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

[MicS]

Many thanks to Alex for posting the photos with the name. I agree that the name is AVALON. Eventhough the second and third letters are not absolutely clear, what few parts we can see of them leaves not doubt about their being V and A respectively.

I finally found the time to look up the Westminster Dragoons War Diary, and found the following AFV Casualty State as of 30 November, where T147955 is mentioned. This is all the luckier as AFV Cas States are a very rare occurrence in War Diaries. The Westminster Dragoons itself has them for only a couple of months.

This State reads:
A Sqn, T147955, Crab V, X Casualty, located at STOKT 9021, Transmission unserviceable, with the additional note (also applying to 3 other tank casualties) "recovery probably delayed owing to conditions":
1 - WD War Diary - AFV Cas State 30 Nov 44 - T147955 - Notes.jpg

The War Diary for 30 Nov states that "Cas one CRAB transmission jammed by heavy mine explosion". This Crab belonged to 2 Tp A Sqn:
2 - WD War Diary 1944 11 23-30 - Notes.jpg 3 - WD War Diary 1944 11 30.jpg

A previous mention of a new type of damage by Riegelmine 43 mines had been made in the War Diary for 13 Oct regarding the attack on OVERLOON, where it was noted that "All mines in this area were R Mi 43 and not the usual Teller or Holz mine. They had less effect on tracks and bogies but two rotors of C Sqn CRABS were bent by blast. This had not been previously experienced." This explains AVALON's bent rotor.
4 - WD War Diary 1944 10 08-14 - R Mi43 - two rotors bent - Noed.jpg

On 1 Nov, an attempt was made to recover the tanks, during which Lt GS COOPER was killed by a Schumine. One may presume that this was one of the reasons why AVALON was abandoned rather than recovered, together with the extent of the damage it had suffered:
5 - WD War Diary 1944 12 01-06 - BROCKHUIZEN 9021 - Notes.jpg


Michel