Two New Tanks for the Military collection
As part of our cooperation agreement with the South African Armour Museum we recently received two new display vehicles for our collection, a Comet Tank and a PT-76 Amphibious Tank.
As part of our cooperation agreement with the South African Armour Museum we recently received two new display vehicles for our collection, a Comet Tank and a PT-76 Amphibious Tank.
Sandstone’s close relationship with the SA Armour Museum goes back 22 years to January 2003 when this partnership was formalised. Brigadier General Andre Retief (Ret), then Officer Commanding of the School of Armour, was the driving force behind this partnership which has flourished to this day.
After suffering a major gearbox failure the White M5 Armoured Personnel Carrier is now back in action.
With a number of new acquisitions the stock list for the Military Collection has been updated.
Back from the brink
We recently brought a WW2 Canadian Military Pattern vehicle back from the brink as it was deemed unrepairable. However, we did not give up and it is now a runner as our story reveals.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Father and son, Harry and John Illsley, who donated the BM Volvo tractor to Sandstone early in 2022, have now made another very special donation to Sandstone, a Boer War Scotch Cart.
Interestingly, according to various online dictionaries, the name Scotch-cart is of South African origin and is defined as a small two-wheeled cart of southern Africa with a detachable or slanting panel at the back.
The name may have a connection with the design being thought to have originated in Scotland. With its Boer War military origin, this Scotch Cart will become a welcome addition to the Sandstone Military Collection.
We produce so much publicity material at Sandstone that we sometimes tend to forget what is in our archives. Some years ago we produced this introductory video on our Sherman which also includes archive footage of World War 2 etc. It was designed to be informative and will provide most people with an understanding of the importance of the Sherman.
The spectacular closing scene is the demolition of a house that we no longer required at Sandstone Estates in the Eastern Free State.
The Vickers QF 3.7inch anti-aircraft gun.
In many ways because of the significance of our 2ft narrow gauge railway in particular any other categories of preservation at Sandstone tend to be overlooked. One of the most significant of these is our collection of military vehicles which was assembled over many years in association with the SA Armour Museum in Bloemfontein. This arrangement is a very good example of a public private sector partnership which has worked well for both parties over the years.
With a number of new acquisitions the stock list for the Military Collection has been updated. This now includes a Dodge Ambulance, Whyte Half Track, Land Rover Wolf, Bedford Desert truck and a Diamond T tank tractor. We shall be featuring stories on the new acquisitions shortly. Click here to see complete list