Bomb: This Canadian tank fought from D-Day to VE Day

Sherbrooke Fusiliers crew with a Sherman tank [most likely Bomb], which landed in France on D-Day, Zutphen, Netherlands, 8 June 1945. Ken Bell / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / a130490-v6

By Shannon Morrow, Army Public Affairs

Sherbrooke, Quebec — Bomb was the only Canadian tank to survive from the day Allied forces landed on the beaches of France (D-Day, June 6, 1944) to the final day of the war (Victory in Europe, or VE-Day, May 8, 1945).  

Bomb was built at General Motors’ Fisher Tank Arsenal in Flint, Michigan and belonged to the 27th Armoured Regiment (now known as Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke). Bomb’s name was inspired by the stylized golden grenade on the Fusiliers’ cap badge.

From victory to preservation

The tank was retrieved from a Belgian scrapyard and sent to Canada after the war. Today, Bomb is preserved at the William Street Armoury in Sherbrooke, Quebec. It was originally on display at the Champs-de-Mars Park, also in Sherbrooke Quebec, before being restored and moved to Armoury in 2011.

The tank actually made it home to Canada before Lieutenant Walter White of West Gore, Nova Scotia, one of Bomb’s commanders, as he was still in a European hospital when the war was over.

Bomb was assigned to B Squadron of Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke. While preparing for the invasion of France, the regiment changed to newer Sherman tanks. In B Squadron, all tanks were given a name that started with ‘b’, such as Barbara and Bohunk.

Bomb’s original crew was led by Crew Commander Sergeant Harold Futter. Bomb was driven by Lance-Corporal Rudy Moreault and Trooper “Red” Fletcher.

Trooper A.W. Rudolph acted as gunner and Trooper J.W. (Tiny) Hall was the loader.

Sherman tanks were built to be fast and agile, with thin armor and a lighter gun than older tanks had used. It could fit five crew members snugly inside.

Rolling across France liberating Allies

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Bomb landed at Juno Beach with Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke. Soon after arrival, the tank fought in two German-occupied villages, Authie and Buron, and the crew was ordered to occupy those villages.

Battles intensified in Normandy, as German Panzer and Schutzstaffel units tried to destroy the beachhead while the Allies tried to break out of it.

Bomb fought around Caen, participated in the seizure of the Bourguebus Ridge and the capture of the city of Falaise.

After the Allied breakout from the beaches, Bomb travelled 2,500 kilometres across northwestern Europe, aiding in the liberation until the end of the war.

Crew Commander Sgt Flutter and driver Tpr Red Fletcher were wounded in Normandy by shell fragments.

In the Netherlands, Lt White of took command of the tank and led B Squadron from inside Bomb.

Who would have thought it could float?

After aiding in the fight of the Hochwald Forest in Germany, Lt White led Bomb to the banks of the Rhine River.

Since the ground was muddy and wet (which was difficult for tanks to traverse), the crew improvised – they made Bomb amphibious. By sealing all openings on the tank and wrapping it with compressed air hoses, they were able to float across the Rhine, surprising the Germans from behind.

A few weeks later in Deventer, Netherlands, Lt White was injured when shrapnel struck his leg.

Lieutenant Ernest Mingo of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia took command of Bomb and pressed on. The regiments cleared German army units along Ijsselmeer and through northern Netherlands before pushing into Germany.

The war ends with the crew still aboard

In the final days of the war, the crew fought off German attacks until finally, in the border town of Emden, Lt Mingo received a call over the tank’s radio: the war was over.

Bomb had fired 6,000 rounds in battle by VE Day and had survived two hits from enemy shells but never missed a day of fighting. Though it had suffered some damage through the action, all repairs were done by the crew aboard.

Bomb is the only Canadian tank to have  seen action from D-Day to VE-Day.