Landships II

Wannsee · Corporal

AV 7 Found in Ukraine......

James H · Legend

There are many reasons to be suspicious of this post.

Ironsides · Legend

James H wrote:
There are many reasons to be suspicious of this post.

Least of all because no links have been provided for the news article wink

Cheers smile

Wannsee · Corporal

Gentlemen,

I am based in Ukraine as a Journalist. I also have an interest in WW1 Armour. I picked up the following "Press Release" (Translated)

Reports that a very historic AV 7 German Tank from the First World War have been Found have been received from the Western Ukraine. Mr Paul Casini a businessman resident in Ukraine said today 100% this is a AV 7 Only one example of this tank survives and that is in Australia.
It has been often rumoured that a couple of AV 7s were used by the Polish army in 1919/20 but no historical evidence or photographs have survived. The location of the Tank is in what was pre War Poland.
Should this Tank prove to be an AV7 it would be of huge historical significance END

Mr Paul Casini can be contacted on +38093 0666673

I have spoken to Mr Casini an ex-pat who told me that this tank is near the present Polish border. He has declined to give me a location. I am fully aware of the History of these Machines and have posted here for information. I heard of a similar "story" in Poland sometime ago which proved to be untrue. I for one cannot see why a AV7 (if they were even in Polish service) would have been close to Lwow (present day Lviv) The only Polish action in this area was in 1939 when the Soviet forces occupied Poland. I am interested in this story but of course cannot verify it. I am also suspicious but will keep an open mind. Please accept my apologies for the posting but would be very keen to hear other peoples views.I also have an email address for Mr Casini if anybody would like to contact him directly.

Albert · Brigadier

The tank is�called A7V, not AV7

Pics or it didn't happen wink

�

Wannsee wrote:

�I heard of a similar "story" in Poland sometime ago which proved to be untrue.

�

I think that Polish story is rubbish, but we can't be 100% sure (only 99% wink ), because there were no news about it since December 2012/January 2013 - I don't know whether there were attempts to verify what is the wreck in Wieprz river. If there were such attempts, results were not published. But maybe you know more than me.

Wannsee · Corporal

Thank you. I have told Mr Casini that I am more than happy to visit the site near Lviv to take photo's etc. I am waiting for his reply. It is now my understanding that he wants to sell the "Tank"

If anybody would like to contact Mr Casini his email address is paulcasiniATgmail.com (Replace AT with @) I am 99.9% sure the Wieprz Story is not what it first seemed.

Please don't shoot the messenger (me) I have no connection with it what so ever other than both a Historical interest and of course as an old news hound. smile

Martin

James H · Legend

In the light of some recent trolling activity on the Forum, I was rather concerned by certain aspects of Mr. Foley's first post: the misnaming of the A7V, which one would not expect from someone with an interest in WWI armour; the absence of a link to the alleged news article; the absence of an explanation of who Mr. Casini is and why he is in a position to be making statements on the subject. I thought that offering Mr. Casini's details rather than reporting one's own findings was a curious approach. And it is possible that there is more than one entrepreneur in Kiev by the name of Paul Casini, but the one I have found seems to have some extremey unusual interests not at all connected with The Great War. Finally, the username Wannsee can have an unpleasant connotation. It all added up to something a bit dubious.

But let us give the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this is Mr. Foley:�http://www.martinfoley.co.uk/?page_id=40

It would be interesting to know the date of the recent article, how and in what circumstances the alleged vehicle was found, and why Mr. Casini seems to have the authority to sell it.

Wannsee · Corporal

Thank you James. Firstly I fully admit my mistake in wrongly naming the A7V. I am certainly no troll.... I am more than happy to explain Mr Casini's interest in this Tank. Yes you have found my website. Yes I am a real journalist. I agree Wannsee can have unpleasant connotations. In my case many years ago I kept a Yacht on Wannsee lake as part of the BA sailing club. Nothing I can assure you to do with it's darker history.

I would be more than happy to give you the full story but may I respectfully suggest you contact me by email off this board. either from my website or at mfoleyATmartinfoley.co.uk (Replace AT with @) That goes for any other member. Mr Casini also allegedly has permission to sell a Mark V that is currently on display in Ukraine !!!!!

In a nutshell any information/help would be most welcome

Martin

James H · Legend

It strikes me that Mr. Casini might be able to contribute in some way to the discussion on Mk IV Hermaphrodites. Would that be correct?

Wannsee · Corporal

James

Yes I would have thought so. I assume you mean the one's here in Ukraine. I am sure he would also be able to sell you the A7V in Australia as well as Tower bridge...... I would be very interested in chatting with you as this does have very serious connotations. Would you be able to contact me off this board?

Martin

Wannsee · Corporal

If you need to further check me out I am a life member of the friends of the Tank Museum as well as a benefactor to the Friends of the IWM.

Wannsee · Corporal

If anybody can help with information on this subject please PM me

PDA · Legend

If you take a look at these threads you'll see that the considered opinion of this board is that what has been found is almost definitely not an A7V. It is possibly an Uberlandwagen, which was�a tracked cargo carrier that used the same chassis as the A7V. Or it could be any other type of tracked cargo carrier, such as a Lanz.

http://landships.activeboard.com/t52082698/berlandwagen-found-in-poland/

http://landships.activeboard.com/t52339529/the-famous-polish-a7v-at-last/

http://landships.activeboard.com/t54099777/any-update-on-the-polish-gelandewagena7vschlepper/

MLW · Lieutenant-Colonel

Frankly, no photographs means no proof. I can't help thinking that the innuendos of something "big", the lack of details, and the third party involvement smack of a some sort of stunt. Unless photo are produced, its all speculation - albeit, interesting speculation!

Date: Feb 17, 2014

Casini came to Ukraine some 10 years ago claiming to be in search for a Ukrainian bride. He set himself up as a ?Mr Fix-It? preying on vulnerable Ukrainians and members of the expatriate community who either did not understand the law or sought to find ways round it. A typical con was to meet his victims in local bars and internet caf??s, listening in to their discussions and then offering to solve problems inventing his expertise to suit the victim.paul casini

He would seek to impress his victims claiming to have served in an intelligence capacity in the British army in Northern Ireland, or to be a current operative for Secret Services of the UK, Israel, and Italy or to be the beneficial owner of significant real estate assets in his ancestral region in Italy or the UK all of which were bogus casini paul

Sometimes posing as a UK lawyer he conned numerous Ukrainian families for amounts up to $4,000 on promises of securing visa?s and work permits to the UK and the USA for their teenage daughters holding onto passports for months and stringing victims along until they refused to pay any more money. In some cases he simply stole the passport.paul casini