An iconic piece of Second World War history that has been a Victoria Park staple for 65 years is temporarily rolling out.
The Holy Roller, one of only two Canadian Sherman tanks to survive the war, was removed from the downtown green space on Tuesday to be restored. The tank was lifted by heavy machinery, including two large cranes, and transported to Fanshawe College's School of Transportation Technology and Apprenticeship. It will now be disassembled, parts refurbished or replaced, and the body sandblasted and repainted before being reassembled and returned to its original location.
Cranes prepare to lift the Holy Roller to be transported to Fanshawe College for restoration work, June 8, 2021. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)
The restoration of the memorial is expected to take a year to complete.
The Holy Roller was part of the invasion of Nazi-occupied France by Allied forces on D-Day. It landed with the 1st Hussars regiment in Normandy roughly 45 minutes after the first assault troops went in. Its gun was damaged two times during the war. It arrived back in Canada in May 1946 and was presented to the City of London in June 1949 to commemorate the sacrifice made by members of the 1st Hussars during the Second World War.
It was permanently placed in Victoria Park in May of 1956.
Since then, time and exposure to the elements has slowly eaten away at the tank, with 50 per cent of its metal now deteriorated.
The 1st Hussars Association of London launched a $250,000 fundraising campaign to preserve the Holy Roller memorial last October. To date, it has raised nearly half of the needed funds.
“While we have a long way to go, we are grateful for the support we’ve received from Fanshawe College and all donors and volunteers," Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Haley of the 1st Hussars Association of London said in a statement. "Our community is truly pulling together so that our veterans can be remembered through the Holy Roller memorial.”
The fundraising campaign will continue until June 2022 at www.holyrollermemorial.ca.
While the tank is being restored, its perch in Victoria Park will also undergo a face-lift. A new cement pad will be laid, gardens and benches will be installed, and a plaque identifying the towns and villages liberated by the 1st Hussars will be erected.
