Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

Sherman V, T-147976, "COCK O'THE NORTH", Turret No. 11, of "A" Sqn HQ, was the second Sherman gun tank to successfully reach the village. Like WOLF OF BADENOCH, Turret No.10, it played a considerable part in the Commando operations between 2-8 November. After the Operation, it was driven back to the other tanks left in Westkapelle, and abandoned.

Pictures taken on 31 July 1946:
b8e7fa9927b77d83d1d4421ad9a57e726db3fa75f1e2a799cc01afdedf28cbdd.jpg
(Source)


It's name "COCK O'THE NORTH" proudly displayed on the applique armour plate on the right hand sponson:
36a8a5c3ce0d0ebbfd5e7b9095ed56f41c0cfcea9486127b10a69dc2491e9ba9.jpg
(Source)


The WD census number T-147976 and Turret Number 11 are clearly visible:
0160fdb4ee7bdc94832c1ec1a80ba89dae804a31760602d271318d8bea1de9f3.jpg
(Source)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

The second Sherman V Crab on LCT "Cherry" remains unidentified.
Judging by the marking "CHERRY 6" on the right-hand front of the flail, it must be this Crab pictured in an unknown street in Westkapelle in November 1944:
606495c6-1ea0-22e2-86c6-4b4ce10ea1d4.jpg
(Source)

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

The second Sherman V Crab on LCT "Cherry" remains unidentified.
Judging by the marking "CHERRY 6" on the right-hand front of the flail, it must be this Crab pictured in an unknown street in Westkapelle in November 1944:
Attachment 97957
(Source)

This is actually yet another photo of the 'Memorial' Crab T148656:

Crab T148656.jpg
Crab T148656
Source

Just the three Crabs made it out of the beach, only to get flooded during the night of 1 Nov when stationed in Zuidstraat in Westkapelle town.

The second Crab in '6 CHERRY' could not land because it was pinned down by the fallen SBG bridge which had been shot off the AVRE behind it on the LCT.

Michel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by MicS

This is actually yet another photo of the 'Memorial' Crab T148656:

Attachment 97981
Crab T148656
Source

Thanks Michel! I had not seen that photo before. It indeed clearly shows the "CHERRY 6" marking identifying the same Sherman on both pictures.

This picture must have been made during the operation as it shows two soldiers sitting on top. It came from the "collection Hillsman, John A.B." - does that name ring a bell with you?
606495c6-1ea0-22e2-86c6-4b4ce10ea1d4.jpg
(Source)

The first picture confused me as all other pictures show it in a different location. This is the well known spot where it stayed until ca. 1947 or a few years until it was dragged away to be placed on the dyke.
Not having seen the 'CHERRY 6" marking on the right hand flail boom before, I drew the incorrect conclusion this was another Sherman V Crab.

Was this picture the source for your remark on WW2Talk forum?

Incidentally, the Crab used as a monument did not even land from '5 BRAMBLE', but from '6 CHERRY' (LCT 650)...(source)

39368203345_9806b7c36e_o.jpg
(Source)

As luck would have it, when I was typing this message a new photo came in! Courtesy of Marcel van Hoepen from Westkapelle, it shows T-148656 in front of his grandmothers house.
The marking "CHERRY 6" can be clearly seen:
28056261_547548988963450_3614043899182297204_n.jpg

I will correct my postings above, same for Turret No.22.

Thanks,
Hanno

[David Herbert]

I expect Marcel will be happy to see another view of his grandmother's house. Bet she wasn't too happy to have the Sherman parked outside for so long !

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

I expect Marcel will be happy to see another view of his grandmother's house. Bet she wasn't too happy to have the Sherman parked outside for so long !

I would be very happy - and have made sure to park it on my premises

Hanno

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I would be very happy - and have made sure to park it on my premises

Hanno

So would I, but with the gun pointing away, just in case

The abandoned tanks were moved around town quite a bit, as can be seen from the photos.

Pic 4250 (T 148656 with two soldiers sitting on top) shows what looks like a tow rope and shackle in front of the Crab, possibly in preparation for moving it to the other side of the street. That picture was indeed the source for my remark on ww2talk, conforted by the fact that the only other Crab in CHERRY was already accounted for.

Major John Albert Burwell HILLSMAN was in command of No.8 Canadian Field Surgical Unit, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, and landed at Westkapelle on 1 Nov 44 from LCT LTIN 26. He wrote the book "Eleven Men and a Scalpel" (Winnipeg: Columbia Press, 1948) about 8 Cdn FSU in WW2.

For example, search for 'Hillsman' on the following link:
http://www.oorlogsmuseumossendrecht....ollection.html
which leads to this page:
http://www.oorlogsmuseumossendrecht....e-schelde.html

This exhibition would be interesting to visit...

See also his Report on Walcheren Ops here:
https://books.google.fr/books?id=hra...ppendix%20H%22

The date of the photo is given as November 1944, which is correct since the medical units left Walcheren on 13 Nov.

The photo from Marcel van Hoepen is fantastic, as it shows that T 148656, or at least its flail jib, previously belonged to 22 Dragoons (cf the cleanly painted AoS number '51' showing under the fading overcoat and '52'), which may explain why no turret number nor name is visible on any of the photos of this tank. Or perhaps would Marcel have more photos, of this and/or other tanks?

Michel