1st Hussars and Holy Roller & Perry Kitson

[jdmcm]

Perry

I have amassed quite a collection of Sherman parts over the last twenty years, I would be moe than happy to help the restoration of a Holy Roller any way I can if you get permission to get the old steed up and running...can't think of a better legacy

Regards
John

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by jdmcm

Perry

I have amassed quite a collection of Sherman parts over the last twenty years, I would be moe than happy to help the restoration of a Holy Roller any way I can if you get permission to get the old steed up and running...can't think of a better legacy

Regards
John

WOW... It would be awesome to see this all come together!! Good luck with pushing for a green light Perry.

[Perry Kitson]

Thanks for the offer John. I hope your health issue is sorted quickly with favourable results for you and your family.
The fate of Holy Roller now rests with the regiment and the city. I have been pushing to see it removed from the park and placed indoors as a "last" option, full restoration being the goal. Some in the regiment are firm in their belief that it is a monument and should stay as such. My argument is that it is slowly rusting away where it sits, and that as a living memorial, it will be around for future generations.
This tank landed on D-Day, and was the only tank of the regiment to make it all the way through the war. The First Hussars landed with 61 Shermans, and after the first 6 days of fighting, had 62 tanks knocked out, having received 33 replacement tanks on June 9/10.

David,
A veteran by the name of Art Boyle, who was once the driver of Holy Roller, still makes it out to the annual D-Day parade the regiment holds.

[David Dunlop]

Perry.

I know you probably have a whole list of items on your plate in addition to what you are attempting to accomplish with Holy Roller. If the agreement of the Regiment was unanimous for restoration, do you feel the project would get a major boost?

My thought would be to feel out Art Boyle on the project. Show him all the photos of what Holy Roller looks like inside today. Explain to him that what is seen on the outside today is just a mask, hiding the neglect and decay inside the vehicle. The very insides where he and his crew mates worked and lived and it is difficult to understand how some in the Regiment can claim they respect what the crews of Holy Roller did, while clearly showing no respect or understanding at all of where they did it.

If Art is in agreement, then a presentation of those photos, along with Art, if possible, should be made to the Regiment, point blank telling those that don't get it that they need to rethink their position. I would give the Regiment the courtesy of that meeting alone, and if their response was not satisfactory, take it to the local media. November 11th is just around the corner. Its an opportune time, if it can be pulled together.

David

[Gordon Yeo]

Perry

David might be onto some thing about November 11 coming up. My first November 11 parade, with the Legion pipe band, was in 1970 and I watched the event diminish in attendance and interest until Afghanistan. That being the first major event where Canada saw the effects of war since Korea, it re-invigorated the publics interest in Remembrance. Could this be the time to use public opinion to help move the project along. Maybe some new and different buttons need pushing?

Gord

[r.morrison]

Well, one of the best Canadian Articles I've seen on this forum in a while. So Perry, you tell the regiment....and the city.....and that Premier you got there, to help out financially and convince the public to get it up and running. Start a fund drive. Let me be the first to throw in $100.00 to get the ball rolling. John's parts alone are priceless!!! Showtime! Robert

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi

Restoration aside, I met Art a number of times long ago and am sure he'd be approachable. MM winner for shooting Panthers. 1H has a gunnery trophy named after him.

I discovered that he was a pre-war RC Dragoon and passed some nice mounted photos onto the Regiment one time.

I once asked him about Le Mesnil-Patry. He said "Yeah, we walked back from that."

regards
Darrell