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Man Makes WWII Veteran Dad An Amazing Wheelchair Resembling A Tank (Video)

by Sean Levinson

A British man built his father a motorized wheelchair that moves like the tanks his dad battled in World War II.

According to Daily Mail, Peter Shaw, 60, decided to build the device after his father's conventional wheelchair got stuck on a beach.

It cost him the equivalent of about $776, with many of the parts donated by local businesses.

The wheelchair, which must be operated from behind, is powered by a 4.5 bhp Honda engine fitted into the rear of an old motorized wheelbarrow.

Peter said,

My dad was attacked by tanks during the Second World War -- so I thought it would be fitting to create him this. He never got chance to ride them but managed to fight one off with anti-tank missiles. Now this is his chance to have his own little tank.

The devoted son from Shropshire and three of his friends spent 30 hours creating the wheelchair in a single weekend.

It has a reverse function, goes up to 8 mph and features a seat taken from a van.

Eddie Shaw, 96, said he's "really pleased" with the wheelchair and since returned to the beach several times.

The great-grandfather of two was a sergeant who supplied fuel and ammunition to soldiers fighting in enemy territory, Daily Mail reports. In 1942, he used an anti-tank weapon to fend off German attacks in an Algerian minefield.

While the wheelchair does evoke memories of war, the veteran is thrilled with the device and can finally visit the Welsh countryside without trouble.

Citations: Son makes his war hero father a motorised vehicle with caterpillar tracks just like the real thing (Daily Mail)