
US Army 57 MM Anti Tank Gun Memorial - Maple Shade, NJ
N 39° 57.343 W 074° 59.816
18S E 500261 N 4422842
The first object one would see visiting this memorial is this artillery display placed in the foreground of the memorial. It marks the beginning of the Maple Shade War Memorial. It is located at the intersection of Main & Fellowship Roads.
Waymark Code: WM61AT
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 03/16/2009
Views: 8
What a wonderful memorial this is! There is a compass rose at the center of this memorial. This compass is large & spread out it might go unnoticed. It's part of the centerpiece which leads to the Maple Shade war memorial located in the center of town. Each compass letter is gold & rather large, all in their fixed appropriate position. There are also several paths lined on the right and left with donated pavers which helped support and pay for the memorial, surrounding the rose.
n the center of this compass rose is a circular, mulched area with a flag pole rising out of the center. There are various bronze war medallions stuck in the earth representing all of our wars dating back to the Revolutionary War. The Letters are attached to the concrete which makes up the bulk of the walkways which all lead to the memorial stone. The main memorial was dedicated in 1954 but I have a strong feeling the rest to the components, especially the rose were added as the years went by and more funds became available.
The local VFW, post 2445, is a stone's throw away and they are also responsible in the realization of this memorial and also have the same exact anti tank gun situated in front of their building. The United States Army adopted the the British QF 6-pounder 7 cwt (also known as 6 pdr) as their primary anti-tank gun under the designation 57mm Gun M1. This British anti tank gun was also a 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II.
This weapon was in service from 1942–1960. It was produced from 1941–1945, after being designed in 1940. It takes a crew of 6 and has a maximum range of 5,000 yards. It was only used in World War II.
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