NigelS Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 I suspect that this British Pathe footage of the Batley presentation tank being moved to its final resting place is well known to tank enthusiasts, but I wondered whether this particular delivery was somewhat more spectacular than the norm? http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=29273 NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 Batley was somewhat non standard in a number of respects - the tank was a Mk III female not the usual Mk IV female. The arrival of the tank was usually more sedate. Typically the tank arrived at the nearest station by train and unloaded. The sponsons would be swung out and locked in place. The tank would then move off to the site appointed for the presentation where speeches would be made by local politicians and the officer delivering the tank. These were sometimes delivered from the top of the tank. It looks as if there was a basic script for the officer - certainly some of the jokes got repeated from presentation to presentation. If the tank was intended to be kept somewhere else it would then be driven to its resting place where crewmen removed the drive chains. The crew would then catch a train back to base. All done on the same day. In the Batley case the unloading process would have taken longer as the sponson's on the Mk III had to be transported on a separate truck and then bolted onto the tank. It's possible that the presentation couldn't be done the same day and this may have allowed some time to be used for a demo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 Very interesting - thanks for posting. For Tank Spotters - although fitted with Mark IV sponsors this tank seems to have no silencers fitted and the exhaust seems to be flowing past Mark I style projections. Any thoughts Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 Very interesting - thanks for posting. For Tank Spotters - although fitted with Mark IV sponsors this tank seems to have no silencers fitted and the exhaust seems to be flowing past Mark I style projections. Any thoughts Stephen Yes its a Mk III fitted with Mk III sponsons see my post above. Its 2 digit HS number confirms this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 Many thanks - should have waited a couple of minutes before submitting my initial post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 interesting clip. One does wonder if it could have taken an easier route but went that way to show the assembled crowd what tanks could do cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 I suspect the presence of a movie camera may have had something to do with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 27 December , 2009 Author Share Posted 27 December , 2009 Thanks for the comments; I did find a another photo taken some years after on this site http://www.kirkleesmodelboatclub.org.uk/wilton_history.htm (even though a clue to its location is given in the caption it does take a bit of spotting!) There is further footage of tanks on the British Pathe site; these are some of the more interesting: COVENTRY TANK WEEK 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76433 COVENTRY'S TANK WEEK PART 1 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76467 COVENTRY'S TANK WEEK PART 2 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76468 JULIAN, THE RECORD BREAKING TANK 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76438 LLANDUDNO RECEIVES A TANK (aka A PEACEFUL END) 1920 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=27847 TANK AT DUDLEY 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=77655 TANK BANK 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78451 TANK BANK - WAR FUND RAISING 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76321 TANK IN LONDON 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=77602 NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 December , 2009 Share Posted 27 December , 2009 A mixed bunch. The last clip described as a tank in London is not what it seems. The tank is in fact a touring tank that went round the USA and Canada in 1917 & 1918, at least two of the crew in the clip appear in other photos in North America. Crushing a car is in fact part of the act that was used in many towns and cities from the East to the West coast.. Numerous celebrities were involved including four US presidents past present and future (Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, Coolidge and Eisenhower) and showbiz types (including Irving Berlin) and it appeared in a play on Broadway! I'm trying to write a book on it but finding difficulties filling in a few gaps. The clip I suspect was made in Canada, one possibility might be London Ontario as there is a gap between its appearance in Hamilton (where it crushed a box car) and in Toronto where it crushed a different car to the one in the clip. However I can so far find no record. The tank is unusual in being a Mk IV female with a hatch in the cab roof, however one theory is that it is in fact an ex supply tank converted back to female configuration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 NigelS, Thanks for posting these links. I was particularly interested in the Batley and LLandudno ones. Centurion has already commented on the Batley one but Llandudno is interesting as well. It also shows HSN 27 on the tank which indicates a training machine. However it clearly has the unditching rail fitted and, if I am correct, faintly has the outline of service stripes on the front horn. This suggests it went overseas at one point. I also deduce from this that the tank was presented in January 1920 and I know it ended up on Marine Drive. Does anyone have any further details of when it was presented and more importantly when it was removed? Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 NigelS, Thanks for posting these links. I was particularly interested in the Batley and LLandudno ones. Centurion has already commented on the Batley one but Llandudno is interesting as well. It also shows HSN 27 on the tank which indicates a training machine. However it clearly has the unditching rail fitted and, if I am correct, faintly has the outline of service stripes on the front horn. This suggests it went overseas at one point. I also deduce from this that the tank was presented in January 1920 and I know it ended up on Marine Drive. Does anyone have any further details of when it was presented and more importantly when it was removed? Tanks3 A number of training machines had unditching rails as photos show. Whats more interesting is that the Llandudno machine appears to have a two digit HSN which would indicate a Mk III but this machine appears to have a Mk IV sponson. One explanation that has been suggested elsewhere is that the poster on the side hides the last digit of a 3 digit number in the 200 range. This would be consistent with a Mk IV training machine. I am not 100% convinced (but almost). There is a photo of the tank installed at the foot of the Great Orme but unfortunately the number cannot be made out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 The clip 'Record Breaking Tank' is Blackpool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Supporting the hypothesis that the Llandudno tank has the last digit of its HS number obscured is the vitally important fact that the first digit is a "2". All known Mark IV Females with HS numbers have three digit numbers starting with a 2. If Llandudno's tank's number started with a different digit the case for the last digit being obscured would be completely undermined. There are at least another two photos showing the tank at Marine Drive, but in none can the number be seen. Possibly the tank had been repainted. People who stick posters on tanks really do cause confusion - Kill Bill (Posters)?! Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 People who stick posters on tanks really do cause confusion - Kill Bill (Posters)?! I think they were in league with the guys who stood just in front of the vital serial number and/or detail in so many photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks3 Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 So again I ask is there anyone who can throw more light onto the matter? Maybe there is a newspaper report of the tanks arrival and removal with pictures? Tanks3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 By a chance of good fortune I'll be in Conwy and Colwyn Bay at the end of January with the job. I have an afternoon free so if I can get over to the records office (in Llandudno) I'll see what can be found. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 29 December , 2009 Share Posted 29 December , 2009 By a chance of good fortune I'll be in Conwy and Colwyn Bay at the end of January with the job. I have an afternoon free so if I can get over to the records office (in Llandudno) I'll see what can be found. Gwyn My old job took me to Llandudno one January, I was there for a week. I wouldn't describe it as good fortune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 30 December , 2009 Share Posted 30 December , 2009 Thanks for the comments;) TANK BANK 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78451 TANK BANK - WAR FUND RAISING 1914 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76321 NigelS The first of these is Nelson in Sheffield Dec 1917 The second is Julian on its first Scottish tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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