Sherman Firefly project, help!

[Ronin0508]

www.shermantank.com may be able to help point you in the right direction

 

[Strangeday]

I understand the tank museum at CFB Borden has a number of parts for various models.

 

[Mr Wolverine]

Start searching the main British military collectors. I have been watching a series on YouTube that follows one of the major players/collectors and he has massive amounts of stuff. If the one you are buying has the diesel twin packs I’ve had the engines out of two Sherman’s for repair and tuneup and clutch replacement. I have a copy of the CDN operators manual if you would like one—Dieseldog!

A copy of any manuals would be useful, happy to pay what ever it cost. Will probable install a Cummins diesel or something similar so we are not afraid to drive her. Originally I think she would have been fitted with a Multibank but they are very scarce to find and expensive to rebuild.

 

[Donny Fenn1]

they can show up here from time to time....
good luck the Firefly is not common
http://milweb.net/classifieds.php?type=1

there are some interesting modernish vehicles here:
http://sw.co.uk/auctions/current/private-collection-of-wheeled-tracked-military-vehicles-spares-and-memorabilia-530/by,ordering?onlylive=true

 

[Mr Wolverine]

Hahahaha thats too funny. Gotta love that hollywood history.

Not doubting the capability of the Firefly are we?

Their effectiveness rapidly became legendary, as testified by the most enviable hunting scores of all Allied tanks. On 9 June 1944, Lt. G. K. Henry’s Firefly knocked-out five Panthers from the 12th SS Panzer Division in rapid succession during the defense of Norrey-en-Bessin. Other Shermans were credited with two more, out of a total of 12, successfully repelling the attack. On June 14, Sgt. Harris of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards destroyed five Panthers around the hamlet of Lingèvres, near Tilly-sur-Seulles, changing position in between. Even the most feared German top ace tank commander, Michael Wittman, was presumably killed by a Canadian Firefly. This famous action was credited to Ekins, the gunner of Sergeant Gordon’s Sherman Firefly from the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, A-Sqn. He destroyed three Tigers in a row, one of which was presumably that of Michael Wittman, near Cintheaux, in August 1944.

 

[Mr Wolverine]

Curious which variant, Firefly Vc, IC or Hybrid?

I am no expert on Sherman's, at least not yet, "my" Sherman was an M4A4 so I think she would be a Firefly Vc.

 

[Alpheus]

Try contacting the Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC) Historical Vehicle troop, they have a running Sherman. http://www.strathconas.ca/historical-vehicle-troop

 

[tootall]

The city of Cloverdale (BC) had one in front of the museum/rec Center that sat there for years. It was in very good condition. They did a Reno a few years ago and it disappeared. May want to contact Cloverdale and see where it went. It was part of a WW2 monument

It is being restored now.

 

[stencollector]

If I remember right... that gun barrel has a muzzle brake on it, so it's probably a high velocity tube. I couldn't tell you if it's a 17 pdr tube, tho...
The last I saw of it, the gun & mantlet was separated from the turret, and sitting a few feet in front of it.

Edit: Thinking about it a bit more, I suspect it's off an E8...

That gun is a 76mm off one of the post war Canadian M2A2E8s. The gun used to be mine, and my understanding is it has been sold to a collector in Alberta.