Bellwood in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, M7B2
circa November 2025
1. 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, M7B2 Marker
Crew: 7
Armament: 105mm Howitzer, Cal. 50 Machinegun
Characteristics: Length, overall 237 inches
Weight, combat loaded (approximately) 25-1/2 tons
Width, 113 inches
Height, 116 inches
Ground Clearance, 17 inches
Engine: Continental R975 C1, 9 Cylinder Radial, 400 horsepower, gasoline, air-cooled
Performance: Speed, 25 miles per hour
Fording, 3 feet, 5 inches
Graded Climb, 60 percent
Vertical Climb, 2 feet
Pitch Crossing, 7 feet, 5 inches
Remarks: This vehicle was named the "Priest" because the ring mount for the machinegun resembles a pulpit. The vehicle was used successfully by the British in the Battle of El Alamein during WWII. This vehicle saw extensive action in WWII and in the Korean War where it last served the U.S. Army. The 105mm Howitzer is mounted in a lightly armored hull on the chassis of the M3 tank.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, Korean • War, World II.
Location. 37° 25.849′ N, 77° 27.168′ W. Marker is in Bellwood, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It can be reached from North 4th Street 0 miles north
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: M41 Walker Bulldog (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site (about 600 feet away); F-84F Thunderstreak (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site
circa November 2025
2. 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, M7B2 & Marker
The marker is physically affixed to the vehicle and is visible on the shaded side here as the yellow rectangle. Since the other vehicles arranged on this row (presumably to hide the Photovoltaic Field in the background from sight of the road) do not have similar markers, or markers at all, this seems to be a holdover placed on the vehicle wherever it was displayed prior to being moved to DSC Richmond.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2025. This page has been viewed 59 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2025. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
