3 Churchills need saving in Germany

[eddy8men]

thanks niels
I will copy my post here and keep them updated, I don't mind where the tanks end up as long as some are saved, anyway here is the post I put on hmvf.

the 3 churchills from haltern range in Germany are to be cut up in the next week if no one comes forward to buy them. the tanks are off the range and in the scrap merchants yard. they are avavilable for £9k each. I have been talking to a german guy today with regard to their value, he wants to buy them and sell them on but I pointed out that they are worth no more than the scrap merchant is asking so no profit left for any middlemen ! if he doesn't save them then I might be able to get some parts but it doesn't look good. so if there is anyone reading this who wants to do their bit then step forward and be counted (tumbleweed moment) I can't save them all guys.
http://www.hartziel.de/_typen/churchark.htm

http://www.hartziel.de/_typen/churchavlb.htm

http://www.hartziel.de/_typen/churcharv.htm

rick

[eddy8men]

I put that post up yesterday and this one tonight

spoke again today to the german chap Thomas, the tanks are in a yard in Aachen and there are 5 churchills not 3, the 3 I posted earlier are there as well 2 other hulls that have mostly been stripped, that's the good news, the bad news is none of them can be sold complete and all would need to be cut in half apparently to meet the demilitarization rules. if i can arrange it I will fly out in the next week to go and have a shufti and see if there is a way to get around the rules.
even though they would need to be cut in half they would still be viable (except the mk7's)as the side armour could be removed and the hull frame cut and once with the new owner the armour could be refitted and the 3/4" box frame welded. (much easier than welding 2 halves of a Sherman together) !
if all else fails i will try to salvage what I can for myself and john's Churchill.
I will keep the updates coming as I get them.

rick

ps. thanks for the offers of help I have received so far

[eddy8men]

3 of the tanks

[Robert Bergeron]

Don't they have any sense of history and a wee bit of common sense over there? Demilitarise what? 70 year old hulks. A restorer or two coûld save a bit of history by gosh. Thanks for your efforts old boy. Robert

[ajmac]

Rick,
Isn't the term 'put beyond use', couldn't one argue that they are already torn up hulks and thus already 'beyond use'? You need a man from the ministry with you

[kevin powles]

What a shame, most likely war time ones from D day that made it all the way, sad state of affairs. You would of thought the British government would step in a reclaim them after all they belong to the British tax payer. They still scrap them over here so I hold out little hope for them.

Kevin.

[eddy8men]

they were offered to the tank museum who were not interested but I suppose none of them are tanks and there must be 30 range wrecks still left on the ranges over here. so no real need
I plan on going to Germany on Monday as the tanks are being cut up daily and time is of the essence.

rick