Odd Sherman variant. in South Africa.

[The Zod]

While searching for Firefly turrets,I came across this PDF thing.

http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Sherman_Fireflies.pdf

Page 18 shows an M4 composite/hybrid with a 105 mm turret. It is in South Africa. I think I may email the place to see if they have any other pix of it.

 

[Sherman 18]

Thanks for sharing Zod.

That one does have a nice mix of parts on it

Good luck on your search and do please share your findings. :drinks

 

[RichB]

The Sherman in question is a running example. There is some more info on it and their other vehicles on the Sandstone Heritage Trust webpage.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[moon puppy]

Good stuff Chad, the one at Monumento ai carristi, Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo (Italy) on page 5 has some really cool faded OD

OK, what constitutes a Firefly? British service or what?

How did so many end up in SA? Dave?

 

[RichB]

Did a bit of digging and found that South Africa purchased 67 M4(76mm) Sherman IA's along with several M4(105mm) Sherman IB's in 1946. Fifteen Firefly's were also purchased from the UK in 1946-47 and used for instructional purposes until 1965. The M4(105)'s were cannibalized to keep the M4(76)'s operational into the 1970's.

The 'Firefly' was a Sherman fitted with the 17 pdr anti-tank gun. The three official designations were Sherman IC, IC Hybrid and VC. "Firefly" & "Mayfly" were nicknames used by the crews and units using them. The US Army had about 100 Firefly's in their inventory at war's end but never fielded them.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[moon puppy]

Thanks Rich, always a wealth of information

 

[The Zod]

The Sherman in question is a running example. There is some more info on it and their other vehicles on the Sandstone Heritage Trust webpage.

Cheers,
Rich

Rich.
Thank you for that link. I will send them an E mail to see if I can get them to post some good walk around pix.

 

[The Zod]

Found these pix on that site. Interesting looking engine deck.
http://www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/military-vehicles/sherman-mk-iv/2828-work-on-our-mk-iv-sherman-continues-unabated