history of M5A1 Stuart Light Tank, Serial Number 3887

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Below follows the known history of M5A1 Stuart Light Tank, Serial Number 3887. Listed here because of it's post-war use in Canada.


Source: http://www.amba.lu/

- 1943 :
Production Order T-3578, Segment 1, for 2556 M5A1 Stuart Light Tanks (S/N 3768 - 6323, R/N 3046880 - 3049435) to be built by Cadillac - of the altogether 6810 M5A1’s produced by different companies.

- 1943, March :
Serial Number 3887 was manufactured by Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors Corporation at its plant on Clark Street in Detroit, Michigan, with the Registration Number U.S.A. 3046999.
It left the factory most likely with the standard production turret (w/o pistol port).

- 1943, March > next date :
Probably used by the U.S. Army as a test or training vehicle in the United States of America during World War II.

- 1944, November <> 1945, June :
As one of 775 M5A1’s, it had been reconditioned by American Car & Foundry Company.
During that revision, it perhaps got the early production turret with welded shut pistol port (actually of another M5A1 also refurbished by ACF), which is nowadays mounted.

- 1945, June > 1946, September :
Then it was stored at the Schenectady General Depot in Schenectady, New York.

- 1946, September 20 :
Together with 89 other M5A1’s, it was sold by the Government of the U.S.A. to the Government of Canada. The sale price was 831,- US $ (at the 1946’ value!) for each tank fully equipped with sand guards, fender corners, a BR-19 radio set, etc., etc..

- 1946, September > next date :
These 90 tanks served the Canadian Army quite probably in a training role.

- 1955, November <> December :
According to some attached tags, the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) rebuilt its two Cadillac Series 42 V8 gasoline engines and their Hydra-Matic automatic transmissions. As these components are marked with G127, it’s actually possible that they came from a M8 75-mm Howitzer Motor Carriage; based on the M5 Light Tank and thus using the same drive train.

- 1956 :
As many, most or all of these M5A1’s, it was transferred to NATO Ally Portugal.

- 1967 :
The Portuguese Army kept them in service until that year.

- 1982 <> 1983 :
Finally declared surplus and offered for sale.
A Belgian collector received this particular Stuart tank.

- 2002, July 10 :
The Ardennen Poteau ’44 Museum bought it from that Belgian collector.

- 2002, August 21 :
It was delivered and the restoration to running condition soon started.
An online photo diary is visible on the museum’s official website:
Restoration

- 2003, June 22 :
After almost 60 years, a M5A1 Stuart Light Tank drove again across the meanwhile historical battlefield of Poteau, Belgium!


(Credits: This tank’s history was compiled, using documents coming from several sources, by André Flener with courtesy of mainly Mr. Joe DeMarco; the late Mr. Peter J. Ford; and the members of the G103 Yahoo Group.)

For pictures of it's restoration, see http://www.museum-poteau44.be/