Thanks to generous support from the Friends of the Canadian War Museum (the Friends) and individuals from across Canada, an extraordinary new artifact has arrived at the Museum — one that’s both rare and rich in history. The M4A2 Sherman Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV) is a specialized armoured vehicle that can be used to help tell Canada’s D-Day story. Only five of these vehicles are known to exist, and this will become the only Sherman BARV on display in North America.
The hull of the BARV was donated by The Tank Museum in the United Kingdom, and the Friends made its journey to Canada possible. Now safely at the Canadian War Museum, it’s ready to begin a new chapter, one that involves careful restoration and — eventually — display in the LeBreton Gallery alongside our impressive lineup of military vehicles.
Photo: Courtesy of The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK, 2286-E3
The War Museum is one of the only institutions in Canada with the expertise to fully restore these types of complex military vehicles. We are excited to be able to bring this into our collection and begin the painstaking restoration of this rare vehicle, which will help us tell the story of Canada’s involvement in the Normandy landings and subsequent beach operations.
Originally designed for amphibious landings, BARVs played an important role on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), helping Allied forces clear the beaches of Normandy. These vehicles could operate in water up to three metres deep and were used to move damaged or broken-down equipment that was obstructing the shoreline. They were later used during the Rhine River crossing in 1945 and remained in service with British forces until 1963.
This particular vehicle was recovered from the gunnery training firing range on Salisbury Plain in England and had been stored at The Tank Museum in Bovington, UK, since 2009. Its exact wartime story is still being researched, but its significance is clear. During cleaning and preparation for shipment to Canada, some original markings were revealed, which will be key to discovering its service history.
Restoring the BARV will be a long and meticulous process, and it will be several years before it’s ready for public viewing. However, once restoration is complete, the BARV will be a standout addition to our collection, offering visitors another compelling glimpse into Canada’s military history and the remarkable machines that helped shape it.
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