The Trust offers financial assistance to individuals or groups to carry through restoration or improvement projects to completion. The Trust also invites enquiries about sponsoring one or more Awards.
Daniel Abbott
The winter of 1946/7 was one of the coldest and longest ever recorded in this country, and in meteorological circles has attained almost mythical status.
When the thaw came so did a huge amount of rain, which with the melting snow, frozen ground and numerous tidal surges caused many rivers to burst their banks, including the Welland in Lincolnshire, close to the small town of Crowland. Large areas of farmland were flooded and the town was under threat.
Drastic times called for drastic measures, and the breach in the Welland was sealed by driving Buffalo amphibious armoured personnel carriers into it, initially 16 and then a further 12. These vehicles which had previously been used in the crossing of the Rhine were now buried in the river bank, and enabled it to be stabilised with stone brought in on a specially laid railway line.
75 years later Daniel Abbott, a local historian, decided it would be good idea to locate, recover and restore one of these Buffalo vehicles and he assembled a team to do just that. On 1st May 2021 one vehicle was removed from its burial place and after getting rid of three quarters of a century of mud, restoration could begin. Spare parts, most of them unused and still crated, like two engines from USA and new tracks from Holland, have come in from many directions, and support has come from local organisations such as Crowland Cranes and national organisations like the David Brown company.
The project has been thoroughly documented and has generated interest on a scale far greater than first imagined. Since recovery, the Crowland Buffalo has gained wide-spread fame, Daniel continues to promote the ongoing restoration and give regular talks about the floods of 1947 and the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) involvement to numerous groups, including Roundtable, military veterans and local schools. You can learn more about this amazing story on the Crowland Buffalo LVT web site - Click here
This is an ambitious project led by a determined and resourceful local man, our preservationist of the year 2022, Daniel Abbott.
Pictured above: top the breach in the rivr Welland in 1947, bottom left the Buffalo LVT 47 being recoverd after 75 years, bottom centre the LVT after inital cleaning and bottom right the reassembled and restord LVT.
The National Transport Trust makes loans to groups, associations and individuals at advantageous rates for the restoration of artefacts - whether mobile or part of the infrastructure. Applications must be supported by a simple business plan which demonstrates the financial viability of the project. A sample business plan is available on request from the Treasurer.
The Trust does occasionaly make Awards for schemes which further the preservation movement. Again if you wish further information please contact the Treasurer.