Sherman Firefly VC
 

I recently purchased a Sherman Firefly VC for restoration (some of you may have already seen my wanted post for 17pdr gun parts).

After a little bit of hunting around the web, I now know that it's a Firefly which been known of for some time and fortunately some of the hard work of research has already been carried out.

So rather than posting photos, here are some already available elsewhere:

http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving..._Fireflies.pdf

http://www.afvregister.org/Downloads...Brasschaat.htm

My vehicle is the first Sherman Firefly in the 3rd section down.

Very fortunately, this still retains paint markings giving the Census number and Tank name:

Tank Name - "GAUCHO"
Census Number - "T-289477"

I've been advised that this vehicle served with the Canadian 21st Armoured Regt (Governor General's Foot Guards), Canadian 4th Armoured Div from July 44 to July 45.

On that basis, it will be restored as such... just need to start gathering info to get the markings correct.

Still on the hunt for 17pdr parts... but I do now have the 17pdr parts lists and the Service Instruction Book... so things are slowly going in the right direction.

Tim

Firefly
 

Hi Tim , are these photos from a Dutch or UK Range?

Belgian Range

Tim

Battledress
 

I picked this up a little while ago. A crew member perhaps?

Possibly... Do you have a name and/or number for it?

Is the BD blouse Canadian pattern/manufacture?

Can you post a pic of the label too please?

Cheers

Tim

Tools required for the 17pdr are:

Can, Lubricating, No 11
Cap, Sponge, No 6
Covers, Brush
Covers, Muzzle
Drifts, No 18, Mk1
Drifts, No 27, Mk1
Ejector, Projectile
Gauge, Striker protrusion, No 16, Mk1
Keys, Removing, Jammed Cartridge
Keys, No 86, Mk1, for inserting and removing No 9 Primer
Keys, No 135
Injector, Lubricating, Tecalemit, Type T 26
Lanyard, Cocking, No 8, Mk1
Wrenches, Breech Mechanism:
No 303, Mk1 - Steel with tommy for firing pin bush
No 322, Mk1 - Steel for firing pin retaining nut
No 368, Mk1 - Steel for removing striker casing
No 369, Mk1 - Steel with tommy for actuating shaft nut, breech ring securing screw, firing plunger retaining nut and spring case hinge bolt
No 370, Mk1 - Steel for cocking crank spindle nut


If anyone has any of these they're happy to sell, please let me know.

Cheers

Tim

Tim,

Great buy! It certainly did not take you long to find one after developing an interest in them last September.

As for research, by now I think the Firefly is the best researched Sherman variant. Therefore I only have little information published on my website (the goal of which is to only publish information which is not covered in mainstream books and magazines): http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoels...04/firefly.htm

The Sherman Firefly by Mark Hayward is a must read. By the time you have finished that, please come back with your remaining questions :D

Hanno

Just saving some pictures here for future reference. Although not complete, the hull and turret actually seem to be in good restorable order.

Attachment 71768 Attachment 71769
Attachment 71770 Attachment 71771 Attachment 71772

original markings
 

Very fortunate these markings survived, but where did the information re. the Governor General's Foot Guards come from? Just asking because there is a lot of misinformation about.

Hanno

Over on the G104 Sherman Register mailing list your Sherman with US 3056683 was identified as having serial number 4873. Could you please check the rear towing lugs?

Thanks,
Hanno

SHERMAN REGISTER
http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoelstra/g104/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/G104

4873 is the SN

Tim

Original users
 

I've been reading the War Diary of the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment (27th Armoured) in 3rd Canadian Armoured Brigade. The text gives periodic reports on numbers of Stuarts, Sherman IIIs and Fireflies. However the copy I have does not break down the registration numbers. It might have been in a one-copy only annex, but that sheet does not seem to have survived.

One unusual mention I've seen is to DERVE for diesel fuel for the Fireflies. I had to look that one up.

Interesting... Fireflies were supposed to all be Petrol engined.

They were all petrol engined. Regiments with Sherman III had an interesting fuel supply issue!
DERV stands for diesel engines road vehicles.

Derve
 

War Diary 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment, 07 Jun 44.

"Major F.H. Baldwin is organizing B Echelon to supply the forward troops. Ammunition, petrol and Derve were sent forward during the day as they were badly needed, many of the tanks being immobile as they had run completely dry and were out of ammunition. Some had even been firing 75-mm HE at German infantry as they were our of Browning ammunition. The Sherman V(C) tanks which use petrol were in a worse state for fuel than the Sherman III tanks which use DERVE."

Two spellings for Diesel Engine Road Vehicle, and a real world comment on the need for a senior Major in the regiment to manage the rear area admin, behind the F and A Echelons. Interesting that the ammunition consumption rates were so high that some vehicles were empty - shades of Op MEDUSA in Afghanistan 2006.

I think that's just a spelling mistake. It is an acronym so can't be spelt with an extra E.

I wonder how often the wrong fuel was put in the tanks.....

Sherman V certainly has a higher fuel consumption than Sherman III, by quite some margin!

Sherman VC = Petrol
Sherman III = Derv(e)

Am sure the reason for insisting that all Fireflies were Petrol was to reduce complexity in the supply chain.

Tim

The Sherman III was not suitable for conversion to 17 pdr. I think that is because the generators protrude into the fighting compartment enough to prevent fitting of the ammunition stowage.

Hanno

The assumption this vehicle was with GGFG is based on this document from the Canadian Archives:

Attachment 76713

Attachment 76714

Am assuming that the bit (Ex-21-CAR) indicates the vehicle came from 21st Canadian Armoured.

Tim

Firefly restoration to start this year around September... as now have a lot more parts!

I have opted for the GAA engine - this is currently in rebuild... if you have a spare multibank, please let me know.

More details available on facebook here...

https://www.facebook.com/pg/T289477

I am still missing the following key components:

• Breech Block and Firing Mechanism (not the same as 17pdr AT Gun)
• Breech Opening Lever
• Breech Deflector Guard
• Semi-Automation mount
• Breech Spring and case
• Loader's safety Switch
• Elevation Mechanism
• Mantlet
• 17pdr Gun Telescope Mount

If you have any of the above in any condition, please let me know.

Cheers

Tim