Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Cambrai Tank Museum.


nikp

Recommended Posts

Hello all,

Does anyone know whether the Tank Museum at Cambrai is on schedule to fully open on March 19th.

Cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that Gareth. I have seen that but was just wondering whether everything was on schedule.

Cheers.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The latest:

 

You will find, below, the days and opening hours of the interpretive centre of flesquiéres museum dedicated to Deborah,

Opened from 15 March to 30 November:

 

Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 13 h30 to 17 h30:

15 March to 15 June and from 15 September to 30 November

 

Every day from 13 h30 to 17 h30:

16 June to 15 September

 

 

Full Price 6 €

Group Rate (more than 10 people) 4 €

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Gareth Davies said:

The latest:

 

You will find, below, the days and opening hours of the interpretive centre of flesquiéres museum dedicated to Deborah,

Opened from 15 March to 30 November:

 

Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 13 h30 to 17 h30:

15 March to 15 June and from 15 September to 30 November

 

Every day from 13 h30 to 17 h30:

16 June to 15 September

 

 

Full Price 6 €

Group Rate (more than 10 people) 4 €

Many thanks Gareth. Should be there in 2 weeks.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I can agree with cdr. Very worthwhile a visit. Could do with a bit more interpretation and labelling but great to be able to get up close to "Deborah". However don't touch or an alarm goes off. You have been warned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interpretation? What interpretation is needed? It surely tells its own story. If you want interpretation I strongly recommend that you buy John Taylor's book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I meant was for the un-intitiated a few labels etc. When I visited I was ok with the museum. HOWEVER there were some visitors who were not as informed as me. Is that OK Gareth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Museums need to be set up so that all visitors are informed from the expert to the casual visitor. Many will not do prior research. I visited with two others that knew the history of Deborah far more than I and a little information would have been well worth it for me. Also the exhibition of frames with numerous small artifacts affixed to them  was pointless I thought without any explanation. Some of the artifacts were self explanatory but out of context I couldn't see what they were supposed to be saying.  Having said that, very well worth visiting and getting close up to the tank itself.

DSCF5128.JPG

DSCF5130.JPG

DSCF5133.JPG

Edited by Baldrickspilot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

 The museum is not yet finished and signs will appear, Philippe Gorczynski asurred me. And as he puts it wel: "at least the star of the show arrived safely".

She hasnever looked better before.

MIL0963-25.jpg

MIL0963-27.jpg

MIL0963-29.jpg

MIL0963-32.jpg

Edited by Marco
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And there you have it... reading through all the visits and these museums opening up : a very cunning plan just hatched in my brains: a post-mission WWI Tour ... that could finish with a bang in Cambrai ?? 

Just need to convince the boyfriend ... 

I can always blame you all for posting all these pics  ... gniac gniac gniac... 

 

M. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Just paid a visit to Deborah

 

Well worth a visit and the 6€ entrance fee is top value.

I could not think of anything which could be added to the displays to make any improvements.

 

RETHINK - perhaps it could be an idea to link the lost crew members to their plots on the CWWG cemetery just next door.

As a forum member I knew they were there and paid a visit before I went to see Deborah.

 

BUT if I had just turned up at the museum I would not have known they were there.

 

Anyway excellent home for the old girl - the smell of her metal is another thing I will keep in mind. Not sure if it is her or the stuff they put on her but it smells just like a place where engineering has been done.

 

Obviously the MK4 is the star of the show and she does not disappoint. 

Well done to all for getting this excellent slice of history safely into a place where generations will be able to experiance her.

Fantastic !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

image.thumb.jpeg.b42de81cc55b1f3279d86a504062eee3.jpeg

 

A couple of items “Merch” which added 8€ to my spend

Edited by Martin Feledziak
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Martin, I'm glad you found the visit worthwhile - I agree the museum is tremendous, but for some reason the captions (which I and others prepared months ago) were not up at the time of my last visit, and apparently still aren't in place.  As you say, visitors would be interested to know that four of Deborah's crew are buried nearby and this isn't stated in the museum.

 

I'm mystified why this is the case, and no-one seems to know any more than that.

 

Maybe one day...

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

45 minutes ago, johntaylor said:

Deborah's crew

 

Here is the plot for the crew.

For those who have not visited the museum is right next door ( The air con unit for the museum ) is just in shot by the aerial

 

Along with the four from Deborah there are 14 others from  tank Corps at rest here, 18 in total

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead/results?regiment=Tank%2BCorps&cemetery=FLESQUIERES%2BHILL%2BBRITISH%2BCEMETERY

 

Link to trench map 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=50.1251&lon=3.1218&layers=101465164&b=1

 

DSC_0717.JPG

 

 

 

   
Edited by Martin Feledziak
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interestingly the below illuminated display panel can be found in the new " Lens 1914-1918" museum at Souchez  ( near Vimy Ridge )

 

DSC_0783.JPG.1a94c913f1a11e5d932d8a31a8731ec0.JPG

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting the photo Martin - in fact you were looking slightly too far right, as Lance-Corporal George Foot was also in Deborah's crew and his grave is beside them to the left.  Your photo includes the grave of Gunner Walter Robinson at the far right, who we now know was in the crew of D47 Demon (though we thought for a long time he might have been in Deborah's crew).

 

It would be great if this was explained inside the Museum!

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, johntaylor said:

Walter Robinson

 

Thanks John

 

To be honest I was not too sure about who was in the 4th grave. And the grave concentration form is a little ambiguous. When 2 graves are close together it implies a question mark.

 

so good for you to clear that up.

 

Martin

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just been round the museum and it's thoroughly worth a visit, as has been mentioned already.

 

No idea if anything will come of it but I mentioned the graves of the 4 fallen crewmen to the lad on reception. Between my schoolboy French and his pidgin English, along with my photos,  he got the gist and duly wrote down their names and row 3B as the location.

 

He seemed genuinely interested and grateful for the info so it may help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/08/2018 at 11:58, johntaylor said:

Lance-Corporal George Foot

 

Hi John.

 

The graves concentration form is straight forward with the four all found in the same map reference.

 

concentration.jpg.28cf861975f06e2078988c48a1ac1f51.jpg

 

The confusion may have arisen from the Graves Registration forms W3372 where 40342 FOOT appears at the bottom of a separate form.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Martin, that's correct - the burial return was crucial in enabling us to identify four of Deborah's crew.  It's all explained in the book!

 

All the best, John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings John.

 

I have your book on order now...... You only get 5 star reviews so it must be good !!!

Martin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/08/2018 at 22:46, johntaylor said:

book!

 

Nice book John - I shall enjoy reading over the next few days.

 

Without reading a word but just looking at two pictures.. was the old girl abandoned at the end of the yellow line. ?

Not that it matters but The new museum

site is just to the left. Obviously not built the last time google were there.

 

EDIT - Now I see she came to rest another 100 yards or so back towards town

 

538272138_streetview.jpg.ad83c24e7f5e3430614c80d3d8715491.jpg

 

579771524_100yards.jpg.dc58fae34cdf0ee0a3943c17ff463e8b.jpg

Edited by Martin Feledziak
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...