I am currently looking into Great War tanks in Leicester (England) in order to give advice to several local organizations towards their planning of 1914-19 commemorations/events/activities, and would be glad to know if anyone can please help with some loose ends.
The Friends of the Lincoln Tank CD on Presentation Tanks states that there was a Tank Bank visit in 1918, and a Presentation Tank in 1919 which ended up in Victoria Park (near the Lutyens-designed War Memorial, and Leicester University), and mentions the local museum and archives as sources.
I have inquired at the institutions given and with Gwyn's kind help now have sufficient information from a local history book and national newspapers, and some photos which cross-check with surviving buildings, which amply confirm that Old Bill (Home Service no 119) was the visiting Tank Bank in January 1918. The article in the latest "Britain at War" by John Ross on Tank Banks coincidentally turns out to have more photos. So any further progress simply needs a look in local newspaper archives (not online yet alas).
However -
1. There was also a most useful thread here in 2007 on the tank bank visit with more info and photos by, especially, lookingforoldbill aka "Mike" who was a relative of one of the tank crew. An initial attempt to send a PM has come to nothing so far. Possibly his automated PM contact email address is no longer active. If anyone knows him please ask him to PM me. I can provide references if needed.
2. By contrast, I have got very little further with the Presentation Tank of 1919, except that a colleague and I have been able to find its precise final location from photographic evidence. I have been unable to trace any likely looking source for the CD's information, or for its single photo of the tank and trophy German guns. The CD does give dates which makes it much easier to check the local newspaper archives than otherwise. However, I wonder if the information was taken from a published (book or internet) account, including its arrival and scrapping. If anyone knows of such a source I would be very glad to hear. I would also be keen to know of any photos of the presentation tank en route or after final emplacement in the Park (it was apparently temporarily parked at the Magazine/Newarke for a little while).
Lothianman, have you got a copy of the superb book published by the Leicester Mercury in, IIRC, the 1980's regarding Leicester at War in WW1? There is at least one photo there i'm sure of it. I did an article on the Hinckley Tank a few years ago for the Hinckley Times if it is of interest (former resident of Earl Shilton)
Ah! The reference I was given - and pretty good it is too for the tank bank - was "Leicester 1914-1918 the War Time Story of a Midland town" written by F P Armitage and published by Edgar Bacchus of Leicester in 1933. But this is quite different. Many thanks.
Rob, I'd be very grateful for the reference to the book (title, author, date and if possible (but not necessarily) the pages in question), for both the tank bank and the presentation tank, as I can then ask my contacts at Leicester to check it for me.
Rob - Just to say I've found what must be the book in question - Beazley, B. 1999. Four years remembered. Leicester during the Great War, publishe b y the Leicester Mercury as you say, with two excellent shots, and also your piece in the local newspaper on the Hinckley tank. Most useful. Many thanks for both.
-- Edited by Lothianman on Friday 16th of August 2013 04:39:23 PM
That's the one - sorry was so slow in getting back to you, been a busy few weeks and spent the last week in Wales (got to drive a 1918 Ministry of Munitions steam locomotive, so not all bad!)
