Hedgerow cutters

[jgawne]

Yes I know, every book says Cullin invented them. However from digging I have been doing it seems a number of minds were doing similar htings (like the 29th Div prongs, and the 3rd Armored 'Greencutter') I found an officer from an engineer group who explained to me they had a meeting of a group of engineers and tankers and went over all the designs, selecting the cullen rhino as the best – then went into mass production.

 

From his unit record actually four men were decorated for the concept (the others officers), which leads me to beleive it was his idea.

 

However- I know someplace I read that Cullen tried to tell the press that it was not his idea, but that of a lt. in his unit who had been killed. I went through records and did in fact find only one officer (a lt.) who had been killed just prior to that time.

 

So my two part question is:

 

1. does anyone know where I saw this bit about him claiming it was originally the idea of a Lt. who had been killed?

 

 

2. Anyoe happen to know other units in Normandy that had their own hedge burting gizmo Before the mass adoption of thr Rhino? aside from the 29th Div. 747 Tank Bn, and 102 Cav -

 

 

3. By any means anyone happen to have anything liek cool private photos of them or something?

[captaxe]

Jon-

 

Belton Cooper of the 3rd AD, in "Deathtraps" claims that " a young soldier from a "nearby engineering battalion" came up with the idea. I'll post a pic I have a little later.

[captaxe]

Jon-

 

This is not a private photo (so you've likely seen it)-- I posted it on the forum several weeks ago. It is a Signal Corps photo that shows a 3rd AD Tank being outfitted with a hedgecutter on 7/26:

 

 

[jgawne]

For anyone that cares, that is the 3rd armored division's own version of the cutters modified from the Cullin pattern by W.O., Daouglas of the 3rd AD's maintanance bn.

 

In theory (THEoRY) any tank with that style should be from the 3AD.

[arclight]

Hi! I have some copies of photos taken by a tanker in the 805th TD Bn in Italy that show some shermans with a bulldozer attachment on the front. If you are interested, I could email them to you if you PM me your email address.

Regards,

Gary