Lulubelle Finds Home at Michigan’s Military Heritage Museum

James Romans’ replica World War II tank makes its final turn from Wisner Street into Michigan’s Military Heritage Museum’s parking lot Wednesday.

By Jeff SteersJTV News

(August 16, 2023 4:26 PM ET) Parma resident James Romans said that he needed a project to fill his time when he retired in 1995.

But most people do not build life size World War II replica tanks made out of plywood.

On Wednesday Romans donated his World War II Lulubelle tank – an M3 Lee Tank as seen in the 1943 Humphrey Bogart film “Saraha” – to Michigan’s Military Heritage Museum, 311 N. Wisner Street, Jackson.

The replica tank barely fit into the southeast overhead door at the museum. Lulubelle was made from 3/4 inch plywood according to Romans.

For Romans – a mechanic and machinist by trade – it was a labor of love.

“It has been in a lot of parades and air shows,” Romans said. “I was going to build a miniature size tank for my grandkids, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted it to be close to the real size.”

Romans, 93, did not serve in WW II as he was too young, but appreciates the history that it represents.

Only two units of the U.S. Army ever used the Lee Tank and only for a brief time. One in North Africa during World War II – as depicted in the film – and the other on Makin Island in the South Pacific.

“I built it to let people enjoy,” Romans said. “It was also for the people who appreciate World War II history.

The tank had more than 700 rivets and nearly 600 track pieces. All of the pieces were handmade by Romans. There were no actual blueprints available, but a few scale drawings, photographs, and rough dimensions to complete the project.

Although the tracks, wheels, and sprockets move, they could not withstand the weight of the finished tank (2,850 pounds). Lulubelle rested on a wheeled frame which was hidden by the suspension.

The 75 mm and 37 mm cannons were shaped by gradually tapering plywood backbone – which was fitted with ribs at spaced intervals. PVC pipe inserts form the black opening at their muzzles.

The turret consists of fiberglass over wire mesh on a wooden frame that rotates 360 degrees.

Romans estimated the three-year project took more than 1,300 hours and $1,200 to complete.

Lulubelle will be on display at the museum for military enthusiasts to see. For more information, go to https://mimhm.org.