Holy Roller Tank on the move again in London, Ont. as restoration continues

The team preserving the famed Holy Roller Tank in London, Ont. reached another milestone Saturday.

"The hull is finally going out to Militex (Coatings Inc.) to get painted and sandblasted," says Gary Cambridge, the man leading the preservation of the 80-year old Sherman Tank.

After months of work on its interior by the restoration team, and Fanshawe College students it's inching closer to being back in its rightful home.

Since June of 2021, the historic tank has been at the Applied Transportation Technology Centre at the college.

"We have an incredible group of volunteers who have really sacrificed a lot of time to make this project come through," says Cambridge.

"The tank has not given up a lot of its secrets and or bits and pieces easily but it has it has finally cooperated."

Restoration Work continues on the WW2 Holy Roller Sherman Tank at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. on Feb. 12, 2022 (Source Jim Knight, CTV)The World War II tank - one of only two Canadian tanks to make it from D-Day to VE-Day- was moved from Victoria Park, to Fanshawe.

"The rust never sleeps, and it's it's been sitting there since 1956," says Retired Lt. Col. Ian Haley of the First Hussars who is leading the restoration project. The regiment has tried to maintain it along with the city as best we can, but we need to get some major work done for it to last another 70 years."

Haley says the tank has been missed downtown, and Londoners keep asking him when it will return.

When the sandblasting and painting is done, it will return in pieces to Fanshawe where it will be reassembled.

Restoration Work continues on the WW2 Holy Roller Sherman Tank at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. on Feb. 12, 2022 (Source Jim Knight, CTV)"The tank will be going back on a new pad at the end of May this year," says Haley.

"The celebrations marking its return will be the weekend of the third to fifth of June. It's the 150th birthday of the First Hussars. Its the 78th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and it's actually going to be Holy Roller's 80th birthday."

According to the Haley, the $250,000 project is on budget, and on time, thanks to donations and generosity from local merchants providing gifts in kind.