Browsing through D G Browne's 'The Tank in Action' (1920) I noted a section on the work of the tank salvage crews. Of the 190 tanks lost at 3rd Ypres 90 were subsequently recovered over many months and sent to Erin. He states that a number of these were refurbished in time to take part at Cambrai (he doesn't say exactly how many but the impression is given of a number in excess of 20. Now given the practice when a tank was lost of replacing it with another with the same name (plus a II or even III) and often even the same crew number, it would be likely that the refurbished tank would be given an entirely new name and crew number (it might not even go back to the same battalion) but would presumably retain its original serial number. Other lost/recovered/refurbished tanks were also put back into service.
Has anyone spotted any such tanks (re)appearing with different crew names and numbers? One wonders if any of these might account for the male tanks resexed as female?
Yes, Centurion, I have found very many tanks that reappear with different names, different crew numbers and with different units. For some I have a complete paper trail, from issue to battle to abandonment, to transfer to salvage company, to recovery, to CW, to issue to new battalion, to battle and often to destruction. You can trace them because as I have pointed out for years now, manufacturer's numbers stay constant whereas all other tank identities (names, crew numbers) do not - the exception seems to be Home Forces numbers which are of limited use anyway. Tracing individual tank's histories is one thing I can do very easily using what has now become my very extensive database of British Great War tanks - even though it wasn't its original purpose! However I am still adding material to it, and am always grateful for the titbits that are posted on this forum and others. It is these minute pieces of information that go towards my giant jigsaw.
No, this does not explain tanks being resexed. I believe I know what's going on, but I need to think it through a bit more.
