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This Sherman is just up the hill from the new museum at Port Winston harbour. Port Winston was the site of one of the famous Mulberry Harbours, and significant parts of it can be seen still surviving in situ. This Sherman is mounted on what appears to be a small concrete plinth, surrounded by a low hedge, in a car park on a steep hill that provides a view over Port Winston.
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Unique ID: |
769
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Serial Number: |
A number can just be made out etched into the rear towing lugs but it is not readable because of thick over-painting. “8887” is etched into the front glacis to the left of the machine-gun mount.
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Registration: |
“427088” is painted on the nose.
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Name: |
“BERRY AU BAC” is painted on the hull sides.
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Other Identification: |
“AMX No 44” is stamped into a small plate welded on the glacis beside the left headlamp guard. The tank has additional markings since it was originally displayed, including the turret number “55”.
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The Sherman is located on top of a casemate, H612, which belonged to a German bunker, Wn 43. In June 1944 a 10.5cm gun, a GebH 332(f), was fitted in the casemate. There is now a steel door fitted in place of the gun slit (source: Battlefield Tour, strijdbewijs.nl).
The markings on the glacis are typical of Shermans that were rebuilt post-War by the French (in this case the AMX company) and it was often the case for such vehicles that the serial number was repeated on the glacis, so it seems likely its original serial number was 8887, and that it was the 44th Sherman rebuilt by AMX.
On the left hull side there is a plaque fitted, presumably indicating the names of the original crew members. Since this vehicle appears to have seen service post-war, this crew must be from the tank being commemorated, not from this actual tank. The plaque reads as follows:
Chef de char [tank commander] :
Pilote [driver] :
Aide pilote [co-driver] :
Tireur [gunner] :
Chargeur [loader] : | Adjutant [lieutenant] JOB Jean
Brigadier [corporal] PHILIPPE Albert
Cuirassier [private] GIMENES François
Cuirassier ESTRADE Gaston
Cuirassier PEZZIARDI Pascal |
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