Bert Heyvaert Posted 4 October , 2003 Share Posted 4 October , 2003 I came across this article when I was going through some information I used for my thesis a few years ago. It is an extract from 'T Nieuw Yper, 4e jaargang nr. 10, zaterdag 10/3/1923 translation: 85 tanks for sale from the battlefields Will be sold publicly on thursday 22 march 1923, in Brugge. Maps with the exact location can be obtained at the offices of M. Boereboom, 'dienst voor landelijken heropbouw' ( service fro national reconstruction or something like that), statieplaats 18, Brugge. I wondered if someone had some more information on this? Best, Bert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 6 October , 2003 Share Posted 6 October , 2003 Interesting, it doesn't say the country of origin. I would have imagined most of them were sold for scrap. However you never know what uses they could be put to - an underground storage room or fancy chicken coup. I suppose after this post one will appear on eBay! - Guaranteed seller if someone paints an MGC badge on it. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Parker Posted 6 October , 2003 Share Posted 6 October , 2003 Novel ideal though if you happened to be in Brugge on holiday on March 22 1923, you could have bought your own tank. I wonder if they also had pictures of their condition. Nice souvenir. Seriously though, sounds to me like a drive to get scrap dealers involved in clearing the battlefields during early 20's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 6 October , 2003 Share Posted 6 October , 2003 There is a photo of TE Lawrence, after he'd resigned his commission, which shows him posing in front of dozens of male and female tanks that were about to be scrapped. I know Ian is joking, but unlike a tram or a bus (which have all been converted at one time or another, a tank is not the easiest item to recycle. I'm guessing that all the European tanks were cut up and melted down to make mangles etc. I know a couple of Renault tanks were discovered in Afghanistan recently. So what about E company's tanks in Palestine and/or Israel?? The records say they were left behind - and the climate isn't that bad..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Parker Posted 6 October , 2003 Share Posted 6 October , 2003 Vehicles and artillery survive well in the desert climates. Look at all the stuff in the Egyptian desert and Libya from WW2. Classic example is the LRDG truck recovered from the Western Desert and now on display at the IWM Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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