Holy Roller once again whole
Members of the Hussars Regiment made repairs to the Holy Roller tank in Victoria Park Tuesday, after it was recently vandalized.
It left veterans — and those who worked tirelessly to restore the World War II relic — upset.
“I think it's heartbreaking. It's disgusting,” Lt.-Col (Ret.) Ian Haley said while watching the repairs take place.
“There's no need for it,” added Sgt. (Ret.) Gary Cambridge. “It's no different than going into a cemetery and kicking over grave stones.”
Haley and Cambridge were integral to the campaign aimed at restoring the tank to its original condition, but the repairs for vandalism fall on the Regiment.
"Since the tank has come back into the park, the part of the maintenance process falls onto the regiment's shoulders. They have the knowledge and they have the equipment to be able to do that now very rapid formation," he said.
The Holy Roller tank in Victoria Park in London, Ont was vandalized with an angle grinder on Saturday, June 11, 2022 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)A 44-year-old man has been charged after defacing the newly restored tank with a grinder, causing over $6,000 worth of damage.
"The encouraging part is somebody saw somebody reported it. So obviously, the Holy Roller is cared for, not only by us but by the citizens of London," Haley said.
People who showed up to watch the repairs wondered why more isn’t being done to protect it.
"We thought that it should be somewhere more equipped safer so that it wouldn't be vandalized as often,” said Kathleen Campbell, who wondered if the Sherman tank should be moved.
But that is an option that doesn’t sit well with Haley.
"It's meant to be a memorial to be seen in the public and appreciated by the public, so it's not going to get scared away if German Panzers couldn't do it. So one guy with a grinder isn't going to do it,” he said.
Increased security in the park, and other measures like cameras and better lighting are options the group would like to see to keep the tank from becoming a target for vandals.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.