Sherman “Wolf of Badenoch”, Westkapelle, 1947

[Jakko]

Seeing a model of the real tank and the story that goes with it makes it far more interesting.

Agreed, it makes it more than just a generic model. Not that I don’t build generic models, but aiming for a specific vehicle gives more satisfaction, I think.

Let’s see what else I have of this particular tank, that I haven’t posted before … Not all that much, I think, but here’s some:



Here’s Wolf of Badenoch on the left and Cock o’the North on the right again, and this photo is easy to date exactly: 15 March 1945. This because the woman in the centre is Queen Wilhelmina, who visited the province of Zeeland at the time, after having returned to the Netherlands two days earlier following her exile in the UK from May 1940. The man to the left of her, with the chain around his neck, is Westkapelle’s deputy mayor at the time, Lou Roelse, since the mayor had fled before the village was liberated — what with him having been appointed due to being a member of the NSB, staying around would not really have been the best move to make The other man in civilian clothes is the Queen’s Commissioner (governor) of the province, jonkheer J.W. Quarles van Ufford, and the one in uniform on the left is jonkheer A.F.C. de Casembroot, who was mayor of Westkapelle before and after the war, but at the time, represented the military authorities in the province.

Oh, this seems to be it, really, as far as photos I haven’t posted before go …

 

[JR]

Thanks , think the shadow of the guy in the front is most likely the photographer, maybe army by the outline of his head gear. Official photo for the news papers ?

Checked out the jonkheer as well.

 

[Isitme]

Jakko,
Well done on bringing a photo to a 3D model subject. It is the satisfaction of seeing that long project finally come to fruition, take a bow, you deserve it.
Mike.

 

[ropey]

Are either of them the one now displayed outside the museum?

 

[Jakko]

Thanks , think the shadow of the guy in the front is most likely the photographer, maybe army by the outline of his head gear. Official photo for the news papers ?

Probably. The Queen visited many of the parts of the country that had been liberated by March 1945, and that of course was widely publicised at the time. This is part 1 of a ten-part film about the trip:

The visit to Westkapelle is in part 4, but apparently, that hasn’t been digitised yet — or at least, not made available publicly.

Well done on bringing a photo to a 3D model subject. It is the satisfaction of seeing that long project finally come to fruition, take a bow, you deserve it.

Thanks As I said above, I like making models of real vehicles in photographs. Nothing wrong with a more generic one, but trying to get the details right, and puzzling out what they actually were, is more enjoyable, I think.

Are either of them the one now displayed outside the museum?

No, these were all scrapped in the late 1940s, early 50s. The one that is¹ on display near the museum in Westkapelle is this tank, a former Sherman Crab.

¹ Technically, “was” right now, because it’s under restoration but should be back later this year — the intent is to have it on its pedestal before the ceremonies etc. surrounding the anniversary of the landings on 1 November.

 

[JR]

Subscribed to that channel on U tube. Some good videos showing building damage and armour. Thanks.

 

[Jakko]

The channel is of a Netherlands institute that archives audio and video recordings, but their web site is hard to find anything useful on, is my experience

 

[JR]

The channel is of a Netherlands institute that archives audio and video recordings, but their web site is hard to find anything useful on, is my experience

Well the one I watched just then had some good shots of armour , Sherman's esp along with a few small tracked vehicles, and some bemused people watching a pipe band in kilts performing !

 

[Tim Marlow]

and some bemused people watching a pipe band in kilts performing !

To be fair John, that could be anywhere, not just the Netherlands.

 

[JR]

To be fair John, that could be anywhere, not just the Netherlands.

Suppose that's very true Tim !