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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

The Haslingden Mk 1 Tank


Mark Hone

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My recent visit to the estimable Phillipe Gorczynski and the amazing remains of D-51 'Deborah' at Flesquieres reminded me of the hooplah that surrounded the supposed Mark 1 tank buried under a flowerbed at Victoria Park, Haslingden near Bury. They were going to locate it with ground radar, dig it up and present it to the IWM North. (Mind you, IWM didn't want HMS 'Bronington...). There was quite a lot about it in the local press and then all went deathly quiet. I assume it was a complete myth but can any reader throw further light on the mystery?

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Guest Pete Wood

Please can you tell me the latest situation with regard to the tank. I understood that there was some doubt(?) as to the identity of D51.

Is this tank now on public display, and if so - where?

If you get permission to dig up the flower bed, I'll bring a shovel.........

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The identity of 'Deborah' has been confirmed by David Fletcher of Bovington tank museum who must be the world's leading authority on WW1 tanks. The tank is currently kept in a Great War vintage barn in Flesquieres just outside Cambrai with some other artifacts. It can be viewed by appointment with Phillipe, who is a splendid fellow and owner of a hotel in Cambrai. He is raising funds to convert it into a proper museum and also unveil a memorial (apparently the largest Union Flag in France!) on Flesquieres ridge. I will give you his contact details if you e-mail me privately.

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Guest Pete Wood

If David Fletcher says it's D51 - then it must be so.

But why did people doubt this tank's identity? The little(!) I have read on the subject, it always made sense to me that it was Deborah.

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You will find a Paul Read site with some early doubts about the identification. Basically, it seemed strange that the tank was knocked out almost at the site of Flesquieres Hill cemetery, but was dug up at the opposite end of a mile long village. How & why was it moved? This remains a mystery, but the identification now seems indisputable, using the Heap family's photographs from 1917 and some forensic work on the tank number this summer.

People do seem to rather take Philippe's generosity for granted. He has put huge amounts of his own money into the project and I hope visitors are similarly generous to his collecting tin. It seems amazing that no British source is willing to put cash into his wonderful ideas for this greatly neglected area - imagine the Somme without any memorials apart from Cemeteries!

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