The Holy Roller in Victoria Park
The Holy roller tank has sat in the middle of Victoria Park for nearly 65 years weathering the elements. The tank has seen better days and two years ago it was discovered that it was in need of preservation work. Although the Tank is now owned by the City, it was originally owned by the First Hussars.
“We managed to get a team with permission from the city to go inside and have a look at it.” Said Allan Finney the Commanding Officer for the First Hussars. “It’s just covered in rust and covered in corrosion because there was no protection on it to stop water from getting inside.” On top of the rust, Finney said the tank was full of garbage and other things that shouldn’t be inside of it. The metal is in such bad condition that last year someone was able to break into the tank from the back.
“It’s probably got about 50% of the metal left from what it originally had. We estimate that in the next ten years or so that metal will wear such that the tank will actually collapse upon its own weight.” Said Finney.
Before the Holy Roller arrived back in Canada it fought through the battlefields of France, Belgium, and Holland. It’s estimated that it was in 14 major battles in that period.
“It’s one of two tanks that have survived landing on Juno beach all the way to the end of the war.” Explained Alex Fitzgerald – Black the outreach manager at the Juno Beach Centre Association. “There are only two Canadian tanks that we know of that did that. The Holy Roller with the First Hussars, the sixth Canadian Armoured regiment, and a tank called Bomb which was with the Sherbrooke Fusiliers.”
Right now the plan is to start the preservation work on June 7th of 2021 so the tank can be a part of next year’s D-day ceremony. From there it will be sent to a yet to be determined workshop to be fixed up.
“It will be completely stripped apart and sandblasted so all the parts will be removed all the rust will be removed and any parts that need to be replaced we will replace them.” Explained Finney. “We’re going to replace the track put a newer track on it and then put it back together and repaint it. With the aim of ensuring that no water can get inside the vehicle to allow it to rust further.”
The plan wasn’t always to preserve the tank and it put it back in the park. There were thoughts of making the tank driveable again so it could participate in parades and other events.
“A number of the vets had expressed an interest in having that happen.” Said Finney. “To get it into running condition would be double the cost of what we’re expecting to pay now.”
Finney explained that although the City owns the tank they are unable to support the tank financially due to the pandemic. So the First Hussars offered their services to do the fundraising and gather the expertise to repair the tank.
“We know at this point in time in a COVID environment there are a lot more important things for people to be putting money into.” Said Finney. “But if everyone has a couple of spare dollars here and there or wherever. We are more than happy to take it and put it in the vehicle.”
The Tank isn’t expected to be put back on the pad until June 7th, 2022. So far the fundraising campaign has raised around 15 and a half thousand dollars. The final fundraising goal is 250 thousand. Both Finney and Black expressed their thoughts on why it is important that the tank be preserved.
“It will be the last surviving veteran of that campaign from D-day to VE day. It fought through the war, it protected its crew and it never had a hole put in it by enemy fire and the crews came home. It’s done its part to help us survive. Now it’s our turn to help it survive.” Said Finney.
“This is a monument that has been part of London’s community now for decades. We really need to do a good job that we preserve their legacy going forward, and one of the ways we can do that is with monuments like this.” Said, Black. “It’s just really important that we don’t forget the sacrifice that was made all those years ago. They sacrificed to make sure that we had a chance to build a better world and that’s something we should never forget.”
You can donate to the preservati0n at the following website. https://www.holyrollermemorial.ca/
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