Sherman Crab T147955 “Avalon” Overloon. Regiment? Damage?

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Maurice Donckers

Wow that Image from Spitfire IV is spot on , I thought it was II because the paint remains on the weld were almost completely gone , the first I is clear .
Rest is also spot on , the additional aerial bracket is on the same spot , hole for cable goes through hole in turret wall,No side skirt strips , and additional armour plate position is the same .

About the aerial on the right front on Avalon , and on mine , there is more room in Avalon , then in a standard Gun tank , in mine there is only the space in front of the ammo bin , a 19 set will not fit In there !

Was Spitfire IV also involved in the Battle around Overloon ?

This is very interesting , it is another bit of history from the Netherlands Surviving , so I have to Speed up the Restauration .
I will take some pictures from the turret .

Hello Maurice,

Great to know that another Sherman from a Flail unit survived and will be restored!
Did you find any trace of a turret number on your tank? It is possible, or rather, it is likely, that there was none, because it appears that replacement tanks in Flail regiments were seldom given a turret number (and SPITFIRE IV is the third avatar of the original...), but it would be nice to find one!

Michel

[Maurice Donckers]

Michel , no traces on turret anymore , too long outside took the paint off , just on the side of the tank there was paint left , and the T number showed through , so cleaned it and measured it up , to put it back on the same spot , Spitfire was also just by accident found , there was a scratch through the remaining paint and showed a bit of white paint , and after sanding and guessing it must have been spitfire II (should be IV then )
I got almost the whole interior complete , just the layout of the wireless system I have to work out , The tank was built on the 9th February 1943

[Maurice Donckers]

Michel , no traces on turret anymore , too long outside took the paint off , just on the side of the tank there was paint left , and the T number showed through , so cleaned it and measured it up , to put it back on the same spot , Spitfire was also just by accident found , there was a scratch through the remaining paint and showed a bit of white paint , and after sanding and guessing it must have been spitfire II (should be IV then )
I got almost the whole interior complete , just the layout of the wireless system I have to work out , The tank was built on the 9th February 1943

[Maurice Donckers]

Another thing about Avalon that puzzles me are the impacts on the turret , on the old pictures I can`t see them , and the protection track links are in front of them ?

[Alex van de Wetering]

Another thing about Avalon that puzzles me are the impacts on the turret , on the old pictures I can`t see them , and the protection track links are in front of them ?

Maurice, they are indeed difficult to see on most early post-war pictures, but here is one attached that does show them. It seems the rounds went straight through the track armour.

The extra aerial mount on the right hand side of the turret above the lifting eye is a common British (and presumably Canadian) addition.

On closer inspection I also see some small weld remains next to the top left corner of the track links.....maybe Avalon did indeed have this extra aerial mount.