Tanks (Demonstration Regiment) on display

[bayonetman]

Found a photograph that shows two tanks that were in my home town on September 7, 1943 for a Labor Day celebration and war bond fund raising event. The photos show a M3 and M4 and a Jeep (called a Peep in the newspaper article). I have included a couple of cropped closeups for those interested in clothing and insignia in use. I note that the tank crews are carrying M1917 revolvers in M2 holsters.

The following is from the newspaper article that accompanied this photo in the paper - Parkersburg News, Tuesday September 7, 1943.

"Brought here with Army crews and a guard contingent commanded by Lt. Damron, the battle vehicles were seen by thousands of Wood Countians, both at the Park and during frequent jaunts through the business streets of the City. At noon, sirens wailing, they were parked in front of the Chancellor Hotel at 7th and Market Streets for the inspection of delegates to the State Convention of the American Legion and Auxiliary."

That location is where the photo was taken.

[Johan Willaert]

Jeep (called a Peep in the newspaper article

 

Great picture, thanks for posting...

 

Armored units typically called the Jeep a Peep, a name that stuck throughout WW2...

[Jim Baker]

GREAT photos!! Thanks for posting these. I like stuff from the Armored School and Demonstration Regiment.

[Sabrejet]

Great to see those HBT coveralls complete with Armored patch over the heart!

 

Sabrejet

[Johan Willaert]

What town was this picture taken in?

[Sabrejet]

I can't quite make out the number/letter on the patch. Is it "S" for the Armored School, or a "2", as the 2nd Armored favoured patches worn in that position?

 

Sabrejet :think:

[bayonetman]

Sorry, I meant to name the town but forgot. Parkersburg, West Virginia.

The letters on the Armored Patches are DR (Demonstration Regiment). I have one of them. a friend of the family attended and he somehow got one for me (and I was only 2 years old at the time).

[Sabrejet]

Sorry, I meant to name the town but forgot. Parkersburg, West Virginia.

 

The letters on the Armored Patches are DR (Demonstration Regiment). I have one of them. a friend of the family attended and he somehow got one for me (and I was only 2 years old at the time).

 

 

"DR"...of course! You've got a great patch there with cast-iron provenance. Thanks for posting it.

 

Ian :thumbsup:

[Johan Willaert]

Thanks, so they even stencilled the name of the town on the Jeep windshield....

[Jim Baker]

Thanks, so they even stencilled the name of the town on the Jeep windshield....

 

Probably for the parade. Bond drives were a big deal.

[1944]

Excellent Pictures there and Thanks for sharing them with us, Very Intresting :thumbsup:

[HoovieDude]

Thats a great picture!! Reminds me of when I was on recruiting in eastern Iowa, and borrowed a M3 BFV from Rock Island Arsenal. Drove it all over town, in a parade, high schools, helped a local Vietnam vet store owner on his cable commerical and almost sank it in the Mississippi River, that was a very nerving couple of seconds when fate was deciding which way I was going... :nerv0003: Hate to think how I woulda explained that one

[Jeeper704]

A really interesting photo of the Demonstration Regiment.

Too bad we can't see the markings on the tanks, but they're similar to the one on the peep.

 

Erwin