AOK4 Posted 30 January , 2018 Share Posted 30 January , 2018 (edited) Hello, Does anybody know anything about these tanks? Name: ...RY SAM, Serial: A.3 12.59 (unsure)? and A.1 1.3? Jan Edited 30 January , 2018 by AOK4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2018 Nobody? I assume it may have been around Hollebeke. One of the tanks would have been on a railway track as it had tried advancing using it. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 I have had a look through my list of tank names and I can't find anything that matches 'SAM'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 For the second tank, I *think* I can make out enough to infer LS SLIPPERY SAM Can't see that name anywhere on the Landships site though. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2018 Hello, I had already searched that website as well but couldn't find any "Sam"... How about the serials? I can't find anything that resembles them on that website either. Would "A Battalion" have been near Hollebeke (White Chateau) and Warneton and have lost two tanks there? (as other pictures from the lot are from that area) Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2018 When searching a bit, I found that "Slippery Sam" was a movie character played by Victor Potel in the early 20th century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 2 hours ago, AOK4 said: Hello, I had already searched that website as well but couldn't find any "Sam"... How about the serials? I can't find anything that resembles them on that website either. Would "A Battalion" have been near Hollebeke (White Chateau) and Warneton and have lost two tanks there? (as other pictures from the lot are from that area) Jan Yes! On 7 Jun 17 they lost A59 - 2024 near the White Chateau. I don't have a name for that tank. It was in 12 Sect in 3 Coy, A Bn which equals A3.12.59. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 (edited) Using the same logic A1.1.3 works out as tank 2689, crew A3, 1 Sect, 1 Coy, A Bn. That tank was abandoned around Joye Farm. Paging @Sidearm. Edited 31 January , 2018 by Gareth Davies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, MBrockway said: For the second tank, I *think* I can make out enough to infer LS SLIPPERY SAM Can't see that name anywhere on the Landships site though. Mark Good eyesight, well done Mark. Are there the letters HM before the letters LS? Edited 31 January , 2018 by Gareth Davies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2018 Thanks a lot for all your answers, I'll investigate a bit further to see whether I can confirm them. HMLS may be possible, I think there may be an "M" before "LS", but the picture is quite faint. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 Where did you get the photographs Jan? Are they ones I might have seen before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2018 3 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said: Where did you get the photographs Jan? Are they ones I might have seen before? They are from a small collection of German photos from a man in Fußartillerie-Regiment 8 who was around there in 1918. hadn't seen them before. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 Nice find, thanks for sharing those 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 You've already done all the hard work on these photos, so I can relax... A Battalion used this unusual method of marking the exact place of its tanks in the Battalion even up to and including Cambrai. The name HMLS Slippery Sam wasn't previously known, but dates the tank to before mid July 1917 when the systematic naming of tanks after the Battalion letter was introduced. Might I ask whether these are the whole photos or just parts of them? If they are parts, might we see the whole pictures, please? Thanks for posting, and congratulations on the detective work. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 Some more photos of 2689. You'll see it has a name painted on its glacis plate. If anyone would like a challenge - can it be read? I think it starts THE... Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 I'm struggling with this one Gwyn - it definitely begins with 'THE', then *possibly* TI.... or LI.... (?LITTLE?) and the second line *could* be EWAN ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 It's not a great copy of the photo to be honest. I'd love a better copy, on which it's probably as clear as day. I like the idea the name is "The Little...". I can see Ewan now, but I can't make sense of it. I'd expect a name that meant something - a racehorse, play, book, film, musical, a character, a slogan etc, but The Little Ewan doesn't work. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndCMR Posted 4 February , 2018 Share Posted 4 February , 2018 LS A.38 (33?) SLIPPERY 12.59 SAM Is what I see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 5 February , 2018 Share Posted 5 February , 2018 7 hours ago, 2ndCMR said: LS A.38 (33?) SLIPPERY 12.59 SAM Is what I see. The 'M' of HMLS is also definitely there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndCMR Posted 5 February , 2018 Share Posted 5 February , 2018 Just now, MBrockway said: The 'M' of HMLS is also definitely there I believe you're right and I was pondering what looked like the bottom center of an "M", but couldn't decide if there was something else between it and the "L" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeomans Posted 6 February , 2018 Share Posted 6 February , 2018 It is definitely A.3. - see attached fresh scan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon Posted 6 February , 2018 Share Posted 6 February , 2018 On 03/02/2018 at 15:15, Sidearm said: Some more photos of 2689. You'll see it has a name painted on its glacis plate. If anyone would like a challenge - can it be read? I think it starts THE... Gwyn I see 'THE LITTLE B???R' .....good game this! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 6 February , 2018 Share Posted 6 February , 2018 Thought we were done with 2024 Slippery Sam [A3.12.59 => A Bn, 3 Coy, 12 Section, Tank A59] , but to summarise, this is what collectively we can see .... HMLS A.3 SLIPPERY 12.59 SAM Key M - clearly legible M - partly legible M - inferred from context Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeomans Posted 6 February , 2018 Share Posted 6 February , 2018 Agreed. Many thanks to Jan for the initial post. I'm very pleased that he was able to provide a photo of the tank which Arthur Spreadborough was driving on 7 June 1917 when he was sadly killed - see my original post : Tank 2024 A59, White Chateau, Hollebeke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 6 February , 2018 Share Posted 6 February , 2018 3 hours ago, Dragoon said: I see 'THE LITTLE B???R' .....good game this! Chris Could it be UGGE I wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now