The holy roller restoration project

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Holy Roller restoration progress

The HOLY ROLLER heritage conservation project will preserve the HOLY ROLLER Sherman Tank memorial located at Victoria Park, one of only two such tanks remaining in Canada that survived the D-Day campaign.

From d-day to ve-day

HOLY ROLLER is the only tank of the 1st Hussars and one of only two Canadian Army Sherman tanks to have survived the entire campaign in North West Europe from D-Day, June 6, 1944 to the end of the war in Europe on May 5, 1945. During that time the 1st Hussars lost 346 tanks but HOLY ROLLER survived. It is a monument of national significance.

The Holy Roller’s temporary home

For the restoration process of the Holy Roller Fanshawe college offered to house the tank in Z building. She has been there since June 2021 and will be returned to Victoria park for the 78’th anniversary of the Holy Roller landing on Juno beach.

Driver’s seat

The Driver

Ever wonder what it was like to be in the driver’s seat of a WWII tank before? With only a small opening for visibility, it was the driver’s job to maneuver the tank along with the crew inside through hostile terrains.

The Co-Driver

The Co-driver position was where most new tankers started. Responsibilities included helping the loader re-store ammunition in combat and carry out orders from the commander. As they learned more about the tank, the co-driver would would be moved around to new positions.

Gunner’s Seat

Gunner

The gunner was a high stress job that required the men to operate the gun, often being bounced around over uneven and bumpy terrain, whilst trying to aim at a moving target.

Ammunition Loader

The loader was responsible for keeping each tank firing on all four cylinders. It took physical strength and stamina to make sure the guns never ran dry.

Commander’s seat

There were three seats in the turret: commander, gunner, and loader. The commander sat directly behind the gunner and his job was to command the crew, call out directions to the driver and call out targets for the gunner. The commander spent a lot of time with his head out of the tank making him an easy target.

Engine compartment

Restoration Progress

The HOLY ROLLER Memorial Preservation Project is administered through the 1st Hussars Cavalry Fund, a registered charity. The project is funded through private subscriptions.

Your support would be appreciated.