A34 Comet Mk1 Model A ‘Celerity’

The A34 Comet emerged in 1943 as Britain’s answer to increasingly powerful German armor. Designed by Leyland Motors, it married Cromwell mobility with serious firepower: the new 77 mm HV gun capable of defeating Panthers and even Tigers. Powered by the Meteor Mk III, the Comet delivered exceptional speed, reliability, and agility qualities British crews had long awaited. Entering service in early 1945, it quickly earned a reputation as one of the finest Allied tanks of World War II.

The Comet at the center of BAIV’s story, registration T335335, serial B2-363—fought with the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment in 1945 under the name “Celerity.” During Operation Plunder, it demonstrated its lethal potential. On April 12, 1945, Comets of 3RTR engaged Tiger tanks from Gruppe Fehrmann near Essel. The following day, Comet crews pressed forward and knocked out the Tiger commanded by Oberleutnant Fehrmann. “Celerity,” driven by Trooper Dennis Frederick Pannell, was part of this action. Days later, her unit participated in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

In the mid-1970s, the tank resurfaced when the German Army recovered it from a training range to support volunteer efforts restoring the Münster Tank Museum’s Comet. Though ultimately not used as a donor, the volunteers brought T335335 to the UK, where it later entered the Isle of Wight Military Museum. Partial disassembly began, but the restoration stalled for decades.

In 2014, Ivo Rigter Sr. and Jr. discovered this Comet’s availability. Recognizing its extraordinary wartime pedigree and intact structure, they brought it to the Netherlands, marking the birth of BAIV’s tank restoration enterprise. The project included an unexpected treasure: a large cache of original Comet parts dating from wartime and early postwar service, making an accurate restoration achievable.

Between 2015 and 2016, BAIV invested 6,112 labor hours into the project. Every system, engine, suspension, hull, turret, wiring, interior, and armament, was restored to factory standard. The result was one of the most complete and authentic Comet restorations ever performed. Immediately after completion, the House of Tank Museum in Wichita, Kansas acquired the vehicle.

In September 2025, “Celerity” joined the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage, New York. Delivered by Joël Daniëls and Ivo Rigter Sr., the handover included full training, operational instruction, and detailed technical briefings to preserve this historic machine for future generations.

Today, “Celerity” stands as much more than a restored tank. It symbolizes British engineering excellence, wartime courage, and the origins of BAIV’s devotion to historical preservation. It remains a tribute to the tanker crews who liberated Western Europe, those who fought “with speed”, with resolve, and with unwavering purpose.