In a remarkable way, the Land Forces Training Centre and the Armoured Weapons Museum commemorated the 68th anniversary of the end of World War II. A T-34/85 tank was excavated and secured at the military training ground in Biedrusko, Poland.

Several decades ago, the military positioned a dozen tanks along an infantry training range, where soldiers practised fighting tanks at close range. Most of these vehicles were removed in the late 1980s, but for reasons that remain unknown, one tank was left behind, according to Maciej Boruń of the Friends of the Armoured Weapons Museum.

An Abandoned Wreck

Major Waldemar Niwald, an instructor at the Land Forces Training Centre, informed museum supporters of the wreck’s exact location. With permission from the commander at Biedrusko, a team went to inspect the abandoned tank.

“It turned out to be a wartime production model built in February 1945 at Factory No. 112 in Gorky. It was also in quite good condition,” Boruń explained.

A Swift Recovery Operation

The discovery was reported to the commander of the Land Forces Training Centre, and events quickly gathered momentum. According to Boruń, the colonel acted swiftly and decisively because there was a risk that third parties might strip the wreck for parts.

On Wednesday, starting at 9 a.m., soldiers and heavy recovery equipment arrived at the Biedrusko training ground to retrieve the tank. Despite the difficult terrain and the fact that the wheels and track on the tank’s left side were jammed, the operation was completed efficiently, Boruń said.

The recovered tank was transported to the Land Forces Training Centre, where it will undergo initial cleaning before being put on display at the Armoured Weapons Museum.