The reference consistently given for the statement in many places on the internet is C.J. Arthur, 'True World War I Stories', page 178, ISBN 1-84119-095-0.
The actual author of that title with that ISBN is Jon E. Lewis. Oh well ... the virtually effortless promulgation of misinformation.
Published 1999 - someone may have a copy and detail of the primary source(s) given, if any - sounds like it might be purely anecdotal.
-- Edited by Rectalgia on Tuesday 20th of March 2012 07:16:50 PM
According to an online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit, Tanks were deployed on 15th Sept. 1916, and, amongst other things, "were even driven through houses to destroy machine gunner's emplacements."
I don't recall hearing of that. Anyone substantiate?
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
Not houses but Graham Nixon in D 12 used his tank to demolish a building which housed a MG post, following a request by the New Zealand infantry - the event took place to the west of Flers.
The reference consistently given for the statement in many places on the internet is C.J. Arthur, 'True World War I Stories', page 178, ISBN 1-84119-095-0.
The actual author of that title with that ISBN is Jon E. Lewis. Oh well ... the virtually effortless promulgation of misinformation.
Published 1999 - someone may have a copy and detail of the primary source(s) given, if any - sounds like it might be purely anecdotal.
Maybe they were trying to reference something which a CJ Arthur said, that can be read in the Jon E Lewis book? It may be a simple mistake in the reference, rather than totally erroneous. Certainly if one person made such a mistake, the next person finding it on the net would perpetuate it - the number of websites a search turns up with exactly the same blurb is mind-boggling at times.
In the hope of adding a little light, I dug out my copy of the book in question. It is called 'True World War I Stories: Sixty Personal Narratives of the War' and is an "anthology of eyewitness narratives". CJ Arthur is one of these 60 eyewitnesses; Jon Lewis wrote the introduction.
My edition was published by Robinson in 1997 (ISBN 1-86487-863-8) and, from its appearance, I would guess that it used a volume published shortly after WW1 as camera-ready copy - a cheap and effective procedure. This would also explain why Lewis was not credited as the editor.
But to the point in hand. Arthur, in his single relevant paragraph, describes the tanks as "at once a delight and a disappointment" and goes on: "Yet another [tank] spotted a machine gun in a house in Flers; this fellow wandered up the road, did a sharp turn, and ambled through the house."
Thank you for your kind collective efforts, citizens. On this occasion, it seems that the reference work in question is not talking through its backside. A matter for celebration in itself.
Much obliged.
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
The OH account of 15 September may also be relevant to the original question. This says (p 323):
"Three other tanks...had begun to move along the eastern edge of the village [Flers], smashing into strongpoints and and houses which contained machine guns"
