Invaluable gift for La Martiniere: Russian origin T55 battle tank
LUCKNOW: La Martiniere College could not have asked for anything more on the eve of its Founder’s Day – the institution received a Russian origin T55 main battle tank ‘Chikara’ on Tuesday night.
Weighing 37 tonnes, it was inducted in the 42 Armoured Regiment in July 1973 and decommissioned in October 2012, said Adrian Michael, bursar of the college.
The batch of 1983 had procured the tank from the army and gifted it their alma mater.
“These trophies are not just a tribute to our gallant boys but a motivation for our students,” said college principal Carlyle McFarland while talking to HT.
It came all the way from Pune after travelling for 5 days since Thursday.
It reached college premises on Tuesday night. Four cranes of 15 tonnes each were used to download it from atop of a trailertruck.
The tank is placed on a raised platform in an open space that is now a part of college’s ‘memorial park’. “The battle tank requires good polishing and colouring to remove the rust,” said Michael.
After the Founders’ Day ceremony, present and past students of the college visited the memorial park to catch a glimpse of the ‘Chikara’.
They took photographs and posted it on social media, said Adrian Michael.
Two years ago, the college received a Gnat, a jet fighter from which Air Marshal Denzil Keelor (an old Martinian) wreaked havoc on the Pakistani army during the 1965 India-Pakistan War.
The college is expected to receive few more prized gifts.
The aircraft is one of the finest trophies of the war. The air marshal, who won several gallantry awards, including Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra, during his illustrious career, played a pivotal role in getting the Gnat for the college. The prized aircraft was brought all the way from Chandigarh for the ‘memorial park’.