The Holy Roller Sherman Tank: London, ON

The Holy Roller is a Sherman tank used by the London, Ontario First Hussars during World War II.

Captain Neil ~ "The Holy Roller's Hero" ~ helped to maintain and repair this storied tank during its time in Europe, and he had pivotal role in it coming to Canada following the conclusion of the war. After the Holy Roller was sent to a boneyard, Captain Neil tracked it down and retrieved it. The tank was subsequently brought to Canada, and it currently serves as a memorial at Victoria Park in London, Ontario.

Dedicated to the First Hussars, the Holy Roller is the only tank from its regiment to complete the North-West Europe Campaign ~ from D-Day to VE Day. This is mentioned on a plaque that is mounted to the Holy Roller.

An article in the May 11, 2006 edition of the London Free Press provided details on the Holy Roller's journey to Canada, and the new logistics building at Wolseley Barracks that was named after Captain Neil for his recovery of 51 stranded tanks from a muddy minefield. One of them was the Holy Roller.

The Holy Roller also makes a brief appearance in the opening level of Activision and Treyarch's World War II game Call of Duty 3. It can be seen in the following video clip around the 10 second mark: View video »