After being pelted with bullets for more than 30 years on an Utah firing range, a World War II Sherman tank has been given new life, and will be on display at the Crescent Beach Legion Remembrance Day ceremony.
McMichael Armoured Collection purchased the tank in 2011. Owner John McMichael said after the war, the tank eventually made it to a firing range where it was “just pushed out to the range and shot at.”
“We bought another Sherman tank at the same time and they gave us this one and said, ‘strip all the pieces you can recover, brackets, and everything you need for the other restoration and just scrap it,’” McMichael told Peace Arch News Monday.
“We did that, when it came to scrapping time, we said ‘there’s just no way.’”
McMichael said it’s been a “long endeavour.”
“We’ve replaced major sections of the hull, the turret was smashed in. Of course all of the suspension was shot to pieces and the tracks were basically shot right off of it.”
McMichael and his team are currently fitting in an engine and repainting the tank. It will be up and running for Remembrance Day.
The Crescent Beach Remembrance Day service starts at 10:30 a.m. at 2643 128 Street, Nov. 11