Norm Brown recalls his days as a tank mechanic

Hauling crashed and blown-up Sherman tanks from the front lines was all in a day's work for Norm Brown and his fellow U.S. Army buddies during World War II.

Brown, a 123-pound tool and die maker from Chicago, found himself working with these heavy, armored behemoths throughout his tour of duty in Europe.

Brown, a tank mechanic, was part of a three-man crew who shuttled the Shermans around on an M-25 truck-trailer, “the biggest land vehicle in the U.S. Army,” Brown said.

Brown said this was during the Battle of the Bulge, in northeastern France.

The men also brought working tanks to designated areas behind the front lines.

Brown was responsible for driving the new or refurbished tanks off of the 60-foot long trailer and delivering it to the men who would be using it in battle.

Sometimes his crew had to get close to the front lines and had to be on the alert for potential enemy attack.

But it wasn't always easy to get in and get out of an area, Brown said.

“I had to get somebody to sign for the truck,” he said, bemoaning the military's preoccupation with paperwork.

The tank was operated by hand-brakes, which meant he had to get down inside the tank in order to drive the vehicle.

To save time, Brown learned to control the brakes with his feet, hang out on the side of the tank, and try to get a quick signature before running back to the M-25 and his crew.

“I didn't give a damn if a German prisoner signed it,” Brown said.

Brown tinkered with the engine of the M-25 to improve its performance.

The truck-trailer would top out at 35 mph — too slow for Brown.

He disengaged the governor that controlled the vehicle's speed.

“So we would go faster and get us out of there,” he said.