Armoured Engineering was tasked with restoring the interior of this 1943 Sherman V (M4A4). Craig Moore spoke to director and chief mechanic Gavin Barlow about the complexities of the work involved
The restoration of a tank that is nearly 80 years old is a challenging undertaking.
Having been through several hands, bits and pieces have been added or removed over the years.
Even in the immediate years after its manufacture during World War Two, it would have undergone field modifications. In the case of the 1943 Sherman V (M4A4) pictured here, it had also suffered damage during its time as a hard target.
I first wrote about this tank in the January 2021 issue of Classic Military Vehicle and this is a follow up to that, this time covering the interior work. Its serial number is 19106 and it was built by Chrysler in March 1943. It has been impossible to find out anything about its military history prior to its time as a target on Salisbury Plain live firing ranges.
