Only two American tanks that fought in the battle for Overloon in September-October 1944 still exist -- both from 31st Tank Battalion, U. S. 7th Armored Division, one from Company A and one from Company C (C/31) (Click here and see item 7 for more on these tanks). The Oorlogsmuseum (War Museum) Overloon displayed both tanks -- until the C/31 tank, nicknamed "Cookie" was suddenly sold in 2006 for use at a Canadian monument in Italy. This raised much concern with 7th Armored Division veterans and families. But after 12 years, local historians succeeded in arranging for the return of "Cookie" to Overloon.

It turns out that the information that we thought that we knew about these events was seriously wrong. After the press release below and the posting of erroneous information about the events of the sale on this web page and the main 7AD web page (which has also now been corrected), Iwan van Dijk, chairman of the Committee Sherman Tank Overloon, sent the following clarification:

Sherman Tank Cookie returns to Overloon

“A historical mistake will be resolved,” says chairman Iwan van Dijk of the Committee Shermantank Overloon.

After the restoration and placing of Sherman tank Able Abe in the Museum Square in Overloon in 2011, the committee put up a new goal in 2014. And now, 4 years later, they succeeded in reaching that goal. The Sherman tank nicknamed Cookie, which was used by the American 7th Armored Division (also known as the Lucky 7th) in the Battle of Overloon in 1944 and which after the war became an important eye catcher in the Overloon War Museum will return to Overloon. The tank will be swapped with the Sherman tank type M4A4 which has been part of the Overloon museum collection for some years now. In 2006 Cookie suddenly was sold by the Overloon War Museum to a group of Canadian veterans. The veterans would like to obtain a Sherman tank to be placed as a monument in the Italian city of Ortona. Late 1943 the Battle of Ortona took place and the Canadians lost many lives.

When selling the tank in Overloon, the name Cookie was changed into Athena. The tank was changed from American markings into the Canadian markings and after some time the tank was placed as a monument in the middle of a roundabout just outside the city of Ortona. Iwan explains: “Cookie’s sale led to a big commotion among the American veterans as well as among the citizens of Overloon. And also led to big comments on social media. Because how can one sell a symbol such as Cookie, a unique historical inheritance?

Apart from the fact that Cookie is one of the few relics of the Battle of Overloon, to be more precise it’s one of the only two Sherman tanks which remained at the battlefield of Overloon, there’s another important factor which was totally out of scope during the sale in 2006: the Canadians did indeed use Sherman tanks in the Battle of Ortona, but their Sherman tanks were of a different type than Cookie’s type. In other words: for years now in Ortona the wrong tank has been standing at the wrong place.” A thorn in the flesh of the committee who decided to investigate if a solution could be found, a solution all parties involved would be able to approve of.

Iwan: “On behalf of the committee my brother Arno and myself got in touch with all parties involved. Extensive contacts, deliberations and consultations with among others the Canadian Military Attaché, the ambassadors of Canada in Italy and of The Netherlands in Canada. We also got in touch with the American and Canadian veteran organisations en we had frequent contact with the City of Ortona and the mayor of Ortona.”

It was a big challenge to get all parties involved in the same ball park and after that on the same page, because every party involved had its own interests in this project. “Emotions must not be underestimated,” says Iwan. “A monument, even if it’s the wrong tank which has got nothing to do with the Battle of Ortona, appears to be of enormous value to many Canadian veterans and their next of kin. Hence there were some big hesitations concerning our plan, hesitations especially by the Canadian embassy and the Canadian veterans. There were moments my brother and I thought our plan would never be able to succeed.

It’s also a question of patience and finding the right channels to operate. During the last few months the hesitations of some requested project partners changed and all parties involved acknowleged that this wrong tank type does nog belong in Ortona.”

What is the next step in the process?

Iwan: “As mentioned we are talking about a tank swap, as we originally suggested without any financial transactions apart from the costs of transportation and lifting the tanks. The Overloon War Museum has another Sherman tank in their collection, but this Sherman tank is not an important piece of the collection and has no connection at all with the Battle of Overloon or the battle in The Netherlands in general. And this tank is the correct Sherman tank type the Canadians used in Ortona.

The Overloon War Museum will place the exact markings and signs on their tank as the markings which the Canadians placed on the tank Cookie/Athena in Ortona. The new Canadian tank will be transported from Overloon to Ortona and will be placed in the middle of the roundabout being the new and correct Athena.

Cookie will be brought back home to Overloon and will get back the name Cookie and the correct American markings and signs. Then Cookie is back where Cookie belongs: in the Overloon War Museum.”

It would be great when Cookie would be back in Overloon before the commermoration of the Battle of Overloon in October.

The plan of the committee, their negotiations and how they got all parties involved aboard of this project was received positively by the general manager of the Overloon War Museum, Erik van den Dungen. Mr Van den Dungen was the brand new general manager of the museum back in 2006 just after Cookie was sold and unfortunately was not able to stop the sale of Cookie at that time.

Iwan: “The museum has experience in these kinds of specialized transports, so that will turn out allright. We opened the doors to Cookie’s return and the next steps in the project will be taken care of by the museum and the project partners in Canada and Italy. The most important thing is that via this swap transaction a mistake can be resolved and all parties involved are happy with this solution. And via this transaction we will be able to honour Ortona, the Canadians, the Americans as well as Overloon.”