The Sherman tank, recovered in Falaise in January 2017, was decorated by Jef Aérosol.
October 23, 2017: A War Tank in Memory of Civilians in Falaise
Author: Marie-Madeleine Remoleur
Source: Ouest-France
In January 2017, a World War II Sherman tank arrived in Falaise. A 1943 model M4, weighing around thirty tons, was loaned free of charge by the Ministry of Defense to the Falaise Community of Communes (CDC).
Stored in the town’s technical services building, it was to be renovated and then installed in front of the Civilian Memorial Museum. “This tank is emblematic of the Second World War,” explains Slim Hanachi, project manager at the Community of Communes. “In Normandy, on the coast for example, whenever we have a memorial site or museum related to this conflict, we have this model of tank not far away.” But since the tank’s arrival, the project has been on hold. Not because of inactivity, but because it has evolved: “The project has been approved by the European Commission. It is now part of a program called “Interreg” that involves several European cities. The goal is to restore the maritime heritage of the Atlantic coast.” The CDC will thus be able to count on European funding of up to 75% of the project’s budget, which is approximately €50,000.
With this promotion, the time is therefore not for immediate action, but rather for discussions with the various partners to determine what will be done with it. “We have to think about everything,” insists Pascal Pourny, Vice-President of the CDC. “Like its exact location in front of the Memorial or its orientation.”
2017 news of the Normandy landing beaches
