Part-restored Second World War M3 Grant to get its running debut at Tankfest
An M3 Grant tank, which is currently being restored, is to get its running debut at Tankfest 2025.
The vehicle will be part of the Second World War line-up at this year's event at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset.
The M3 has been acquired from the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum and has gone through "phase 1 restoration" ahead of the event.
It will take several years for the vehicle to be fully restored and become part of the Bannister Historic Armour Collection housed at the museum.
The M3 Medium was used by the British in North Africa during the war and was used against Rommel's forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942.
William Bannister, trustee of The Tank Museum, said: "The M3 Grant was first used in North Africa in May 1942, and was designed and built quickly as a vital stopgap until a tank that could fit a 75mm gun into its turret was ready.
"This vehicle is one of the very few working examples in the world in such good condition, and I'm delighted to be bringing it to Tankfest this year, where the public will be lucky enough to see its first test run.
"I would like to express my thanks to Rob Lowden of the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum for permitting this vehicle to come to the UK to augment The Tank Museum's historic collection of running vehicles from the iconic battles of the Desert War period of WW2."
The WW2 guest vehicle line-up for the event also features four other vehicles from the Bannister Historic Armour Collection.
An M8 Greyhound, M5A1 Stuart, M24 Chaffee and Centaur III, as well as John Pearson’s Valentine Duplex Drive, Chris Till’s M4A1 Sherman, and Duxford Aviation Society’s T34-85 will all be making an appearance.
The world's only running King Tiger from the Musée des Blindés in France will headline the event.
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