In Ieper (West Flanders) volunteers have restored Atilla, a 1960s tank that will go on show in the new tank museum planned for the former army barracks in the city. On Saturday, they took the vehicle, which can do up to 40 km/h, for a drive. ‘The steering wheel resembles that of a moped,’ one of the enthusiasts told VRT.
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Panzer Crew restores Cold War Atilla for new Ieper tank museum (VIDEO)
Colin Clapson
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The gun, Atilla, was named 55 years ago after the legendary 5th-century conqueror. ‘It was a solid statement meant to impress: it is among the heaviest conventional artillery guns from the Cold War,’ says Franky Bostyn, who runs the complex where the new ‘tank museum’ will soon open.
‘The mobile gun was all rusty and the engine was no longer working,’ explains Ine Charles. On her weekends she is part of the volunteer Panzer Crew team, the enthusiasts restoring old tanks.
‘Together with a lot of us, we sanded down the whole vehicle, till we drew blood. A lot of parts had to be taken out for repairs. The tank was given a new coat of paint and the engine works again. It’s as good as new. It’s quite powerful.’
‘The gun can’t shoot anymore,’ explains Pieter Gouwy from Nieuwpoort. ‘I worked on it for about 10 weekends, mainly on the mechanics and the electrics. I have some experience through my garage. There I work on Japanese sports cars from the 1990s. Being self-employed, my time is limited, but I enjoy the voluntary work.’
Pieter demonstrated his driving skills on Saturday. ‘It is quite simple to drive, but everything rattles and makes a lot of noise. You can accelerate and brake, the automatic gearbox does the rest. The steering wheel looks like one from a moped.’
