case. Hanging down at the upper left in the photo are two
of the connecting plugs between the crew's headphones/mikes and the radio connect/control box
mounted on the roof, just visible in the upper left corner of the photo. For this military vehicle show
the vehicle was outfitted with both the wireless set and Boys rifle. Although it looks mean and cool
this Otter is not totally in keeping with the vehicle use history while in Canadian and British service
in WWII.

Picture 8:
The turret is an open type normally outfitted for a Bren
gun, although other light machine guns could be adapted
to fit. The gunner sat in a brown leather covered padded
seat, hung from the turret race, and the gun could be
either hand held or mounted in a spring loaded support.
The turret is mounted directly over a circular foot support
and the gunner rotates the turret by pushing on this foot

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pedestal (no hand wheel controls). This drawing shows
the general stowage of equipment in the turret area for a
Boys AT type vehicle. Three anti gas capes and gloves
are stored under the seat with ammo for the Bren gun
conveniently placed in bins to either side. Down under the
foot pedestal are more .303 ammo boxes for both the Bren
and personal weapons.

The Otter was designed to British specifications with an
intended role similar to their Humber Mk.III. However,
the Otter ended up 1.5tons heavier, and therefore slower,
with a top speed well below that of the Humber. On the
other hand, Hamilton Bridge Company's armour plate was
superior to anything the British made at that time and the
Canadians decided their vehicle was just what they
needed, with the British Army following along and using
the AFV when it was available to them. A total of over

1,700 vehicles were manufactured in Canada and at the end of the war surplus vehicles were sold to a
number of countries, including the Arab Legion and eventually the Israeli Defense Force.

The biggest problem with the Otter's overall design was the high center of gravity, making the
armoured car prone to tipping and overturning. It has also been reported that the doors held their own
surprises. With no latch to keep the side doors open they could swing closed and bash or even remove
fingers that might be in the way.

Picture 9:
The Bren gun was a
1930's adaptation of the
Czech ZB 26 to
chamber a .303in
caliber cartridge and
was a replacement for
the venerable, but
outdated, Lewis
machine gun. Named
'Bren' in honor of its
place of Czech origin

and British manufacturer (BRno/ENfield), the Bren was introduced into service in 1938 and is one of
those weapons that has become legendary for its accuracy, ease of operation and mechanical
reliability. Usually when this gun stops firing it is because it is out of ammunition. Three different
Mks. can be found mounted in the Otter during the war (I, II and III) and the MG could fire single
rounds or bursts at a cyclic rate of 450-550rpm using a gas/spring operation. This image, from the
Imperial War Museum, shows a late war Bren Mk.III that first appeared in 1945. Aside from being
slightly shorter and lighter it is very similar to the two previous models with a quick change barrel,
distinctive carrying handles and curved magazine holding 28 rounds. Usually the metal of the weapon

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was blue/black in color with dark wooden carrying handles, grip and stock. A bipod or tripod could
be attached for ground firing and a tall anti-aircraft tripod mount is also often seen in period photos.
This weapon was the principle light machine gun for the British Army well into the 1960s.

Picture 10:
This photo of the preserved Otter that
we saw earlier shows the AFV
bristling with weapons including the
Bren MG in the turret (w/ bipod), Boys
AT rifle, and smoke discharger
pointing out the front plate. Notice the
view flaps on the doors; there was also
one on the back wall, seen in the
storage sketches earlier. If the nose of
this beautiful beast looks familiar, it is
because the same engine cowling was
used on the 15cwt Armoured Truck, a
vehicle that was also manufactured by
Hamilton and assembled by GM
Canada.

My thanks to Graham Matthews for supplying this last photograph and the earlier interior photo the
restored Otter. My gratitude also goes to Don Dingwall for supplying the numerous stowage sketches
and vehicle reference materials and to both Graham and Don for their continuing support for AFV
INTERIORS Web Magazine. Part 2 of the Otter interior study includes color photos taken by Chris
Shillito of Mike Ebling's Otter, which will give you a better idea of what the interior of this Light
Reconnaissance Car is really like.

TO OTTER PART 2

BACK TO AFV INTERIORS HOME PAGE

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Canadian Car, Light Reconnaissance, G.M.

Mk.1, "Otter", Part 2, Revised 10/22/00

Picture 1:
This is the first of a short series of photographs taken
by Chris Shillito (

Armour in Focus

) of a privately

owned Otter, this one preserved by Mike Ebling.
Looking through the front left door you can get a
feeling of how packed with gear these vehicles were
when in operation. The Boys Antitank Gun is covered
with a protective canvas boot and the driver's gearshift
lever is seen rising near the bottom right of the Boys'
shoulder pad. Nearby are the barely visible transfer
case shift lever and also the parking brake that we
identified back in Part 1. On the other side of the
vehicle is the driver's seat and steering wheel with
armored front window flaps opened just above. The
vehicle instruction and operator's manuals are stowed
on the front of the engine cover in a bin just forward
of the gearshift lever.

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Picture 2:
Looking forward from behind the driver's seat provides us with this view of the front of the interior. Off to
the left are the water bottle and fire extinguisher, the extinguisher the type that you turn upside down and hit
the nozzle on a solid surface to begin discharge of the chemical. The box next to the extinguisher is the
battery for the emergency lamp you see up above and the spare parts wallet for the Bren machine gun is
directly below the battery and extinguisher.

Again the Boys dominates the front armor plate, but the windshields and their armoured covers with latching
handles are also clear. Barely visible off to the right is the instrument panel and steering wheel, partly hidden
by the tangle of radio connection cables hanging down from the turret above us. Notice the vehicle ID data
plate on the engine cowl and the instruction manuals in their stowage bracket below. The gearshift handle is
now in the center of the image and the emergency brake lever is to the right. Mike has mounted a rear view
mirror up where the grenade discharger would normally be in the Boys version of the Otter. Notice the mouth
cone on the microphone at the upper right and the many quick disconnect plugs on the wires for the
headphones and mike.

Picture 3:
This view was taken looking in the left door toward
the right rear of the hull. The No.19 radio set is
located on its shelf, with its gray face and dark
case, and a number of wires hang down from the
mikes and headphones above that we saw in the
last picture. The two boxes under the radio rack are

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the battery boxes while above the radio in its
storage bracket is, I believe, an Enfield service rifle
with protective canvas cover over the receiver.
Partially hidden above the rifle are the storage
boxes for spare fuses and radio parts. Notice the
radio control box up on the ceiling and the crash
padding directly over the seats, there was a large
rubber pad over both front seat areas. The turret is
directly behind the traversing roof stiffener and its
seat is partially hidden by the front seat closest to
us. Up on the turret seat is a typical British steel
helmet.

Picture 4:
We are looking down into the turret now, the radio equipment is just barely seen on the right side of the hull
near the top of the image. Recall that the shelf directly under the turret seat is taken with ammo clips for the

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Bren .303cal machine gun that is mounted above and you can see the two ammo racks flanking the seat
bottom (above and below the seat in this picture). The green box with white lettering just forward of the seat
bottom (to our left) holds spare parts for the Bren MG. The No.19 radio is visible along with an earphone set
and a binocular case hangs from the right seat support angling down from the turret ring. Notice the
interesting bicycle chains disappearing into a protective corrugated tube on the side of the turret. These are
the spring loaded units that help balance the Bren gun in its mount as it is mounted so far forward that it
could not be elevated for anti-aircraft work without these elevation springs. The rear seat support is also
visible to the far right, this one is not spring supported.

Picture 5:
The other side of the turret is also plain, until you get down to the equipment stored below. Again the .303
Bren MG ammo box below and to the left of the seat is visible with slots for a number of clips, and the seat
support acts as a hanger for more personal equipment. The long dark box to the left of the seat (upper right
for us) is unknown to me, but it sits directly behind the left front seat. In the Middle East and sometimes in
Italy the steel helmet was generally painted pale sand and often covered with a tawny string net or pale
sandbag hessian. It was the universal headgear in battle for most British forces.

Picture 6:
Our last photo of Mike
Ebling's Otter looks
down into the right side

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of the engine
compartment at the front
of the vehicle, in this
case the radiator is to the
far right. Most of this
equipment is typical of
GM engines around this
time, this particular one
being a GM 270
overhead valve six-
cylinder. The valve
cover here is painted
green and the radiator
hose and cooling fan are
to the right. The air filter
is the typical dry paper

can type and what appears to be the electrical ignition coil is located on this near fender wall. Recall that the
Canadians used the Otter primarily in Northwest Europe and Italy, but other British units were also said to
have used them for light recon and escort duty.

My thanks again to Chris Shillito for sharing his pictures of Mike Ebling's beautiful Otter and to Jim Rice for
his helpful comments.

TO OTTER PART 1

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