question Tank buried in our garden

[Andrew Smith]

Hi

I wonder if anyone can help please. We moved into our house a few years ago and have been told by a neighbor that a tank was buried in our garden after world war two. We boohooed the idea but this weekend he has categorically stated that this is the case. Is there anyway of finding out if this is true - we would appreciate any advice.

Many thanks.

Andrew Smith

[Willyslancs]

start digging mate.....

[alan869]

Metal detector;)

[RattlesnakeBob]

where are you and does he give any other info that you can check up on elsewhere locally ?..

such as...

was there an army base /depot near you or in the area?

who buried it ? authorities? private individual?...

dependent on what you find.......next stop ..

a metal detector and .......

your local Plant Hire Company to hire a small excavator

........and finally ......you better check to make sure he doesn't mean a water tank ! hahahahaha!

[robin craig]

Dont tell Aidrian,

 

I think you are just after someone to dig your garden over!

 

Could be true, recently I have been shown too many times truth is stranger than fiction.

 

Good luck

 

R

[The Garrison]

We can see it now..

 

Swarms of military vehicles parked outside. Jeeps and trailers loaded with shovels and spades, olive drab as far as the eye can see. Rotary hoes, ditch diggers, post hole borers and all the help you can feed. Digging commences, down and dirty. The bog hole increases in size until....... clunk..

 

Its a tank, yes a tank... a concrete tank of the Septic variety...

 

All in good fun. Really. However from the point of someone who has dug up a few bits in my time. I would go for the easiest option first. A large probe rod that can be pushed into the ground and mark any solid contacts. Post hole borer should be the cheapest option for a bore hole to see if the 'target' is made of metal. I dont know if you can hire metal detactors over there but the cheap DIY ones may not have the penetration you require to find anything burried over a few feet.

Good luck if you do decide to grab the shovel.. No doubt we all await the outcome of this endeavour.

[eddy8men]

i'll be down there with my digger at the weekend

 

it's not as strange as you might think although a tank is unlikely, it might be an armoured car or a bren carrier as these were sometimes used for civvy applications and once they become immobile it is sometimes impossible to move them without heavy recovery equipment so the easiest option is to dig a hole and push it in (there's a sherman buried under a post office in leeds).

 

if it were me i'd get the neighbour to point out the loction and start digging a trench across it, if it is there i'd doubt it would be far under the surface as nobody likes digging anymore than they have to.

 

nothing ventured nothing gained

 

rick

[ruxy]

I once found a burried tank in my back garden , a brick bunded steel oil tank ! The PO had gone to a steel surface gravity tank when the lift pump had failed , this tank eventualy rusted through on the underside. During removal of this tank (to replace with two plastic tanks) - I found a big concrete slab that I considered may be a WW2 bomb shelter - so started hacking away through the steel reinforced roof LoL , then I discovered that the bund extended under and supported in part the rear conservatory LoL - so it is there to this day. I also discovered the PO had built a rockery over the tank vent mushroom cap - so the kero fumes was vented , unfortunately when I used a dip-stick the tank seemed empty.

[fesm_ndt]

just subscribed to this thread :cheesy:

 

I think the advice above is sound, smacking a rod or picket in the ground and seeing if something stops it would be easiest

 

just make sure there is no utilities around

 

Mind you Rick will have dug up your rear garden before you can hit the rod

 

PS.... dont forget the photos

Edited May 15, 2012 by fesm_ndt

[MiketheBike]

If Andrew strikes gold, who's property would it be?

[eddy8men]

his land means it's his property.

i really hope he does find something interesting it would be great to see something dug up and restored.

 

rick

[montie]

Are there no forum members with metal detectors closeby? Could be a nice outing!

[Big ray]

Did he mention the one in the attic ?????

[wrecker]

there was a story of a tank buried in a garden in bognor regis,story went that owner of house snapped radio antenna off so no one could see it was sticking out of the lawn,sounds far fetched but who knows.

[private mw]

if there is one your very lucky and i have a metal detector here in sheffield !

[Lauren Child]

Keep in mind that to most of the public, any military vehicle is a "tank" if it's green and not a jeep. (I've had people call my truck a tank, and I'm sure most members of the forum will have had the same).

 

That said, plenty of vehicles were buried. The question is, is it a rare vehicle that would make it worth restoring, and what state is it in after all these years. You won't know until you find it

[GoranWC51]

Can't help but remembering the Humber Scout Car that someone dug up a number of years ago. It had only the front body work left and the frame broke in half when they lifted it out of the hole. It's been lovingly restored and is now for sale??

 

Anything made of metal that's been underground for 60 years+ is due to have corroded badly.

 

Goran N

[mungaman]

hi

i wonder if anyone can help please. We moved into our house a few years ago and have been told by a neighbor that a tank was buried in our garden after world war two. We boohooed the idea but this weekend he has categorically stated that this is the case. Is there anyway of finding out if this is true - we would appreciate any advice.

Many thanks.

Andrew smith

if its a tiger tank........dont bother !!

[private mw]

any news or im hiring a JCB and coming round :-\

[Smithy]

Can't help but remembering the Humber Scout Car that someone dug up a number of years ago. It had only the front body work left and the frame broke in half when they lifted it out of the hole. It's been lovingly restored and is now for sale??

 

Anything made of metal that's been underground for 60 years+ is due to have corroded badly.

 

Goran N

 

There was a story on the above in a Wheels & Tracks magazine when it was first discovered. Then there was an article in CMV the other month on the finished vehicle as it is today.

[fesm_ndt]

if its a tiger tank........dont bother !!

 

I was going to say ..... if its a Sherman tank........dont bother !! as they are so common

 

running out the exit, before Adrian strangles me :-D

[Willyslancs]

There was a story on the above in a Wheels & Tracks magazine when it was first discovered. Then there was an article in CMV the other month on the finished vehicle as it is today.

 

 

alan and david houghton from preston found it , was in the garden of the house one of them had just bought. (used to go to local rallies same time as them)

[private mw]

did ya find owt or still digging ! :cellphone:

[monty2]

Maybe you should get the team from Burma in, they know how to do it. Much cheaper than traveling to Burma this is just round the concern and some rust will not harm at tank.

 

Peter

http://www.milmarket.org

[andym]

did ya find owt or still digging ! :cellphone:

 

He's still trying to get those blasted crates of aircraft out of the way first!

 

Andy