Landships II

I just recieved my photo reproductions from the Bovington Tank Museum. I edited the 'Do Not Reproduce' warnings onto the images just in case there are some ethical guidelines about posting such images on forums.

The Tank Museum has been extremely helpful in my research for this vehicle. Quite frankly, I don't even know where to begin in questioning the Aberdeen Proving Ground museum! If you go onto their website, you can find a complicated list detailing how one is supposed to go about doing research there. It seems like the only way to do it is to show up in person, and hopefully find someone who knows what you're talking about, and then have him help you dig through the actual archives. Apparently the process is not as streamlined as Bovingtons - and this is a huge shame, as I don't foresee going to Aberdeen any time in the future as it is across the country from me.

But I digress.

The first image is somewhat grainy, and at first you may think you have seen it - but I believe you have not. The most common picture of the Skeleton Tank appears to have been from the same run, but the view is different. As far as i know, this picture has not been seen in any book before.



The second image is a little better, and shows the Skeleton Tank apparently without any paint. You can almost make out the wood grain in the track guards, and all of the wood panelling on the track guards can clearly be made out. The military person standing inside the turret is featured in the second image aswell, and both this and the following picture are of the same location.



The third image exhibits the same building in the background as the second, but now the military person is accompanied by a man in a hat sitting on the front structure of the tank. I believe the man on the left to be Edwin Wheelock himself. The only other pictures I have seen of him have been of terrible quality, but the style of his hat and his general features appear the same. Furthermore, he does not appear to be a military person, and his rolled up shirt is a trademark of a working man. Therefore I can put forth a guess that the location is the Pioneer Tractor Co assembly building in Winona Minnesota. The military person may be the very man who went to take the Skeleton Tank back to Aberdeen, but had many reservations about it, delaying its arrival at Aberdeen.



The Skeleton Tank is a USA design that deserves special recognition and additional research, as there are still several mysteries about it. Let us use this thread to resupply, so to speak. Does anyone have any information or pictures they have been sitting on? Now is the time to post it.

I still have not been able to aquire any proof of the Skeleton Tank in Nicaragua during the war with Sandino, although I am told that an M1917 captured in the conflict is now on display in Managua Nicaragua - all one would have to do is confirm this M1917s presence in Managua to add a huge grain of credibility to the story.

Furthermore, I am told that a news reel of footage of the Skeleton Tank in Nicaragua has been recovered in Honduras, and the footage will be restored and used in a movie about the U.S. Marines campaigns of the 20's. Again, I am extremely hopeful, but as of yet I still have not seen any proof with my own eyes.

And Tim Rigsby, you have come across a faded drawing of poor quality in some Marines archives that seems to depict the Skeleton Tank with an M1917 turret. I understand how busy you always are, but I believe that drawing may be an integral clue to this story, if it is at all possible, I would be very happy to see it.

Best wishes everyone,

---Vil.