chris.wight Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 I spotted this interesting photo in the Province of Ontario's archives, and according to the caption, it was taken in 1918. Does anyone know where this would have been? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 It is very similar to pictures shown of the various part of the Foster factory at Lincoln, more info can be found in the Foster's commemorative book, "The Tank and its development" which was reproduced by TEE Publishing in 1977. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 There is also another book available about tank production in Lincoln, although I have not read it and could not tell you if it was good or bad it may be of some use. LANDSHIPS OF LINCOLN Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 Theres a few tanks there waiting to roll of the line. Does anyone know how many tanks were produced on the British side during the war? Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 I've seen this picture before because it was taken in my town and there's a copy in the Tank Museum at Bovington with a caption giving the location as Wednesbury. It's a view of the "Long Shop" of the Old Park Works of the Patent Shaft and Axletree Company, Old Park Road, Wednesbury (then in South Staffordshire, now West Midlands.) Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 9 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 July , 2004 Thanks for the replies, everyone! Tom, is the building still standing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 Chris, No, it isn't, unfortunately. It was demolished within the lst few years, the last building to be cleared from the site, and the land is now occupied by a huge car-hypermarket. My uncle was a fitter and remembers occasionally getting a ride in tanks. There was a triangle of land nearby (now built on) where they tested them. The local library has in its local history collection some large 10" x 8" photos of tanks. I haven't seen these for some years now, but they were pictures of mayors from towns which had sponsored tanks, standing in front of "their" brand new machines, which had the name of the town concerned painted on the front. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham-McAdam Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 I can't look smart now, late in the day, after Tom spotted it, but I thought it looked a bit of a big shed for Fosters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 I've just looked in my copy of "A New Excalibur" and the picture I'm recalling isn't exactly the same one that Chris posted, although I think it's quite recognisable as the same place. It's on page 80 and another on page 81 if anyone would like to check. The caption in the book says it's at the Metropolitan Carriage Co.'s Birmingham works. The Metropolitan Carriage company owned the Patent Shaft's Old Park Works, Wednesbury, which is about 5 miles from Birmingham city centre. They may have called it their Birmingham Works to make it sound more important. The most recent company to do this was IKEA. Those who have passed by Junction 9 of the M6 will have seen the IKEA store at Wednesbury which until a year or so ago, had a sign saying "Welcome to IKEA Birmingham!" Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 Arm According to the data regarding tank production is as follows:- Vickers Mk1 Total 150 Mk2 Total 50 Mk3 Total 50 Mk4 Total 1,015 Mk5 Total 400 Whippet MkA Total 45 Hope this helps John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 I've seen this picture before because it was taken in my town and there's a copy in the Tank Museum at Bovington with a caption giving the location as Wednesbury. It's a view of the "Long Shop" of the Old Park Works of the Patent Shaft and Axletree Company, Old Park Road, Wednesbury (then in South Staffordshire, now West Midlands.) Tom Until I read this I had no Idea that the Old Parks Works was used in the Great War for tank production. I do know that it also served this function during WW2, as my father worked their during the second war. Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 9 July , 2004 Share Posted 9 July , 2004 This explains why one of the roundabouts on the (relatively) new Black Country Road - the diverted A41 - is the 'Patent Shaft Roundabout'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn_Hammond Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Arm According to the data regarding tank production is as follows:- Vickers Mk1 Total 150 Mk2 Total 50 Mk3 Total 50 Mk4 Total 1,015 Mk5 Total 400 Whippet MkA Total 45 Hope this helps John John That seems a very low number for the Medium A 'Whippet'. However, I will have no alternative figures at present - but I will look them up. Bryn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 I spotted this interesting photo in the Province of Ontario's archives, and according to the caption, it was taken in 1918. Does anyone know where this would have been? Contact the BBC, because if I'm not mistaken the same image (cropped) is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/lj/warslj/home_07.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 I've just noticed the crane gantry is further down the factory, but still think it's the same place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn_Hammond Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Arm According to the data regarding tank production is as follows:- Vickers Mk1 Total 150 Mk2 Total 50 Mk3 Total 50 Mk4 Total 1,015 Mk5 Total 400 Whippet MkA Total 45 Hope this helps John John That seems a very low number for the Medium A 'Whippet'. However, I will have no alternative figures at present - but I will look them up. Bryn I think the numbers for Whippets should be 200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 I think the numbers for Whippets should be 200. Agreed. There were also the following completed by the armistice: MkV * 579 MkV** 1 (actually this one was not fully completed until December 1918) MkVII 1 MkVIII (British type) 1 MkVIII (Liberty type USA hulls only) Estimated 30-40 (all built in November 1918) MkIX Infantry Supply Tank 23 Medium B 26 MkI Gun Carrier 48 (plus 2 Salvage variants so total 50) The highest quarterly tank production was in the 2nd quarter of 1918, at 507 tanks completed. The next highest production was 506 in the 3rd quarter of 1917. Some more orders were completed shortly after the armistice, but I haven't included these figures. Source is Devil's Chariots by John Glanfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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