The Tank Museum

A recent donation to the Tank Museum collection, this wooden model of what is probably a British Mk IV Female Heavy Tank was carved by the donor’s Grandfather, who had seen service as a Mechanical Driver, Royal Artillery on the Ypres salient.

The model itself, painted a shade of what could be described as “Battleship Grey”, is made with considerable skill and attention to detail, considering that the materials used are quite basic. The tracks are mounted on wheels to enable them to rotate when the tank is pushed along the floor and details such as rivet heads are included, suggesting that the maker had definitely seen the vehicles at close quarters. Family tradition suggests that it was made as a toy for the maker’s children, sometime in the 1920s.

The model is evidently that of a female machine as it has small sponsons – the bulges on each side - each mounting two machine guns, though the guns themselves, made from dowel, are a little out of scale. One interesting touch that does make this model a little different to others is that the tracks are made from machine gun belt link – see inset. If anyone reading this could identify this type of belt, we would be most grateful. It is obviously a metal disintegrating type, each individual link being attached to the next in line by a Cotter pin. It would be interesting to know whether this is a WW1 or later type.

The model itself has considerable charm, especially when one thinks that it was based on the memories of a soldier who had most likely seen the vehicles themselves in action during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele.

A vast range of half-track vehicles were produced during the second World War; the M9/M9A1 were manufactured by the International Harvester Corporation and saw service with virtually all the allied armies. In the British Army they acted as armoured personnel carriers or general transport vehicles with reconnaissance vehicles...Click the image below for more...

It evolved from the T35E1 prototype in June 1942 and mounted the 3inch gun M7 previously fitted to the heavy tank M6. They served with the tank destroyer battalions of the US Army and the British received some 1,600 vehicles which went to the self-propelled anti-tank batteries of the Royal Artillery...

The only wheeled, armoured vehicle to see widespread use by American forces in WWII; powered by the Hercules six-cylinder engine it had excellent performance but was very lightly armoured and was somewhat vulnerable with its open-topped turret...

Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) Mark IV. The LVT was developed in the 1930's and the military version was built following the outbreak of WWII. Improved transport versions followed and were adopted by the US Marine Corps and Army, and some were supplied to British Forces under the 'Lend Lease' Act...

Our OBJECT OF THE WEEK was a bullet-stopping notebook belonging to Charles Albert Ironmonger, who took part in the first tank attack in tank D7.

This remarkable PIC OF THE WEEK shows D7, his Mark I tank, ditched in the shell hole where it was abandoned.

D7 was commanded by Lt. A.J Enoch and had a wholly frustrating experience on its wartime debut. Due to the number of breakdowns that occurred before the attack began, battle formations had to be reorganised and this resulted in D7 reaching its start line late.

When it did get going in its attack to the West of the village of Fleurs, it found the going too hard. Moving slowly, it slid into a shell hole and ditched. As the crew tried to manoeuvre it free, the engine was damaged. There was nothing for it but to abandon the vehicle for recovery by the Army Service Corps.

In the image you can see infantry resting with three members of the crew (we can’t say for certain if one of these is men Ironmonger) wearing the distinctive leather helmets. Here too you can one of the reasons why they were so unpopular, in their apparent similarity to German Pickelhaubes.

The red flag in the centre is a signal indicating that the tank is out of action.

When the crippled Mark I tank bogged down at the battle of Flers-Courcelette, Corporal Charles Albert Ironmonger of D Company was forced to abandon it.

As he did so he was struck by a bullet in the chest.

Flers-Coucelette, September 1916, is famous for being the first battle in which tanks were deployed. However, pioneers like Ironmonger and the rest of his crew quickly found that they had many shortcomings.

Tank D7, with Ironmonger aboard, had no sooner rolled into that historic battle when it found itself in great difficulty. Its tail wheel was damaged and its speed, which was never higher than walking pace, dropped. As it limped along, the tank slid into a shell hole and stuck fast. Attempts were made to manoeuvre it free but they were ultimately unsuccessful.

It was then that occupants decided to bail out. Now exposed in no-man’s land, the crew attracted the attention of the enemy. It was then that Ironmonger was hit.

But that potentially fatal bullet was stopped by a small, thin, ruled notebook which Ironmonger kept in his breast pocket. The notebook, which contained names and addresses of friends and relatives, saved his life.

Ironmonger survived this close shave, and probably many others, serving in the Tank Corps until the end of the war.

His notebook was donated to us in 2003 by his relative, Mr John Ironmonger.

This little book is currently sits in a display case in our Tank Story exhibition, clearly bearing its scar from Flers-Courcelette. The bullet itself can be seen near to the notebook in the case – leaving visitors to wonder how just a few millimetres would have dramatically changed this story.

We will shortly be posting our PIC OF THE WEEK: D7 - Ironmonger's tank!

Designed by the Marmon-Herrington company it was intended to be air-portable in the C-54 Skymaster aircraft (this one landed by glider on the Rhine). It was powered by a Lycoming, six-cylinder, air-cooled, petrol engine which gave it excellent top speed however, by the time they started coming off the production line in 1943 the tanks were out of date...

The black beret is the distinctive headgear worn by generations of Royal Tank Regiment servicemen.

As the first British servicemen to adopt this form of headdress, the beret became a symbol that helped define and set the tank men apart from other units.

The beret was adopted after the First World War, because like much of the uniform issued to tank men during the war, their head gear proved to be unsuitable for wearing in tanks.

Early Headgear

Originally, tank crews were issued with protective leather helmets with chain-mail masks(far right). These were not, however, particularly comfortable and were thought to bear too close a resemblance to the German Pickelhaube – which had proved problematic for stranded tank crews returning to friendly lines!

Consequently they were discarded and crews wore either the Service Dress (SD) (near right)cap or the woollen Cap Comforter. The fundamental problem with wearing the SD cap inside a tank was that the peak prevented the wearer from getting close enough to the vision slits, so it was frequently worn backwards.

Enter The Beret

After the war, the solution to this sartorial conundrum was found by Major-General Sir Hugh Elles, who had also `invented` the regimental colours before the battle of Cambrai in 1917.

When the French 70th Chasseurs Alpins division were training with the British Tank Corps during the First World War, Elles considered their distinctive large berets (right) would also make practical headgear for his men.

This flexible headdress allowed troops to work in extremely cramped conditions whilst providing some protection to the head. Furthermore, Elles is said to have suggested that the beret is convenient for sleeping in. But he considered the Chasseurs Alpins style of beret to be too sloppy and the Basque beret too skimpy, so the British beret was based largely on the Scottish Tam ‘O Shanter.

Using the rationale that also dictated the future colour of Royal Tank Regiment’s overalls, the colour black was selected as it would not show dirt, grease or oil stains.

Having received Royal approval from King George V the black beret was officially adopted by the Royal Tank Corps in March 1924. It was seen as significant that this same headwear was worn by both officers and men alike, signifying that they were prepared to muck in alongside one another.

The adoption of the beret was not greeted with universal approval (right). Unique in the British Army, the now famous berets appeared somewhat strange at first, and were ridiculed as a result with unflattering comparisons to French Onion sellers being made (lower right).

Despite the initial mirth and ridicule, everyone eventually agreed that they were by far the most sensible form of headgear for wearing inside a tank. However, there did seem to be some disagreement as to how they should be worn.

Modern Adjustments

Overall, the original black beret has remained fairly constant. It is certainly smaller and less floppy than it used to be, and there was a time between the 1960’s and 1980’s when a stiffener was inserted in to the badged side of the beret to make it stand up straighter.

In a short lived deviation from the black felt norm, an imitation black Astrakhan No1 Dress Beret was authorised in 1961 for wear by officers (left). A regimental hackle (3 coloured feathers) was inserted behind the badge.

However a few years after its inception, the Astrakhan had become a something of a joke having acquired a variety of unflattering nicknames (the hackle itself was described as an `irritating adornment`) and very few officers would wear it. Almost universally loathed, the parade beret was consigned to the dustbin of history after only 12 years.

And Today...

The regiment still proudly wears the black beret today (right) and the beret itself is now almost universally worn amongst the armed services.

British tank men were therefore not only pioneers of armoured warfare - but also of British military millinery!

You can see the various shapes, sizes and styles of Royal Tank Corps / Royal Tank Regiment headgear in a new case on display in The Tank Museum.

A Russian copy of a pre-war British design. in 1930 the Russians obtained 15 examples of the Vickers-Armstrongs Mark E tanks and negotiated an agreement with the British firm to produce similar tanks. Armed with a 45mm gun and powered by a 4 cylinder, air-cooled engine the later models of the T-26 were a marked improvement on the original British design...

A mobile bomb on tracks! Powered by an Opel Olympia car engine it was intended to replace earlier designs such as the Goliath. The Springer contained 330KG of explosive; it would have been driven as close to the target as possible then continued under radio control and detonated by the same means...

With the Olympics in full flow, a new display case at the Tank Museum is highlighting the importance of sport in army life by recounting the sporting success of tank men.

Interpretation Officer Sarah Lambert, who assembled the objects from the Supporting Collections Store with curatorial colleagues, explained why sport is such an integral part of military service.

“It creates and strengthens attributes which are so vital on the battlefield,” she said. “Leadership, teamwork, fitness, identity, improving morale, achievement and perhaps most importantly, the will to win”.

As important as helping keep soldiers fit and alleviating boredom, sport has helped generations of soldiers build bonds within their units.

Amongst the numerous sporting awards in the collection is an engraved Tug-of-War medallion won by Sergeant Walter Charles Green and his team in July 1918 at a 10th Battalion Sports Competition in France. Tug-of –War (right) was an Olympic sport until 1920, and it that tested the participant’s strength, stamina, resilience and team work. Almost a year before his victory Green had demonstrated both; winning a Distinguished Conduct Medal and Croix de Guerre for conspicuous gallantry at the Battle of Cambrai.

Green had commanded a tank that was in the thick of some heavy fighting. Having expended all his ammunition, and although his own tank was badly damaged, he directed the rescue and evacuation of the crew of an immobilised tank and returned them back to British lines.

But sadly, Green was killed in action on 8th August 1918, just a month after celebrating his sporting victory.

In the months that followed the First World War, many sporting events were arranged to occupy the victorious British Army on occupation duties in Germany.

Gunner W.R Baker of the 4th Battalion Corps was awarded a Cross-Country medal in late 1918, and the aptly named Lieutenant Speedy of 9th Battalion Tank Corps won a medal in the 1 Mile Relay at the Rhine Athletic Championships in 1919 (left).

Since then, the Tank Corps, and later Royal Tank Regiment soldiers, have competed in a variety of competitive sports.

A particularly prolific and successful sportsman from the Tank Corps was one Francis Patrick Crawley. He joined the Tank Corps in 1918, and during his service career excelled at numerous sports and became the pride of the 2nd Royal Tank Corps. Crawley (right) competed in sports ranging from swimming to cross-country, but it was in boxing that he made his name. In 1925 Sergeant Crawley achieved the impressive title of European Amateur Middleweight Championship and went onto become the Amateur Champion of Great Britain between 1926 & 1927.

We have a number of intriguing army sports uniforms in our collection, amongst a variety of silverware, including a pair of sports blazers, football shirts and two contrasting cricket tops.

On the left is the cricket shirt worn by Captain Nicholas Wildbur, Queen’s Royal Lancers, on the Royal Armoured Corps 2012 cricket tour to India. Such sporting tours also allude to the importance of sport in building diplomatic relations abroad.

To the right it is the much older and more basic cricket jumper worn in 1938 by Major T.R. Brice of the Royal Tank Corps. The brown, red and green stripes represent the colours of the Royal Tank Regiment -colours established in the First World War and symbolic of the ‘mud, blood and green fields beyond’ of the Western Front.

Today the Royal Tank Regiment and the Royal Armoured Corps continue to excel in a range of sports from the rugby, football cricket to winter sports, and even sky-diving.

More recently, Dame Kelly Holmes, well-known for her sporting achievements visited the Tank Museum. What might be less well-known is that she started her sporting career in the army, when serving with the Army Physical Training Corps. Dame Holmes won two gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, amongst numerous others won at international sporting competitions, with her mental and physical toughness being ascribed to her early training in the Army.

A particular favourite item of Museum curator David Willey is this walking stick (pictured top left); an object that at first may appear mundane.

But the hand written label attached to the handle reveals an interesting story…

“This walking stick was shot from my hand whilst following the tanks of ‘B’ Coy 2nd Battalion at Cambrai on 20th November 1917 – I was company Reconnaissance Officer. The bullet split my thumb and knocked this stick 20 yards away. I went out to the objective and returned to the dressing station. N.M. Dillon.”

As Reconnaissance Officer, the 21 year-old Dillon (pictured right) was responsible for marking out the best routes for the tanks to follow, both on a map and on the ground using white tape. Walking sticks like these were often carried so that the solidity of the ground could be tested, and as such the suitability of the route for tanks.

On the morning of that now infamous action, Dillon returned to his white tape with the intention of leading a Company of tanks, only to find it was missing.

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery donated his famous beret to The Tank Museum in 1945.

Monty was known for his eccentricity as much as his ability. Frequently adopting an unconventional style of dress, in World War Two he assumed the black beret of the Royal Tank Regiment as his standard headgear - despite being an infantryman.

But why?

Monty’s beret was presented to him before the battle of El Alamein, fought in October 1942, where he led his men to a decisive victory.

Douglas Shardlow, who served in B Squadron, 6th Royal Tank Regiment, explained why…

“…During the Western Desert Campaign… he frequently wore an Australian bush hat which was quite unsuitable when travelling in a tank.

At the time, the 6th Royal Tank Regiment had been taken out of the line because they had suffered very badly. It was at this time that B Squadron was allotted to act as a sort of bodyguard to Monty.

It was Sgt. Jock Fraser of B Squadron who gave Monty the beret which became so famous thereafter.

Jock was not the kind of chap that went around boasting of this but it was a part of the history of the then Squadron that one of their number had had a hand in what became the most famous piece of Army headgear in the world.”

In the image you can see the beret, which is the very same as the one seen worn by Monty in the photo behind (right). James `Jock` Fraser can be seen on the left.

With the war over, Montgomery presented his beret to the museum on 29th September 1945. On bequeathing it he said:

“This beret was given to me by a Sgt. in the RTR, the NCO in command of my tank during the Battle of Alamein in October 1942. It was worn by me from Alamein to Tunis when it was so dirty that I got a new one; it was the Sgt’s own beret. I added my General’s badge to it and have worn the black beret with two badges ever since...”

The Tank Museum knows little else about James `Jock` Fraser. Any further information would be gratefully received.

The Tank Museum has learned that its £2.5m second round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its Access All Areas project has been successful.

The multi-faceted project, costed at a total £5m, includes a new 40,000 sq ft Vehicle Conservation Centre (VCC) and two major exhibitions which will all be delivered in stages between 2013 and 2015.

Click the image below find out more...

Stridsvagn 104c

With the European Championships drawing to an unsatisfactory close for England, it is worth reflecting on a football cup final that ended in real tragedy.

In The Tank Museum’s Archive, the match day programme for the 1947/48 Army Challenge Cup Final is a memento of a match that ended in disaster for both the Royal Armoured Corps and their opponents.

It is signed by all the RAC players (right), among them a Sergeant Hill, who had been instrumental in getting the team to the final.

The RAC were never really troubled during their six games to the semi-final; a 2-1 victory against the Royal Artillery in the 2nd Round was the only close result, whilst a 12-1 thrashing of the Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment the following week showed they had no trouble finding the net.

For the Semi-finals, the Bovington based RAC were drawn against local rivals the Dorset Regiment, with the fixture to be played at nearby Dorchester. Hundreds of locals lined the pitch sporting rosettes in the colours of the County Regiment and perhaps it was this support that resulted in the home side being 3-1 up with only 16 minutes remaining.

With time ticking away and three goals needed to win, it looked like the RAC on their way out of the cup. But Sgt Hill had other ideas. The unlikely comeback started when Garnham headed home to give the away side a vital second goal. When a goal mouth scramble ended with Jackson poking the ball into the net, the home side may have feared the worst.

Then it happened, when Sgt Hill headed in the RAC’s winner and completed a remarkable come-back win which remains “the most exciting Semi-final in Army Cup History”.

Hill’s goal had taken his side to the final, and on the 14th April 1948 12,000 people turned out at the Command Central Ground in Aldershot to watch the RAC take on the Gunners of the 121st Training Regiment.

After meeting King George VI and the Duke of Gloucester (left), both teams played the full 90 minutes without scoring. Extra time did not bring a conclusive result, and in those happy days before penalty shootouts another date was set aside to replay the fixture.

Both sides returned a week later and by half time it was one-way traffic with the Gunners 2-0 up. However, the skies had been darkening throughout the match and when the teams came out for the second half lightning could be seen in the distance.

As the RAC battled to find a way back into the game, a shaft of lightening hit the pitch and was immediately followed by a tremendous crack of thunder which left the players and a number of the crowd sprawled out on the floor. As the crowd helped one another to their feet they were met with a sight of confusion and panic. A number of the players were still out cold, the officials were calling for help. It took some time for most of the players to get back to their feet and stagger to the side lines. As the situation developed it was evident that two players remained on the ground.

One of them was Sgt Hill of the RAC team, and the other was opposition player Gnr Broadly. Despite on-field attempts to resuscitate them, they had both been killed. This freak tragedy - and genuine sporting disaster - led to the cup being shared by both teams.

The Tank Museum would love to hear from anyone who can identify Sergeant Hill in the image above.

Coventry Mark I

WARGAMING.NET OFFICIAL GAMES SPONSOR OF TANKFEST 2012

Award-winning game publisher and developer Wargaming.net have announced their attendance at TANKFEST.

At this year’s special 10th Anniversary show, Wargaming.net will be on hand with their world-famous free-to-play MMO World of Tanks, one of the largest virtual examples of WWII era steel armour – digitally complimenting the `real thing` on display in the Museum.

Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi said: "This will be the second time World of Tanks has participated at this event. Last year's show was truly amazing - not just for the amount of people that came to our booth, but for the variety of community players from all around Europe who came to spend time with us"

He added; “With over 10,000 people watching thrilling World War II tank-on-tank battles, TANKFEST is the best place to start your tank experience. It will be great to have a chat with our fans at this truly special event.”

World of Tanks is the first and only team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armoured warfare with over 30 million players worldwide. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes more than 150 armoured vehicles from America, Germany, the Soviet Union, and France, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrades and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and manoeuvrable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armoured forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace. But being a great tank commander alone isn’t enough to win! In World of Tanks, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favourite strategy to build your own steel empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank power!

Play World of Tanks and get more information here.