Post-war Sherman tank conversions

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Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #1 by fang » Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:31 pm

Anyone got any pics of these?

I believe Onions may have converted some into dozers and also a semi-mounted scraper box set up


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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #2 by Jeremy Rowland » Sat Nov 14, 2015 9:11 pm

fang wrote:Anyone got any pics of these?

I believe Onions may have converted some into dozers and also a semi-mounted scraper box set up


I have seen some photos of these but haven't got any pictures to hand; they look a really odd setup, I think but am not sure that the same was done with some old Churchill tanks :think: perhaps somebody could shed light on this?

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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #3 by modelman093 » Sat Nov 14, 2015 9:37 pm

I believe that some were converted for agricultural use - ploughing etc - possibly by a firm called Robert Crawford. The name SHERVICK comes to mind.
http://www.rhcrawford.com/contact-us.php

Edited : seems that it was Vickers that did the conversions. Lots of stuff if you Google SHERVIK
http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28852


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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #4 by hair bear » Sun Nov 15, 2015 2:45 pm

There is a pic of a Robert Crawford Sherman with a plough in Nick Baldwins book Kaleidoscope Of Farm Tractors.
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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #5 by fang » Sun Nov 15, 2015 4:44 pm

I've seen the Shervick before. Much more of a tractor conversion

The Robert crawford machine was apparently converted specifically for agricultural use and was, I believe, a one off.

I'm sure somewhere I came across Onions conversions of Sherman M4 tanks. My understanding was that they purchased a bulk load of tanks, and converted (top cut off and re-engined) them, some had a dozer blade on the front, and some were scrapers.

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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #6 by FOWLER MAN » Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:04 pm

[quote="fang"]I've seen the Shervick before. Much more of a tractor conversion

The Robert crawford machine was apparently converted specifically for agricultural use and was, I believe, a one off.



Yes, I think Crawfords conversion was a one off and certainly had nothing to do with the "Shervick," (Vickers Sherman ), project.

The "Shervick" was not a conversion, but built from the ground up as a tractor using Sherman tank components.
Vickers Armstrong had the components to hand after tank production ceased and were under pressure from the government to develop a tractor for the ill-fated African Ground Nut Scheme.
They used a shortened version of the Sherman track assembly utillising two of the three track suspension units used in the tank.
The tank transmission was used with one of the pair of two stroke GM 6-71 engines which had been fitted to the tank.
The bare tractor which was 15 feet long and 9 ft. wide weighed 15.25 tons and up to 18.75 tons with dozer fitted.
The engine developed 175 hp @ 1,500 rpm and the five speed and reverse gearbox gave a top speed of 7.5 m.p.h.
I have been researching this as I am trying to write a book on Vickers tractor development.

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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #7 by Jeremy Rowland » Sun Nov 15, 2015 9:58 pm

Fred I look forward to your book I shall be buying a copy when it's published. :thumbup:

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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #8 by tim » Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:25 pm

I found this in my pictures file on the computer-some sort of tank converted to tow scrapers-don't know any more I'm afraid
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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #9 by Jeremy Rowland » Mon Nov 16, 2015 8:42 pm

tim wrote:I found this in my pictures file on the computer-some sort of tank converted to tow scrapers-don't know any more I'm afraid
Image



Tim that is the picture that I have seen somewhere before :thumbup: they are highly modified, the 'Tommy cooker' had three sets of two wheels on either side of the tank but these only have two sets and they are joined by a supporting bar unlike on the tank so I suspect that these machines were made from surplus tank parts.

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Re: Post-war Sherman tank conversions

Post #10 by fang » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:32 am

Found out where the pics are I was thinking of!!

In the "100 years of clay winning machinery" by Bill Huxley. Vol 1 has a dozer much the same as the above photo, and vol 2 has a picture of the semi-mounted caper. All were made by Onions


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