question Possible truth in urban myth?

[Willyslancs]

Many years ago , someone came in my dads shop and told him a story about a ww1 tank buried in a local park.I have tried to find out about it over the years , without any success. Then tonight in the local paper is a picture taken from a glass negative ,showing the park in the twenties and comparing the park with how it looks today .(check out the old pic!!)

Maybe there is truth !........:shocked:

[HWade]

Hello Willyslancs

 

If this is the Tank that was in the park at Haslingden, Victoria Park, then there may be some truth in it. The Tank was certainly there. But due to the cost of maintaining the Tank the local council wanted rid. Weather it was burried in the park or went for srap no one can say. But it is said that due to the cost of removing the tank it was buried instead. I got this info of the net, theres alot more to read on the story but this gives you some idea on what might have happened to the tank.

 

Regards

 

Howard

[Willyslancs]

no this was in Blackpool ( could possibly have been more tho around the country)......

[Willyslancs]

just found out 265 tanks were donated to citys and towns after the war,in recognition of the war efforts......

[alan turner (RIP)]

isnt that round the stargate/cabin area near the mini golf/pitch&putt?

[Willyslancs]

The Gynn area mate , star gate other end ( where new tram depot/museum is being built) ...

[Degsy]

Wish I had a pound for all the times I walked along there as a kid, never entered my head that I was walking on top of history.

[Willyslancs]

Wish I had a pound for all the times I walked along there as a kid, never entered my head that I was walking on top of history.

I bet its like this in a few parks as there was 265 tanks in various parks up and down britain ... some nice pics of them on the web .( would like some more pics of the blackpool one if anyone has any)

[jchinuk]

just found out 265 tanks were donated to citys and towns after the war,in recognition of the war efforts......

 

The only survivor is the one in Ashford, Kent, which houses an electricity sub-station! :shocked: Thankfully the 'Ashford Tank' is now under a cover. :-)

I have read that only 'female' tanks were donated to towns that had contributed to tank funds during the war. The tanks had the guns removed and were disabled, in the post Russian revolution period there was concern that these monuments would give any potential British revolutionaries access to armoured vehicles! In reality most town had scrapped them by the thirties.

 

One odder post-war use of WW1 tanks were the two fitted with seats (on top) and used to give rides in Southend-on-Sea in the early twenties. It must be remembered that the tank entered into popular culture after they were revealed to the public.

[Willyslancs]

The only survivor is the one in Ashford, Kent, which houses an electricity sub-station! :shocked: Thankfully the 'Ashford Tank' is now under a cover. :-)

I have read that only 'female' tanks were donated to towns that had contributed to tank funds during the war. The tanks had the guns removed and were disabled, in the post Russian revolution period there was concern that these monuments would give any potential British revolutionaries access to armoured vehicles! In reality most town had scrapped them by the thirties.

 

One odder post-war use of WW1 tanks were the two fitted with seats (on top) and used to give rides in Southend-on-Sea in the early twenties. It must be remembered that the tank entered into popular culture after they were revealed to the public.

yes i was reading all this last night , very interesting stuff ...............

[alan turner (RIP)]

sorry willysbeen dragged around there so often by my Mrs, whose mother was born in cherry tree blackburn, and had her holliers there most years, personnally I never took to the place, beer was watery but got its own back when your kidneys were in need of emptying.Gynn Sq is definately the place i Meantalan

[Richard Farrant]

The only survivor is the one in Ashford, Kent, which houses an electricity sub-station! :shocked:

The tanks had the guns removed and were disabled, in the post Russian revolution period there was concern that these monuments would give any potential British revolutionaries access to armoured vehicles! In reality most town had scrapped them by the thirties.

 

 

 

 

The sub-station was removed years ago. It was originally in the centre of a square, but re-designing the town centre it is still in the same place but as part of a new shopping area.

 

I once read that the drive chains were removed on these tanks so they could not be used, but whilst surveying the interior a few years ago, for conservation work, I noted the drive chains still fitted, possibly because the engine and transmision were removed for the sub-station to be fitted. No floor in the tank either.

[andreadavide]

The tanks had the guns removed and were disabled, in the post Russian revolution period there was concern that these monuments would give any potential British revolutionaries access to armoured vehicles!

 

Is the fear of a revolution the reason for the 1920 law that started the abolition of firearms in UK?

 

Andrea

[jchinuk]

Is the fear of a revolution the reason for the 1920 law that started the abolition of firearms in UK?

 

Andrea

 

Good point, contemporary accounts suggest that a fair number of people thought that the Russian Revolution would spread across Europe, which was certainly the aim of the Soviet revolutionaries.

 

jch

[Degsy]

We live in what is,by far, the most controlled democracy in the world. That is not my opinion, it is a fact. Some years ago vastly over the top measures were taken to try to stop the use of AM CB radios. The fear of the government was that it gave the population an uncontrolled method of mass communication which could be used against authority. They failed, so then brought in FM CB which Busby then attempted to police. What really put paid to it in the long run was not officialdom but all the stupid ankle biters and bucket mouths that took over the airwaves. That phase has now largely passed and it has reverted mainly to enthusiasts and professional drivers to use it as it was originally intended.

[paulob1]

hate to do it Degsy but have to agree...in fear of being cut off this country had become obsessed with control, over management and down right interference in everything we do...thank heavens we have no money for that now...

 

just read about the 80 people 'going' (thats sad to a degree)from the green committe whose main job was to persuade councils to install average speed cameras as they reduce fuel consumption, not for safety but for saving fuel...just how mad is that, thank heavens Labour is gone and we have common sense (maybe) coming back...well we have no money so we cant spend what we dont have...hopefully...

[Tony B]

We live in what is,by far, the most controlled democracy in the world. That is not my opinion, it is a fact. Some years ago vastly over the top measures were taken to try to stop the use of AM CB radios. The fear of the government was that it gave the population an uncontrolled method of mass communication which could be used against authority. They failed, so then brought in FM CB which Busby then attempted to police. What really put paid to it in the long run was not officialdom but all the stupid ankle biters and bucket mouths that took over the airwaves. That phase has now largely passed and it has reverted mainly to enthusiasts and professional drivers to use it as it was originally intended.

So now we have the Internet! :-D and 446 mhz PPR. :noyay:

[andym]

So has anyone tried going round some of these parks with a metal detector, then? :nut:

 

Andy

[andreadavide]

So now we have the Internet!

 

Yes, and while CBs can communicate worldwide with very simple technology, Internet connections can be firewalled monitored or simply switched off....

 

Andrea

[No Signals]

So has anyone tried going round some of these parks with a metal detector, then? :nut:

 

Andy

 

Yep! I can confirm the presence of a large area of rusting metal in my local park. Unfortunately this cant be checked any more as the council have a nice new tarmac car park over it. The local rag ran a story on our local tank some years back and stated that it was buried in a hole some years after it was first displayed; due to the ravages of the weather and vandals (even back then!), so I went and did a bit of a check. So I guess it could well be the case that this happened in other towns.

[Willyslancs]

Recieved the minutes today from a Blackpool council meeting dated 1919, looks like not many wanted the tank , and it was indeed scrapped ......:embarrassed:

29.12.1919

The General Purposes Committee referred the arrangements to be made for the reception of the tank to the town’s Improvement Committee

31.12.1919

Town’s improvement Committee considered where to place the tank awarded to the town by the National Savings committee and inspected available sites in the Borough

06.01.1920

The town’s Improvement Committee selected the open space in Regent square as the most suitable site.

The Parks and Cemetery Committee did not agree with the tank being placed there, or in any other open space in the borough under their control.

13.01.1920

 

Town clerk reported to the General Purposes Committee that the Parks and Cemetery Committee and the town Improvement Committee did not agree with the tank being placed there, or in any other open space in the borough under their control.

19.01.1920

The Highways Committee considered the question of a site for the War Tank awarded to the town by the National Savings Committee.

It was resolved that the War Tank be placed in the open space in the promenade, immediately south of the sunken gardens at the Gynn

27.01.1920

A letter of 24.01.1920 from the Claremont Unionist club, forwarding copy of resolution passed by a number of ratepayers and electors of Claremont and Warbreck wards, protesting against the tank being placed at North Shore

30.03.1920

A letter of 29.03.020 from the Honorary Secretary of the Blackpool Savings Committee suggesting that the tank, which had been placed at the Gynn should be properly fenced in, to prevent children and others having access to it.

This suggestion was not entertained.

26.06.1929

A letter of 24.06.1929 was read to The General Purposes Committee from Walter B Williams, asking if the Corporation wished to dispose of the old army tank at present lying at the Gynn Gardens .

It was decided to ask Mr Williams what price he would give for the tank.

 

 

31.07.1929

 

 

The Town clerk submitted letter from Mr Williams containing an offer for the tank at present lying at the Gynn Gardens and the Committee took no action on it

 

 

19.09.1929

 

 

The Town Clerk submitted letters of 27.08.20 from Mr Herbert Mills and Mr W. H. Duxbury making offers for the tank.

Councillor Newman also read a letter of 17.08.29 which as chairman of the parks Committee he had received from the Fylde Ex Officers Association requesting that the tank be handed over to them for disposal and the amount realised be used to mitigate distress amongst local ex-service men

 

25.09.29

 

The General Purposes Committee decided to hand over the tank to the Fylde Ex Officers Association for disposal.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Willyslancs