Imperial War Museum Tank

[Khaki]

About 38 years ago I visited the I.W.M in London , a great treat it was too, at the time I looked at a GW tank (heavy) that was on display. I am sure that it had interpretive information there, but now I no longer remember the details. Did this tank have a particular history that anyone knows? is the tank still there?

thanks

khaki

[Lancashire Fusilier]

khaki,

It is also many years since I have been to the Imperial War Museum, and what was on display when you were last there would certainly have changed, as many exhibits were moved to Duxford.

Currently, they show a WW1 Mark V tank from B Company 4th Battalion Royal Tank Corps as being now on display, perhaps this was the tank you saw all those years ago ?

Perhaps, someone who has been to the IWM recently, will bring us up to date.

Regards,

LF

[Khaki]

Thanks LF,

All I can remember of it was that it was on the ground floor not far from a display of guns including the naval gun that was served by boy seaman cornwall vc. As I recall it I am sure that the tanks guns were 'mock ups'

khaki

[spof]

I had a look at it just before it was removed for the IWM refurb. As I recall, he guns on the one LF has posted are mock ups. I can't imagine IWM holding too many WW1 tanks so it may well be the same one.

[centurion]

Something odd about it that I couldn't place - just realised it's the exhaust. It normally bent up as shown on this example to allow room for the hatch on the side of the commander's turret to open but was supported by a bracket fixed to the front/side of the turret, this bracket also acted as a support for the unditching rail.. This is missing in the photograph. However the tank would not be driven with the bent exhaust unsupported by the bracket as it would break. If the tank was going to be driven with the rails and bracket removed (say because it was in Britain and the bracket fowled the railway loading gauges) then the bent section of the exhaust was replaced by one that ran along the side of the turret resting on the tank roof. This blocked the hatch but as the purpose of this was to give access to the chains fastening the unditching beam in such circumstances this wouldn't be a problem.

[Khaki]

Thanks everyone just found more interesting information and photographs under (post) tank identification, 7th Nov 2012

khaki