I'm delighted to say that I have come across two newspaper interviews with Lt-Col J.A. Robinson, commanding officer of 26 Bn., A.I.F. during the seizure of Mephisto at Villers-Bretonneux. One is from 1919, and one from 1938.
Some faintly useful info emerges. Talking in 1919 of the lion painting, he says, "It's still there," which, of course, it was. As regards the identity of the artist, he says, "At Vaux Wood the battalion wag got busy and painted quite a good illustration of the British lion with his paw on a German tank." At the time of the interview, Mephisto was still waiting on the wharf in Brisbane to be taken "to its ultimate destination, wherever that may be."
He describes the men of the 26th who took part in the recovery as "the fatigue parties," rather less glamorous than "the captors of Mephisto."
In the 1938 article, the author says that he and Robinson "could decipher the year 1918 and a few other letters (chalked) on it. Further round, the names of a British Tank Corps were inscribed— not with chalk, but in cold, hard steel, the inscription being done with a cold chisel."
I've also found two photos of Mephisto on display, one in which he/she/it is surrounded by a white fence, and one of him/her/it under a substantial tiled roof. They're new to me. Anyone interested?
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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.
"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.
Or from about 68,000,000 years ago. judging by the triceratops.
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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.
