dgibson150 Posted 28 January , 2017 Share Posted 28 January , 2017 While looking into another Tank Corps issue, I noticed an article in an adjacent column in the Glasgow Daily Record of 17 August 1918. My mother was born in Dumbarton, so the article stood out. The text of the article is: DUMBARTON TANK INTERESTING LETTER FROM A CARDROSS OFFICER Provost Buchanan, Dumbarton, has received from the fighting line in France the following letter from Mr. (sic) H Stanley Montagu Baird, of Keppoch, Cardross -- "As a Dumbartonshire (sic) man, I feel I should like you to know that I have in the company under my command the Tank which bears the name Dumbarton, and proud I am of it. Unfortunately, I have no other Dumbartonshire (sic) officer to be the actual Tank Commander, but have allotted it to the next best, and that is a Stirlingshire man, Lieut (sic) W M Struthers. "I hope I can assure you that between us we shall uphold the honour of the good name Dumbarton, which we now carry with us, we hope, to a victorious defeat of the enemy." I have looked on the Landships site which shows that in the first day of the Amiens offensive, August 8 1918, a 2/Lt Struthers of 7th section commanded Tank 9118. The tank was KO according to the Landships write up of Tank 9118, and appears to have been salvaged and now may be in some museum in Russia. Major Baird HS is reported on the Landships site to have commanded an action of 4th Battalion on 5 October, so the 4th Battalion story seems to hang together. It is a nice story but it is a shame that the tank had probably been knocked out before the newspaper article was published. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 28 January , 2017 Share Posted 28 January , 2017 2 hours ago, dgibson150 said: ....I have looked on the Landships site which shows that in the first day of the Amiens offensive, August 8 1918, a 2/Lt Struthers of 7th section commanded Tank 9118. The tank was KO according to the Landships write up of Tank 9118, and appears to have been salvaged and now may be in some museum in Russia. ... This from a report - British Great War Tanks (downloadble as a pdf) - by Robert Scott recording details of his Visit to the 'Kublinka' tank museum & 9118 as part of his Winston Churchill Memorial Trust fellowship in 2007: September 12th Was picked up at the hotel at 10 Am. by Alexis a Russian with a very strong American accent the car ride to Kublinka takes about 90 minutes depending on the Moscow traffic, we drive past the Kremlin and the Red Square and we reach the museum about 11.45 Am. Were I get to see the mark V “composite tank” the 4 digit number of the tank is 9118 and like all the surviving tanks left in Russia and Ukraine it was part of Wrengels tank force in the Crimea. The tank looked in good condition although it had been painted several times the inside was intact with engine although it looked as if the engine had not been used for several years which was confirmed later by the museum staff. The six pounder guns were there but all the hotchkiss machine guns were missing. I asked the staff what the plans for the tank were and they wanted to repaint the tank in its original colours from England and could I do some research on the colours and I said “yes”. At least the tank is under cover away from the harsh Russian Winters... NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 29 January , 2017 Share Posted 29 January , 2017 (edited) That is a wonderful find; thank you Baird was definitely commanding B Company during the Battle of Amiens. I shall let Rob Martin (owner of Google Landships) know of your research. Edited 29 January , 2017 by delta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 29 January , 2017 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2017 (edited) I'm glad that you found it interesting Delta. Serendipity on my part. Spurred on by Nigel's post I had another go at the Russian Museum website and downloaded the attached picture of 9118 as it is now, presumably repainted, taking account of the research of the Robert Scott in post #2. I don't know if the result is what might have been expected. David I Edited 29 January , 2017 by dgibson150 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 29 January , 2017 Share Posted 29 January , 2017 (edited) Interesting paint scheme - not a traditional British pattern. The star is certainly not contemporary to its use in 1919. I will let others comment further Edited 29 January , 2017 by delta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 29 January , 2017 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2017 I can understand that the Russian star was not "original" , but would the rest be WW1 standard?? Like you Delta I await the others. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 30 January , 2017 Share Posted 30 January , 2017 I believe that most tanks on the Western Front in 1918 were painted a dull light brown and were not painted in a disruptive pattern after 1916. That said, the tanks sent out to Russian could have been repainted before they went into action This is said to be a picture of one of her sisters on arrival in Russia but that has been repainted too - see http://shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com/734797.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 30 January , 2017 Author Share Posted 30 January , 2017 David Fletcher's book on the Mk V tank includes the attached photograph which is described as having been taken in 1921 in Moscow. The current painting of the tank must have been based on this photograph, so nothing to do with ww1 Tank Corps practice. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 31 January , 2017 Share Posted 31 January , 2017 Well found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaylor Posted 2 February , 2017 Share Posted 2 February , 2017 (edited) David, many thanks for discovering this article - I am in touch with Lieut Struthers' granddaughter and I know she will be fascinated to see this (and to know that his tank still exists in Russia). The Battle History Sheet for this tank survives in the Imperial War Museum, showing that it suffered "General damage by fire" following a direct hit on August 8, 1918. Major Baird took over command of B (formerly No. 11) Company in January 1918, as described by his predecessor Major Watson in A Company of Tanks (though he names him only as "B.") John Edited 2 February , 2017 by johntaylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 3 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2017 I am so pleased that what I stumbled across is appreciated. It makes it so worthwhile. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 4 February , 2017 Share Posted 4 February , 2017 The Russian paint scheme is known as amoeba camouflage, for obvious reasons. After this tank was damaged on 8 August it went on to serve with 2nd Battalion, and on 18 September 1918 it was ditched in a sunken road under heavy fire. The tank was evacuated, and can be seen in this photo. It also sneaks into this image of Central Workshops - the painting over of the serial, possibly to make it less conspicuous is the only example of this practice of which I am aware. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garwood Posted 4 February , 2017 Share Posted 4 February , 2017 (edited) What did they use for tank recovery ? Steam ploughing engine winches or other such as the Holt tractors ? Cheers. Edited 6 February , 2017 by Garwood addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INW Posted 4 February , 2017 Share Posted 4 February , 2017 Tank 9118 is mapped as being 'knocked out' about a 1 mile north east of Iganacourt on the 8th August 1918. Major H.S.M. BAIRD is mentioned in this extract from the 4th Battalion Tank Corps War Diary. 12th October 1918. The Bttn. was ordered to send a company to the Inter-Allied School of Tank Training at RECLOSES near Paris. Company was made up comprising 15 Officers and 128 O/Rs under command of Major H. S.M. BAIRD. They proceeded by lorry via MANANCOURT to BLANGY where they refitted and then proceeded by train to RECLOSES. My Grandfather, Corporal George Harwood Wells 200728, was a member of this company. He recalled being at Recloses at the end of the war on 11th November 1918 in a taped recorded conversation. He said that they were going to train officers (Americans?) about tanks if the war had continued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 5 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2017 Sorry Gwyn, I don't understand what you mean by "It also sneaks into this image of Central Workshops - the painting over of the serial, possibly to make it less conspicuous is the only example of this practice of which I am aware." David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garwood Posted 6 February , 2017 Share Posted 6 February , 2017 In the workshop shot ,the number has been reduced to a white outline by painting the middle of the figures darker by the look of it. Hth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 6 February , 2017 Share Posted 6 February , 2017 22 hours ago, dgibson150 said: Sorry Gwyn, I don't understand what you mean by "It also sneaks into this image of Central Workshops - the painting over of the serial, possibly to make it less conspicuous is the only example of this practice of which I am aware." David Not sure what you don't understand. My use of the verb 'to sneak' is because the tank is in the photo but it's not the subject of it. The reference to the serial should be self-explanatory in that I know of no other example of a serial number that has been over-painted in this way. On 2/4/2017 at 15:31, Garwood said: What did they use for tank recovery ? Steam ploughing engine winches or other such as the Holt tractors ? Cheers. Tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garwood Posted 6 February , 2017 Share Posted 6 February , 2017 Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 6 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 6 February , 2017 (edited) Re post #17. Sorry Sidearm, I was looking for an elaboration on the "painting over", which I believe Garwood has (thank you, Garwood) explained. David Edited 6 February , 2017 by dgibson150 Reference post to which replied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntaylor Posted 6 February , 2017 Share Posted 6 February , 2017 Fascinating photos Gwyn - many thanks for posting. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgibson150 Posted 28 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2017 I have just revisited John Taylor's post of 6 Oct last year re an article in The Daily Mail, here. The Lieutenant Struthers, numbered 2 in the main photograph is the tank commander referred to above in post #1. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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