Yad La-Shiryon (officially: The Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun; ) is Israel's official memorial site for fallen soldiers from the armored corps, as well as one of the most diverse tank museums in the world. The cornerstone for Yad La-Shiryon was laid on .
The site was created through the initiative of veteran officers of the armored corps. The outdoor display includes 110 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, both Israeli and captured enemy examples including the Merkava and T-34, T-54, T-55, T-62 tanks, as well as vehicles obtained or purchased from allied nations specifically for diversifying the collection like the German Leopard tank or the only T-72 on display in Israel. Other notable items include: an M4 Sherman tank mounted high atop a former British water tower; a collection of mobile bridges constructed by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) which can be carried by tanks and erected while under fire; captured enemy vehicles, most of which Israel has modified and updated; a tank with a blown up gun; and a long, engraved commemorative wall bearing the names of Armored Corps soldiers killed in defense of the country.
Memorial site
The main building, a Mandate-era Tegart fortress, houses a library with a publicly accessible computerized record of every fallen Israeli tank soldier, and a synagogue. The deeply pocked outer walls of the fort are a reminder of the building's wartime past and its use by the Arab Legion. The tower of the fortress has been converted into a Tower of Tears by Israeli artist, Danny Karavan. The inside of the tower is covered by steel taken from a tank and water circulating from a pool underneath the installation trickles down the walls.
The museum also features a large amphitheater, an auditorium, and has photos, poetry, paintings and cartoons on display. Screenings are held regularly, showing both historical film footage and more recent tributes to Israelis injured and fallen.
The Wall of Names, erected outside, displays the names of all the soldiers from the Armored Corps killed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and later wars.
Tank on the tower
The most famous sight at Yad La-Shiryon is most likely that of a tank on top of a tower, which serves as the museum's logo. In 1979, by decision of late Major General (Ret.) Moshe Peled, the tank was hoisted on top of a tower on the site, which was originally used as a water tower. The tank that was chosen is an American M4 Sherman, one of the first tanks that fought in the service of the Israel Defense Forces. Since the water tower was only designed to support 25 tons and the tank weighed 34 tons, both the engine and transmission gears had to be removed.
Tank collection
Yad La-shiryon is famous worldwide for its unique and diverse collection of tanks and armored vehicles. There are over a hundred different vehicles in the collection.
Some of the tanks and military vehicles included are:
Israeli
Merkava mark I, II, III, IV and Namer
Nimda Shoet
Nodedet
"Timsach" (Gillois amphibious tank-carrier)
American
Diamond T truck
M24 Chaffee
M42 Duster
M3 Lee
M3 Grant
M3 Scout Car
M3A1 Stuart
M5A1 Stuart
M41 Walker Bulldog
M107 Self-Propelled Gun
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
M901 ITV
M551 Sheridan
M578 Light Recovery Vehicle
several variations of the M4 Sherman, including: Ambutank (Sherman Medical Evacuation Tank) Eyal observation post vehicle M4 Dozer M4A4 with FL-10 Turret (Egyptian variant) M50 and M51 Super Sherman (Israeli Variant) MAR-240 MAR-290 Sherman Crab M10 tank destroyer Several variations of the Patton tank including: M48 Patton M60 Patton Several variations of Magach - improved Israeli versions of the M48 and the M60 Several variations of US halftracks Willys MB jeep
British
17pdr SP Achilles
Alvis Saladin
Archer (tank destroyer) Cromwell tank FV 4101 Charioteer FV 4201 Chieftain Matilda tank Several variations of Centurion tank, including: Centurion Mk 5 Bridgelayer Centurion BARV Puma Sho't Ferret armoured car Light Tank Mk VI (Vickers) Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car Scammell Contractor