Musée Pegasus Memorial, Centaur Infantry Support Tank.

Centaur Infantry Support tank, fitted with a 95mm Howitzer and not an anti-tank gun, Centaurs were used by the Royal Marines in the close support role. This particular tank stood for many years opposite the Cafe Gondrée at Benouville, the first French house to be liberated in Operation Deadstick, part of Operation Tonga which was the opening act in the Allied Normandy Invasion late at night on 5 June, 1944. Nowadays the tank has been acquired by the Musée Pegasus Memorial where it has been restored. Peter Evans kindly pointed out that the compass bearings on the turret were designed to allow the crew to take reference positions for targets on the beach while they were still on the landing craft.