Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[David Herbert]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

I believe Jack Olding & co in the UK built the dozers under licence, and also did the (British) armoured conversion, but hopefully Caterpillar will be able to help you with more info.

Alex,
Jack Olding only did the armoured conversion. The tractors themselves were licence built in the USA but I don't know who by. I was told about 15 years ago that Caterpillar at that time denied the existence of the 1T series as 'nothing to do with us' but that might just have been one particular employee's ignorance. The tractors were shipped to the UK as complete standard tractors and the conversion is very much a matter of adding a big armoured box so of course it was equally easy to remove it, replace the missing sheet metal parts and you have a standard tractor again.
The Dozer kit was supplied by LaPlant Chote who were major manufacturers of hydraulic dozer conversion kits in the US at that time, when tractor manufacturers only built bare tractors.
Jack Olding also did many upgrades to Ram tanks and other armoured vehicles but never built complete vehicles from scratch.

David

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

Jack Olding only did the armoured conversion. The tractors themselves were licence built in the USA but I don't know who by.

Does this help?

IMG-20200819-WA0004.jpg

I got this from Christiaan de Braal yesterday (posted here with his permission), but I have no idea what document it’s actually from.

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Jakko Westerbeke

Does this help?

I got this from Christiaan de Braal yesterday (posted here with his permission), but I have no idea what document it’s actually from.

Nice Table!

However there must have been additional D6A's built since this one is clearly 1T3060:
D6A 1T3060.jpg

Michel

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by MicS

Nice Table!

You should see his bulldozers (I went to visit him today to see his D6 1T3038 shown earlier in this thread. Turns out he has another, but with wide tracks, but I forgot to look at its serial number.)

Originally Posted by MicS

However there must have been additional D6A's built since this one is clearly 1T3060:

Indeed. These bulldozers are just getting murkier at every step …

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Great news: the Sherman Crab at Westkapelle will be restored!

Yesterday a Dutch newspaper published an article stating the municipality corroborates the historic importance of this genuine battle relic and it needs to be saved from further deterioration. It will make a plan with two local museums for the restoration of the Sherman. A great example of local collectors and historical associations collaborating with government officials.

Read https://www.pzc.nl/walcheren/de-tank...ered~a726d1bc/ (in Dutch)

ADB85CBD-A05A-4F1A-9A75-56DAA1C78B41.jpeg

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Great news: the Sherman Crab at Westkapelle will be restored!

There is a little snag, though, which the article doesn’t mention: the estimated restoration costs are rather more than the amount the municipal government has freed for it. From what I was told in a phonecall yesterday, the people doing the restoration will make a start with that and meanwhile, see how to get the rest together.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jakko Westerbeke

There is a little snag, though, which the article doesn’t mention: the estimated restoration costs are rather more than the amount the municipal government has freed for it. From what I was told in a phonecall yesterday, the people doing the restoration will make a start with that and meanwhile, see how to get the rest together.

That is typical for these kind of projects. I am sure the museum, municipality and local sponsors can work something out. The museum has been given two Sherman tanks (and possibly other artifacts). I have donated parts for one of their restorations. So maybe they can find ways to go the extra mile and give something back to the community.