An M4A2 Sherman tank, named “Valois,” was knocked out during a World War II battle near the Cross of Médavy (Carrefour de la Croix Médavy) in the Écouves forest of Normandy, France. It belonged to the 2nd French Armored Division, commanded by General Leclerc.

History of the “Valois” Sherman tank

• Service: The “Valois” was part of the 12th Régiment de Chasseurs d’Afrique of Leclerc’s 2nd French Armored Division (2e DB). The division landed in Normandy in August 1944 and participated in the fighting that liberated much of France.
• Final Battle: On August 13, 1944, following the liberation of the nearby town of Alençon, the “Valois” was advancing through the Écouves forest toward Sées. The area was held by the German 9th Panzer Division, and fierce resistance ensued.
• Destruction: The tank was ambushed by a German Panzer and hit by three armor-piercing rounds just 200 meters from the Cross of Médavy crossroads. The tank was knocked out, ending its combat service.

Memorial at the Cross of Médavy
Today, the “Valois” is a preserved memorial at the location where it was destroyed.

• Location: It sits on a stone ramp inside a fenced enclosure at the crossroads in the Écouves forest, about 14 kilometers north of Alençon.
• Memorial Significance: The monument stands as a tribute to the liberation of the region and commemorates the French forces who fought during the Normandy campaign. 
  
  Personal note: On our drive across France, we went were we thought it was but we were wrong. We drove into this small village and asked an older couple for help. Through mime, pictures and my wife’s broken French, they provided directions to the track. The area is a beautiful logging forest and the location is a major cross road.
  

If you’ve ever visited Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, you’ve probably noticed more than just the rows of modern military vehicles and training facilities. Among its historical displays sits a fascinating piece of wartime engineering — a Sherman mine flailing tank, a relic that tells the story of ingenuity, danger, and survival during the Second World War.

What is a Mine Flailing Tank?

During WWII, one of the most dangerous obstacles soldiers faced was not always enemy fire — but hidden explosives buried in the ground. Landmines slowed advances, destroyed vehicles, and cost countless lives. To solve this, Allied engineers developed the mine flail tank: a heavily armored vehicle with a rotating drum and chains attached to its front.

As the drum spun, the chains pounded the ground ahead of the tank, detonating buried mines before troops or vehicles could roll over them. The most famous version, the Sherman Crab, was used to clear paths during the Normandy landings and beyond, saving thousands of soldiers by opening safe lanes through minefields.

The Tank at CFB Borden

CFB Borden — known as the birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force and a hub of Canadian military training — preserves this vital piece of history. The mine flailing tank displayed on the grounds is a stark reminder of Canada’s role in technological innovation during wartime and the dangers soldiers faced in every step forward.

Visitors can see firsthand the massive rotating flail mounted on the tank, an intimidating device built for the brutal necessity of war. Standing in front of it, you can imagine the noise, dust, and explosions it created as it cleared minefields under fire.

Origin and Development

• The M26 Pershing was a U.S. heavy/medium tank introduced in late WWII, aimed at countering German heavy armor like the Tiger and Panther.
• To boost its firepower, U.S. engineers developed an upgraded version with a long-barreled 90 mm T15E1 gun (about L/73), resulting in the prototype designated T26E1‑1 and later, after the upgrade, T26E4 Pilot Prototype No. 1—popularly known as the Super Pershing.
• A second iteration used the T15E2 gun with two-piece ammunition, and about 25 production models (T26E4) were completed—though none saw widespread service

Combat and Modifications

• The Super Pershing prototype was shipped to Europe in March 1945 and served with the U.S. 3rd Armored Division.
• It featured improvised up-armoring: a salvaged Panther frontal plate (80 mm) welded to the mantlet, boiler-plate spaced armor on the hull, and a heavy counterweight at the turret rear to offset the heavier gun.
• External equilibrator springs were initially mounted atop the mantlet due to internal fit constraints—later removed in production models

Preservation at Cantigny

• Cantigny Park’s First Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois, is home to the only remaining T26E4—the Super Pershing—on public display.
• The Tank Park exhibit lets visitors get up close to this remarkable relic of armored innovation, making it a must-see for history enthusiasts.

A Silent Guardian at the Gateway of History

At the entrance to Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, a Sherman M4-A1 tank stands beside a bronze statue of General George S. Patton in Patton Square, a poignant monument that greets visitors—not just as a relic of war, but as a powerful marker of liberation and remembrance.

The Memorial at Ettelbruck: Symbolism in Bronze and Armor

Patton Square features a sculptural ensemble crafted by Luxembourg sculptors Pierre Droessart (sketch) and Aurelio Sabbatini (sculpture)—a sword driven into the ground, topped with an eagle and flanked by Patton’s likeness. Since 1970, a restored M4-A1 Sherman tank has stood as part of this memorial, symbolizing the armored force that helped liberate the town.

Historical Significance: Location, Liberation, Legacy

This tank doesn’t just represent an American war machine—it commemorates the moment when Ettelbruck was liberated by Patton’s 3rd U.S. Army on December 25, 1944. The placement near the Sûre Bridge marks the literal and symbolic gateway from occupation back into freedom.

The Wider Remembrance Trail: The Museum Connection

Just steps away is the General Patton Memorial Museum, inaugurated in 1995. It chronicles Luxembourg’s wartime experience—from the German invasion of May 1940, through occupation, resistance, and finally, liberation by Patton’s forces. Alongside documents and photographs, the museum features recovered battlefield weapons, air‑war artifacts, and multi‑media exhibits.
Together, the tank monument and museum create a profound narrative arch—from frontline action to personal stories of survival.

History Frozen in Time

Tucked into the serene Belgian Ardennes village of La Gleize, the December 44 Museum invites visitors to walk into history. At its entrance stands King Tiger #213—a 69-ton behemoth, abandoned in 1944, that now silently preserves the echoes of war at the actual site where it halted.

From Battlefield to Bottle of Cognac

King Tiger #213 was disabled during the desperate close of the Battle of the Bulge, around Werimont Farm—its gun barrel shattered, its fate sealed. After the German retreat, as Allied forces cleared the battlefield, the tank’s preservation began—surprisingly, not through wartime valor, but a civilian’s resourcefulness. Madame Jenny Geenen‑Dewez, the local innkeeper’s wife, obtained it from American troops in July 1945—trading a bottle of cognac for the King Tiger, thus saving it from destruction.

The Museum and the Tank in Context

Established in 1989 by history enthusiasts Philippe Gillain and Gérard Grégoire, the December 44 Museum was built right beside the old presbytery that had served as a Waffen‑SS aid station during the battle. As decades passed, it grew—not just in space but in significance. A major renovation in 2013 doubled its exhibition area, merging war heritage with architectural authenticity.

The King Tiger tank, placed prominently at the museum entrance, serves as a powerful portal into the museum’s deeper story. Inside, you’ll discover over 5,000 battlefield artifacts—uniforms, weapons, personal effects—many recovered locally, all arranged in chronologically and thematically organized displays to bring the events of December 1944 vividly alive.

Meet King Tiger #213

The tank you see is no replica. Known as Königstiger or Tiger II, this Sd.Kfz. 182 heavy tank was one of the fiercest weapons fielded by Nazi Germany—armed with an 8.8 cm KwK 43 gun and up to 100 mm of frontal armor, weighing nearly 70 tonnes.

Specifically, tank #213, built in October 1944 (chassis serial 280273), was a platoon command vehicle used by SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Dollinger around La Gleize. In its final moments, it exchanged fire with advancing US armored units before being abandoned when German forces withdrew.

While cosmetically restored—complete with a patched Panther gun barrel and muzzle brake—much of its original internals remain damaged or incomplete. Nonetheless, it is a rare survivor: the only King Tiger to remain on the battlefield since 1945.

A Wild Discovery and a Tank’s Redemption

In an incredible turn of events, the Sherman dozer tank that was in Danville had spent 21 years buried on the grounds of the Central Islip Psychiatric Center in New York. It was originally repurposed after WWII to move coal and rail cars across the hospital grounds. When the hospital transitioned to gas heating, the tank was deemed obsolete and was buried rather than disposed of. Years later, the American Armored Foundation (AAF) uncovered and rescued this historic machine—a true tale of “buried history reclaimed.”

From New York Grave to Danville Glory

The recovered tank made its way to the American Armored Foundation (Tank) Museum in Danville, Virginia. Housed in a massive, former tool plant spanning 330,000 sq ft, the facility had became home to one of the largest privately owned tank collections in America.

The AAF Museum in Danville is now closed and this tank has moved to an owner on the west coast.

This Sherman can be found at the Saumur Cavalry School, in Saumur, France. Not much in known about this tank but there is a great write done here, “The Liberating Kind” site. This site was heavily used by me and my family when we visited Europe in December 2024, to find the various road side tracks that can be found.

For decades, it has stood as a silent sentinel in Bangert Park—its olive-drab steel weathered by Missouri seasons, its history witnessed by hundreds of children climbing atop its hull and thousands of passersby along Florissant Road. Now, the Sherman tank in Florissant has a new monument telling the remarkable story of how it came to be here—and honoring the man who made it possible.

A Lifelong Florissant Leader

The monument is dedicated to James “Jay” Russell, a lifelong resident of Florissant and a man whose service to his community spanned decades. Born in 1928, Russell grew up in his family’s grocery store, Russell’s Grocery. In 1955, he married Delphie Mann, and together they opened BJ’s Bar and Restaurant, raising their children, Jeanne and Jim Jr., while running the business side-by-side.

A Career of Service

Russell’s commitment to public service began with his election to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1962. He served there for an impressive 18 years, including four years as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Among his many contributions, he played a key role in creating the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus. Russell also served as the first Lewis and Clark Democratic Committeeman from 1970 to 2008.

Beyond politics, Russell was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, a lifetime member of the American Legion, and a Fourth Degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 2951.

Bringing the Sherman to Florissant

In 1964, Russell—working with Congressman Karsten of St. Louis—secured a Sherman tank for the city. With the help of Dan Hamm and Larry Murphy, the tank was transported from Camp Crowder in Neosho, Missouri. Once in Florissant, Oscar Laramie of the Parks Department arranged for its placement in Bangert Park.

The Sherman tank, the primary U.S. battle tank of World War II, soon became a beloved landmark—a fixture of the park and a living piece of history.

A Lasting Tribute

Russell’s efforts to bring the tank to Florissant left a lasting mark on the community. In 2014, a monument was dedicated in his honor. Though Russell passed away on February 24, 2016, his legacy lives on—both in the tank that still stands at Bangert Park and in the countless civic contributions he made during his lifetime.

The new monument ensures that visitors will not only see the tank, but also learn the story of the man who brought it here—a story of dedication, service, and love for the community.