French bomb disposal experts were called to Chartres, 55 miles south west of Paris, to ensure the machine was safe following its discovery by French council workers.
The M5 light tank is removed from a hole in the road in Chartres, northern France
The road workers found the machine during routine repairs and a mechanical digger was brought in to uncover it further.
Experts believe the tank is an American M5 and residents said they remembered it entering the town in 1944 as part of a liberation force.
Bomb disposal workers ensured the tank was safe before removal
It was said to have either run out of fuel or slipped its tracks during a reconnaissance mission for the 31st Tank Battalion.
The light tank was then abandoned, leaving locals to bury it after the war.
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