'Little Audrey' tank restored for 80th anniversary of D-Day

The Second World War Cromwell tank, known as Little Audrey II, is back on her plinth beside the A1065 near Mundford, at the entrance to Thetford Forest.

Little Audrey is lifted by a crane back onto her plinth (Image: Shaun Hindle)

She commemorates the men of the 7th Armoured Division (Desert Rats), who were stationed in Thetford Forest between January and May 1944, while they trained for the invasion of Normandy.

For more than two decades, Audrey had been battling the weather before the Friends of the Desert Rats decided to ship her off to Old Buckenham-based military vehicle specialist Shaun Hindle for repairs.

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Audrey's turret is removed ready for restoration work (Image: Shaun Hindle)

The tank was badly-corroded after two decades of exposure to the weather (Image: Shaun Hindle)

Little Audrey after work was completed (Image: Shaun Hindle)

"It was labour-intensive with the cleaning and things like that," said Mr Hindle, who has been restoring and operating military vehicles for more than 30 years.

"We took the turret off, sand-blasted it and repaired any corrosion. We inspected it to make sure it's not going to fall apart over the next 20 years, then it was lots and lots of paint and primer."

Little Audrey with (from left) Ian Paterson, treasurer of the Friends of the Desert Rats, military vehicle specialist Shaun Hindle, and Mickey Lee and John Wiseman, who were part of the overhaul team (Image: Shaun Hindle)

Audrey will be rededicated at a special service marking the 80th anniversary of the 7th Armoured Division leaving Norfolk for Normandy in 1944. 

Veterans and dignitaries from across the region will be in attendance at High Ash on Sunday, May 5 at 1pm, when there will also be military vehicles on display, along with a parade, marching bands and refreshments. The event opens at 11am.

TANKS PLAYED VITAL ROLE

Winston Churchill inspects a Cromwell tank at an unknown location during the war (Image: Public Domain)

The 7th Armoured was formed in North Africa in 1938 and took part in all the major battles of the desert campaign including El Alamein and the liberation of Tunis, before the division was recalled to England for the invasion build-up.

Around 160 tanks, which each had a five-man crew and a 72mm gun, were stationed in Norfolk in early 1944 while they trained for D-Day.

Their six-month stay at High Ash Camp was the only time the 7th Armoured spent in England during its entire history.

A Cromwell tank passes through ruins in the city of Emmerich, in northern Germany, as the Allies push towards Berlin (Image: Public Domain)

It sailed from Felixstowe on June 5, 1944 - the day before D-Day - with the first tanks landing on Gold Beach on the evening of June 6.

From there, the 7th Armoured took part in the Battle of Caen, before joining the Allied push through France, the Low Countries and Germany to Berlin, where they took part in the victory parade.