UK Farmer Unearths WWII Amphibious Assault Tank That Disappeared 74 Years Ago

Epoch Times ^ | 5-17-21 | JENNI JULANDER

[dynachrome]

A Crowland, UK, farmer recently dug up an amphibious WWII military vehicle that was buried under 30 feet of earth. Now, he is working to restore the Buffalo LVT-4—once thought to be lost to history.

An excavation involving 50 men to exhume the tank in Lincolnshire Fens has afforded farmer Daniel Abbott the opportunity to restore and display the vehicle, which, for him, has become a passion. For the past three years, Abbott has been searching for the 20-ton amphibious assault vehicle, which itself has been buried for the last 74 years.

“There were a lot of rumors flying around about the Buffaloes not being there. People told me that they’d all been recovered,” he said. “But I remember as a young child my great-grandparents telling me there were amphibious vehicles around the site.”

[dynachrome]

I want one!

[dynachrome]

[BBQToadRibs2]

Finders keepers?

[Red Badger]

Gonna need a bigger car wash.........................

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Rather doubtful in Merry Olde England.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

How does something get buried in 30 feet of dirt?

[dynachrome]

host a pic

[dynachrome]

Big flood. 14 washed away.

[rktman]

Guess it’ll need to be converted to wind or solar.

[Rurudyne]

If it was a car found in a lake I’d say insurance fraud.

[Yardstick]

That thing is actually fairly modern looking for its vintage.

[PeterPrinciple]

Abbott studied WWII records, scoured the area, and eventually found the machine—which once had been part of a 30-vehicle operation to build a temporary dam. But in 1947, the Buffalo was washed away along with 14 other vehicles in a flood, and has been missing ever since.

[cweese]

"How does something get buried in 30 feet of dirt?"

My initial guess would be that that area was once swampy or subject to a great amount of rainfall. Coupled with the weight of the buffalo, it might've just sunk.

[posterchild]

Doesn’t the Queen own everything deeper than 6 feet?

[BenLurkin]

[rdl6989]

I asked myself the same question.

[BenLurkin]

https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/LVT-4_Water_Buffalo.php

[rdl6989]

But in 1947, the Buffalo was washed away along with 14 other vehicles in a flood, and has been missing ever since.

[Yardstick]

Whoops, scratch that - I read the headline as WWI. It looks about on par for a WW2 era design.

[PGR88]

Reminds me of the guy who claimed that a 100+ brand-new pristine spitfires and hurricanes were buried in the jungle of Burma in 1946, and he was going to find them.