Tracklink Issue 89

AUTUMN 2014 issue 89

M A G A Z I N E O F T H E F R I E N D S O F T H E TA N K M U S E U M

Tankfest 2014 Chinese Labour Corps RTR Amalgamation Tank Banks

www.friendsofthetankmuseum.org

AUTUMN 2014 issue 89

ISSUE 89 Autumn 2014 M A G A Z I N E O F T H E F R I E N D S O F T H E TA N K M U S E U M

Tankfest 2014 Chinese Labour Corps RTR Amalgamation Tank Banks

Cover: A solitary burnt out Iraqi T-55, its metal buckled and rusting, sits broken and defeated as some of the 700 Kuwaiti oil wells burn spectacularly on the horizon.

Kuwait 1991.

www.friendsofthetankmuseum.org

Contents

Tankfest 4

3 From the Chairman 4 Tankfest 10 Hobart’s Pike 12 Railway Nameplates 14 Hetzer 18 The Amalgamation

Railway NamePlates 12

21 Workshop News 22 38t 24 Chinese Labour Corps 28 Tank Banks

Hetzer 14 Friends of The Tank Museum www.friendsofthetankmuseum.org Registered Charity No: 289035 Patron: Field Marshal HRH The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC President: Col (Retd) John Longman Chairman: Steve Latham Vice-Chairman: John Pearson Treasurer: Maj (Retd) Colin Hepburn Secretary: Keith Glenn; Email: admin@ friendsofthetankmuseum.org Editor: Roz Skellorn; Email: editor@friendsofthetankmuseum.org Friends Administration: Abbie King; Email: enquiries@friendsofthetankmuseum.org; Tel: 01929 405096 ext224 Visits Coordinator: Gwyneth Wright; Email: visits@ friendsofthetankmuseum.org Museum Director: Richard Smith

From the Archives 28

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have now been in office for 10 months and it feels like a life time. There is so much going on and I do hope it is taking us in the right direction. The Friends supported this year’s Tankfest with the normal professional expertise and supported the event very well. This has been said a few times, but the event would not happen without the Friends assistance. Very well done to all of you who attended and put in so much of your own free time.

Thank you.

The FOTM finances are being geared towards helping the museum gain additional match funding through the HLF. Much work is being done to ensure that FOTM will be in the best position to support the museum going forward both with the work of the volunteers and also through finance and grants.

The Friends Annual General Meeting is on October the 4th at the Museum (see page 30 for more details) and I would encourage you to come if at all possible. It is the one time you get to have your say. With all that is going on it is very important to make your views known.

From the Chairman

The Agenda for the AGM will be as follows:

Opening statement, Apologies, Previous Minutes, Treasurers report, Museum update, Membership update, Events, Tracklink, Fundraising, Election of Trustees and Secretary, Postal voting.

The visits program, run by Gwyneth Wright, is doing very well on the fundraising front with £540 this calendar year. There have been some very interesting visits, one recently was to Bordon to the REME reserve collection, brings back lots of fond memories seeing some of the vehicles they have. You can have a really good much around the vehicles and get inside and under the bonnet of most of them. They even have a working Conquer that they ran up for us. If you would like a copy of planned visits then please contact Gwyneth Wright.

We still have much to do get the Friends’ moving forward in a professional manner. With your help we can do this.

One of the Agenda items will be the election of Council / Trustees members. One position for election will be that of Secretary. Keith Glenn has stated he will not be standing for re-election. This is certainly a loss, as he has put in so much good work and was instrumental in getting the accounts in a suitable auditable state. If you would like to be considered for any of these positions then I ask you to put together a profile of yourself and explain what you can do within the council of trustees. If you have any inclination for any of these positions and would like to talk first my contact details are on the inside cover of the magazine. You might not like what we are doing, so now is your chance to make a difference.

I am aware of some issues regarding the Friends benefits and that this has caused a great deal of discontent. This is being reviewed at present. I would point out at this stage that these are benefits the Museum gives to the Friends and not something the Friends Trustees set.

Another point I am keen to investigate is the issue of postal voting. At present for many reasons some people are excluded from making decisions on how we operate and govern ourselves. I would very much appreciate your views on whether or not you think this is a good idea – Tracklink would be a good medium to discuss this. Alternatively if you send your views to me or the Secretary well before the AGM, they can be presented to the members then.

Steve on a visit to Bordon.

Steve Latham

RE C OR D BREAKING TANKFEST Tankfest is the biggest event of the year in The Tank Museum’s calendar and this year’s event certainly didn’t disappoint. Tankfest 2014 far surpassed the previous record of 11,000 visitors, with a huge 15,000 visitors pouring in to the site over the weekend.

For those of you who missed out, or who just wanted to reminisce about a fantastic weekend, the next few pages give a flavour of what to expect from Tankfest.

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The Friends put in a gargantuan effort for Tankfest, spending hours in the weeks before helping with vehicle preparation and set up. On the day, numerous members drove vehicles in the arena displays and assisted on the Friends Membership stand.

TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 5

RECORD BREAKING TANKFEST

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his year’s arena displays featured some new faces in the form of the M110A1, the Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier and the BRDM – 2, which have recently been added to the Museum’s collection. The ever impressive Hetzer and Valentine DD were also among the guest vehicles to appear.

Outside the arena, there was entertainment from singers, like Cherry

M110A1

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Morello, and an extraordinary turnout from living history re-enactors. 2014 also marked the Inaugural Tank Pull challenge; a team from The Tank Museum were pitted against the might of the British Army and against all odds the men in black were victorious!

To round it all off the finale battle, a tribute to Operation Market Garden, was a triumph of aircraft, tank and infantry.

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Tank Pull Challenge The team pulling a Scorpion FV101.

Tankfest 2015 will take place on 27th & 28th June 2015 TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 7

Militra cksby2014 Tim Royall M

ilitracks is an outdoor military event that focuses mainly on German vehicles from the Second World War. It was first held in 2010 at the Dutch War and Resistance Museum at Overloon in Holland and has since become a very popular annual event attracting larger and larger crowds. Overloon was the scene of the only real tank battle in Holland, in 1944. After the war, the site, complete with many abandoned vehicles and trenches, became the logical location for the opening of a museum and memorial in May 1946. In the 1990s the Museum was expanded with a number of new buildings and the addition of the Marshall Museum collection.

Each year at Militracks there is an evergrowing number of vehicles such as motorbikes, transporters, command cars, as well as many halftracks and tanks. The unique feature is that as well as seeing

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all the vehicles driving around a 1 mile circuit around the Overloon museum, for a small fee to cover fuel and running costs, you can also get to drive in them.

I got a ride in a 1 ton D7 halftrack, also known as the Sd.Kfz. 10. Most vehicles present were in a sand colour, but this one was finished in panzer grey. The engine sounded smoother than my car and it effortlessly covered the crosscountry course with its six passengers in surprising comfort. Mind you it wasn’t cold or raining!

Since it started, the event has grown from a small number of vehicles to nearly 100 exquisitely restored vehicles and seen visitor numbers rise to nearly 10,000 people over the entire weekend. In 2012, the event even achieved an official Guinness World Record with a parade of 17 driving Kettenkrads. This year there were only 10 of them! Other stars of the

show included a Hetzer, 3x D7 (sd.Kfz.10), a 2cm Flak 38 (sf ) mounted on a D7 (Sd. Kfz. 10/5), examples of the Sd.Kfz. 11, Sd.Kfz. 7, and the massive Sd.Kfz. 9 Famo, as well as an armoured Sd.Kfz. 250 and a pioneer version of the Sd.Kfz. 251. Smaller vehicles were also well represented with various Kubelwagens, Schwimmwagens, and other exotic vehicles and motorbikes.

Finally, one of the stars of the museum was also on show inside, the Panther Ausf G that was knocked out by a PIAT on October 13th 1944. After various restorations, the Panther has recently been completely overhauled and restored to its configuration at the time of the Battle of Overloon.

Next year Militracks will once again take place at Overloon over the weekend of 16-17 May 2015. www.militracks.nl

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he first half of 2014 has brought some excellent developments for the Museum. It is worth taking a step back and reflecting about what has happened since March.

Our First World War commemorations began in earnest in April, when Dan Snow opened our new “Warhorse to Horsepower” exhibition. The First World War saw a tremendous transition to mechanised warfare, and the impact on men and animals that this made is the story that we are seeking to tell in the new display. It has been received very well by our visitors and represents another key step in our development of our old 1980’s displays into exhibitions which meet the expectations of a 21st century visitor.

From the Director 150,000 people are following our activities, many of them based overseas. It is a mark of how significant our collection is and the scale of interest generated amongst younger audiences by new computer games that we are so successful in this area – the most numerous group following us are 18-24 year olds, unusual for any museum!

Tankfest has been the highlight of the year so far. Over 14,500 people joined us to see the World’s biggest and best display of moving historic armour. New vehicles such as the M110 and recently acquired CVRT family joined old favourites such as Centurion and Tiger. The whole event was rounded off with a tribute to those who fought at Arnhem, with this being the 70th anniversary. Many thanks to all the members of the Friends who took part in the event, without them it would not have been possible. For the diary, next year’s Tankfest will be 27-28 June.

Two more things to look out for in the future:

Partly in response to our new exhibitions and some favourable weather, the first half of 2014 has been a record year. The overarching strategy for the Museum is that we can achieve our aims most completely if we are successful in attracting paying visitors to the site and then re-invest our income to constantly improve the way we look after and display our collections.

As a result of new sponsorship from Wargaming.net – the makers of the “World of Tanks” computer game, we have started a new programme of vehicle restoration. The Museum is committed to responsibly continuing to operate vehicles where this can be done sensibly and sustainably. One of the results of operating a fleet of over 50 running vehicles aged between 30 and 75 years old is that the work involved in keeping them running will only ever increase and the costs of replacement or repaired parts is unlikely to come down any time soon. Hence continued sponsorship in this area makes a key difference to our ability to continue to display vehicles to the public.

One way in which you can keep in touch with the daily pattern of events is through our Facebook page. The Tank Museum is the fastest growing UK museum on Facebook. As I write this, over

The new exhibition will be set within a mock factory

In the spring of 2015, we will be launching our new exhibition about the people behind the tanks.

“Making Tanks” (only a working title at the moment) will tell the stories of the people who design and manufacture armoured vehicles.

Further out, in 2016, we will be marking the centenary of the tank. Tank 100 will be a major event on September 17th 2016 and we hope will be of a scale which reflects the size of the achievement of the people who invented, produced and fought in that first generation of armoured warfare.

Richard Smith

Hobart

by David Willey A

fter the fall of France and the evacuation at Dunkirk, Britain stood alone and as Churchill said himself, “whatever happened in France would make no difference to the resolve of Britain and the British Empire to fight on, if necessary for years, if necessary alone” – the Local Defence Volunteers, later called, and better known as, the Home Guard, was set up as part of this effort to defend Britain against the Nazi invaders.

This pike, made of a piece of scaffolding pole with a 1913 Remington bayonet welded to it, was issued to 55 year old, and new Home Guard recruit, Percy Hobart, to help defend Britain. Such was the desperate nature of the times. Hobart swiftly proved his worth in the Chipping Camden (and later Deddington) Home

Guard and was made Corporal. However, he was perhaps not the usual type of recruit. Of course many in the Home Guard had seen service in WW1, but few had gone on to distinguish themselves as a leading exponent of armoured warfare, trained and developed many armoured units including the 7th Armoured Division, reached the rank of Major General and then fallen foul of superiors and been sacked and retired from service, just as the country went to war.

Percy Hobart is, of course, better known as a great wartime innovator; commanding the 79th Armoured Division and pioneering those D-Day tanks affectionately named the “Funnies”. This pike, donated by Percy Hobart’s family, along with the loan of his private papers,

The engraving on the bayonet reads: Pike issued to L/Cpl. P.C.S. Hobart, Home Guard, Deddington - by Lord Croft, Under Secretary of State for War in 1940. For repelling the invasion of Great Britain.

This amazing object was kindly donated to The Tank Museum by Grizell Hobart this year.

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represents both a highly significant donation and tangible proof of how close Britain came to wasting one of its great men during the perils of the Second World War. Luckily, Hobart did not take his fall from grace lightly and petitioned the War Office and senior figures to be made better use of – Churchill was informed of Hobart’s position and asked him to Chequers. This was followed by an invitation from the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (C.I.G.S.) – then General Sir John Dill - to a meeting at the War Office.

Hobart had to ask whether he should come dressed as a civilian, a Corporal in the Home Guard or a Major General?

The meeting led eventually to Hobart being offered the command of a new

t’s Pike armoured formation – the 11th Armoured Division – a unit he trained superbly, whilst involving himself in the many debates and experiments of how best tanks and tank formations might best be used. Illness (Appendicitis) led to Hobart being replaced as Divisional Commander when the 11th Armoured Division were earmarked for overseas service.

Again there was the likelihood that he would be retired and again Churchill intervened and Hobart was appointed to Command the new 79th Armoured Division. Hobart’s temper, rudeness and charm were soon known to those serving in the 79th Armoured Division. He ‘made the Officers hop’ was a comment from an enlisted man and he was famous for blunt honesty to those who failed to meet his standards.

Normandy. One early missive Hobart sent out to his units stated ‘suggestions from all ranks for improvements in equipment to be encouraged’. Hobart was adamant all could – and should – contribute and he was as happy to hear the opinion of an enlisted man as that of a top designer.

In early 1943, Brooke the C.I.G.S., whilst planning the invasion of Europe, had what he called ‘a happy brain wave’ of tasking the 79th Armoured Division to lead the armoured assault on D-Day. Hobart was offered the task of developing and leading the force – and he returned to his unit to consult before making a decision. Hobart asked his GSO 1 – Alan Brown what he thought of the proposal – ‘Well, sir, I think we can do it and I think we should’. Hobart pondered. ‘Right, we will’.

G.O.C. (General Officer Commanding) Pastel by Eric Kennington

The success of Hobart’s Funnies on D-Day is well known. Less attention is given to the continued use, and success, of the 79th Armoured Division in the rest of the Liberation campaign. By the end of the war Hobart commanded the largest armoured formation the western Allies possessed – not bad for a Corporal in the man who five years before was ready to repel an invader with a bayonet welded to a piece of scaffolding pole.

Sir Percy Hobart, by Eric Kennington

This pastel, one of two of Hobart now in The Tank Museum’s collection, was drawn in December 1941 by Eric Kennington. At this time Hobart was commanding the 11th Armoured Division in Ripon, Yorkshire. Kennington – one of the outstanding war artists of the First and Second World Wars - had known Hobart since 1920. The picture was used in the wartime publication ‘Tanks and Tank Folk’ along with other examples of Kennington’s stunning portraits.

The 79th Armoured Division pioneered and developed many variants of specialist armour for the D-Day landings, and of course a number of these vehicles can be seen inside the Museum. Hobart raced around the country (literally – his staff car called ‘the Killing Bottle’ was notoriously fast) to visit his scattered units and meet scientists, engineers and chivvy those producing the range of equipment required to overcome the defences and the problems that were to be met in

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The Tank Museum was delighted to take back two of its exhibits recently after they had been away for restoration work – two railway engine name plates and crests.

Royal Tank Corps

Steam Locomotive Nameplates restored and returned 12 Autumn 2014 TRACKLINK 89

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he Patriot Class Express Passenger Locomotive engine, 45507 “Royal Tank Corps”, was named at a ceremony at Euston on 20th November, 1937, the twentieth anniversary of the battle of Cambrai. The nameplates presented that day, along with their regimental crests, were later given to the Royal Tank Regiment by British Railways when the steam locomotive was taken out of service in the early 1960s. The plates had been in the reserve store for some years but now, thanks to the help of a supporter of the Museum, Charles Reed, they have been restored to pristine condition and have taken their rightful place amongst the exhibits in the main display.

When Charles Reed came to Bovington last year, he set to work in the Archives and Library finding out what he could about his grandfather, 2nd Lieutenant George Reed, who had joined the Tank Corps in August 1917. However, as a railway enthusiast, after having discovered the details of his grandfather’s service, Charles also asked to see the railway nameplates he had heard of stored in the archives.

After some years in store the plates and their crests were not in the best of condition so Charles offered to engage the services of a friend and expert restorer to put the nameplates back in original condition and then mount them on wooden, liveried panels just as they were carried on the locomotive.

The Museum’s Curator, David Willey, met Charles and readily agreed to have the restoration works carried out. The job done, the nameplates were returned to Bovington in February and are now back on display for the public to enjoy, in The Tank Story Hall. Charles Reed said

Curator David Willey, with donor Charles Reed and Curatorial Assistant, Laura Sweetenham.

“I’m delighted to have played a part in returning these nameplates to such lovely condition but the credit for all the hard work belongs to my restorer pal who prefers to remain anonymous. Everyone at The Tank Museum was so supportive in helping me learn more about my Grandfather’s time with the Regiment that being allowed to commission and oversee this restoration work has been a real privilege.”

Curator David Willey added, ‘The Tank Museum is rightly and understandably famous for its collection of vehicles, but perhaps lesser known is the extent and interest of the supporting collections.

These nameplates are indicative of the quality of some of the items held and the Museum is particularly grateful to

Major General Sir Ernest Swinton at the naming ceremony, 20th November 1937

Charles for seeing through this cleaning and representation of the plaques so they can be better appreciated by our audience’.

Fundraising for the Friends We have raised £107 through easy fundraising so far!

Those of you who have been on the FOTM website may have noticed a link to easy fundraising on the right hand side of the home page.

If you click on the easy fundraising logo this will take you to their website where, following a few easy steps, you can register to support the Friends of The Tank Museum. Every time you make an online purchase from a qualifying retailer, the retailer donates a percentage of their profit to the Friends of The Tank Museum.

This money is then ‘banked’ in the Friends account. We have already raised a significant amount of money through this, so the more people who sign up the better.

Follow the link from our website for more details on how to register and the wealth of companies which are signed up to this scheme.

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Jagdpanzer Hetzer

F

ollowing the appearance of the ever-popular Hetzer at Tankfest, Ian Young, editor of Military Machines International has contributed with an article on the Hetzer. He looks at the vehicle more generally, but also Bruce Crompton’s Hetzer, star of Tankfest, in particular.

We take a closer look at the Jagdpanzer 38 hunting tank, better known as the Hetzer The Jagdpanzer was the generic term for a series of vehicles built by the Germans during the Second World War. Essentially turretless tanks fitted with fairly large calibre weapons in wellsloped superstructures, the Jagdpanzers were well suited as anti-tank or assault guns where turret traverse wasn’t necessarily required. Often ambushing the enemy from well-camouflaged ‘hull down’ defensive positions, the Jagdpanzers were capable of engaging and defeating the vast majority of Allied armoured vehicles of the time.

Their comparative lack of sophistication and reduced complexity due to the lack of a turret meant that more

vehicles could be built in a shorter space of time and without the need for the same amount of resources and materials required to build more complex tanks with revolving turrets.

During the war the Jagdpanzer proved to be a huge success, with many different types built using a variety of donor vehicles, which included the Panzer III, Panzer IV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger and of course the Czechdesigned and built Pz.Kpfw.

38(t) that formed the basis for the Hetzer.

Czechoslovak design In seizing what was left of the former Czechoslovakia in 1939, the Germans had acquired a huge inventory of the country’s armed forces, which included a not inconsiderable defence-manufacturing infrastructure. Amongst the assets seized was Praguebased BMM (BohmischMarische Maschinenfabrik AG) and the former Skoda works in Pilsen, which was taken over by the German war economy as the Skodawerke.

The two companies had been producing a large range of Czech-designed tanks, with BMM acting as the main contractor for assembly and Skoda producing a range of other components as well as armoured vehicles and their armament.

The takeover of these facilities by the Germans had seen the continued use of the manufacturing facilities to produce the Czech-designed PanzerKampfwagen 38 (tchechoslowakisch) (Pz. Kpfw. 38 (t)) light tank for the German Army, which went on to be highly successful in the early part of the war.

As the war progressed and more sophisticated and heavily armed tanks came into service, the Pz.Kpfw.

38(t) as a tank became largely redundant, but rather than wasting what was a valuable resource, a number of weapon carriers and other vehicles were designed and built around the Pz.Kpfw.

38(t) chassis. It was therefore a logical progression when it was decided to use the hull and running gear of the

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Rear marker light

Bruce Crompton’s Hetzer at Tankfest 2014

Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) once again as the basis for the new Leichte Jagdpanzer in late 1943.

As work began on the new project it was decided to try and incorporate around 80% of the original donor tank in order to reduce the amount of time need to tool up for the new Jagdpanzer, while at the same time keeping maximum commonality for spare parts.

The design of what ultimately became the Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer was heavily influenced by an earlier Romanian tank destroyer project that the designers had been taking a keen interest in, with the wellsloped shape of the armoured superstructure bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Romanian project.

In the space of around five months the first prototype was ready for troop trials and was by now resembling what would ultimately become the production Hetzer, with well-sloped armour offering a low silhouette and armed with the tried and tested 7.5cm PaK 39 (L/48) gun.

Description Although simplified in design when compared to a conventional turreted tank, the Jagdpanzer 38(t) was a triumph of packaging, cramming as much equipment in as small an area as possible, although the four crew members that operated within the cramped space (driver, commander, gunner and loader) might beg to differ.

The basic 38(t) chassis was widened to provide more interior space, with the suspension and running gear remaining largely unchanged.

The front glacis plate was 60mm thick and angled at 60° to give maximum ballistic protection, with a cast, shaped mantlet protecting the 7.5cm PaK 39 (L/48) gun where it entered the glacis plate. The type of mantlet used was actually known as a Topfblende or ‘Pot Mantlet’ and changed slightly in design over the years the Hetzer was in production.

The side armour to the superstructure was just 20mm

in thickness, but angled at 40° to increase the level of protection, a lesson learned by the German designers early on when studying the then new Soviet T-34 tank with its well-sloped armour.

The rear of the vehicle was less well protected, partly to save weight, and partly due to the belief that the enemy would rarely see the rear of the hull given that the vehicle would normally be operating in a ambush scenario and often in a hull scrape to afford even better protection. As a consequence the rear armour on the Hetzer was only 8mm thick and the floor was just 10mm thick.

A series of three separate steel plate skirts (Schurzen) were arranged either side to provide additional protection and to reduce the amount of dust from the tracks.

Although the designers did their best to maximise the carry-over content of the Hetzer, the increase in width (and as a consequence weight) meant that a number of items had to be modified, including the suspension

leaf springs, which required strengthening. The six rubber-tyred road wheels either side of the vehicle were also increased in diameter, however, the drive sprockets and idler wheels remained unchanged from the donor 38(t) tank, and a single track return roller was added either side.

The cast steel track links were 280mm (11.5 in) wide, with each side using a total of 90 links and limited spares carried on the engine decking and rear of the hull, although individual crews would often carry additional tracks elsewhere around the vehicle, either as spares or as a makeshift add-on armour.

A roof mounted remoteoperated machine gun was provided for defensive cover and a two-part hatch further back on the roof provided access to and from the vehicle for the crew members.

The engine in the Hetzer was a Praga EPA AC 2800 six-cylinder, water-cooled petrol engine of 7,754cc capacity. The engine delivered 160hp at 2,600rpm

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Wood block for jack

Spare tracks

The Jagdpanzer at Militracks, Overloon, in the Netherlands. During the weekend the crew gathered tree branches and foliage from the surrounding woods and camouflaged the Hetzer just as it would have been during wartime.

and was mated to a PragaWilson type gearbox, which provided a maximum speed of 39 km/h on the road. The engine was also fitted with a pre-heater for use in cold climates as standard following lessons learned from time spent on the Eastern Front.

Fuel for the engine was carried in two interconnecting, internal fuel tanks within the engine compartment, containing 220-litres (48.4 gallons) and 100-litres (22 gallons) respectively. This fuel capacity gave the Hetzer a stated road range of around 250 kilometres or 100 kilometres cross country, depending on the terrain and other mitigating circumstances, such as vehicle weight, temperature, speed etc.

Private Hands There are a number of preserved examples of the Jagdpanzer Hetzer in private hands and museums around the world, many of which are maintained in a running and fully operational condition and are often seen at various military vehicle and living history shows.

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While the majority of them are wartime production vehicles, some are in fact post-war G13 Hetzers, produced for the Swiss Army following an order for 158 vehicles in 1946. Outwardly there is little difference between the post-war G13 Hetzer and the wartime Hetzer, with the muzzle brake fitted to Swiss vehicles being the obvious difference, however, it is not uncommon for these to be removed and vehicles modified to represent wartime vehicles, so telling them apart can sometimes be tricky.

One vehicle I know to be a genuine wartime Hetzer is the example owned and operated by the Crompton Military Vehicle Collection, being number ten of the first batch built at the Czech Skoda Pilsen works in 1944 and featured here in this article. In May 2010 I had the opportunity to accompany Bruce Crompton and his team to the Militracks Overloon show held in the Netherlands, and one of the five vehicles he took along to the event was his beloved Hetzer.

Brothers Nick and Phil Rutherford work for Bruce full time, restoring, maintaining and running the impressive fleet of mainly German wartime vehicles and artillery (see our report in the November 2009 issue of MMI) and Nick was tasked with driving the Hetzer around the wooded course surrounding the museum at Overloon, built especially for the event.

Vision from the tiny slits within the glacis plate is somewhat limited, and with the course having many tight twists and turns, and the close proximity of the trees in places, it was near impossible to drive the course without assistance, so Phil provided instructions from the commander’s position while a second spotter walked in front of the Hetzer to provide direction signals to Nick when Phil couldn’t gauge the width of the vehicle from his position on top.

The vehicle has been restored from the ground up and while it does see occasional use, the outing in the Netherlands saw the 66-year old Jagdpanzer running

faultlessly all weekend, which is surely testament to both the strength of the original engineering and the impeccable restoration work carried out on the Hetzer since. Nick later went on to report that by the end of the weekend, the Hetzer, and indeed all five wartime German vehicles taken across to the event, were running better than ever before, proving that these vehicles really do need to be used on regular basis to ensure they continue to work correctly.

During my time in the Netherlands I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the Hetzer and to record the details of the vehicle for the purposes of this article, which I hope you will enjoy, however, I would like to extend my thanks to Bruce Crompton for inviting me along to the event in the first place, and to Phil and Nick for their help with the preparation of the article and the supply of the interior photos.

TRACKLINK

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A weather report from Bulford 2014

by Keith Glenn

T

hursday’s dress rehearsals took place under hot, clear blue skies. There was a sense of amusement for an occasion which would demonstrate the more serious effects of recent cuts in the Army. The part of the inspecting General was played by a junior officer dressed as a very colourful parrot and the General Salute was played, accidently, to the arrival of a lorry carrying Portaloos.

On a deeply gloomy Saturday morning heavy with foreboding, the amalgamation of the last two regiments of the Royal Tank Regiment took place at Old Carter Barracks.

As if to convey the superficial sadness of the occasion the weather was forecast to be heavy rain throughout the day.

The parade opened damply with a piper in full dress playing ‘Blue Bonnets over the Border’ very closely followed by the Museum’s Mark IV crewed by 2 Friends, Chris Fielder and Keith Glenn.

The rain started in earnest and 2000 umbrellas filled the stands as 5 Challenger 2 tanks, trailing coloured smoke, charged on to the parade ground. The rain increased to monsoon strength as 350 soldiers marched on in two separate divisions, dressed with red and saffron cravats, to music played by the RTR Pipes and Drums and the band of the Rifles. With fine precision they combined to form a single unit and their distinctive colours vanished.

Still in heavy rain, on came the damp but genuine General carried by the Rolls-Royce

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armoured car, crewed by Chatty Taylor and Andy Foster, and recognition of the new regiment began. As the CO had observed ‘this unique occasion brings a new beginning in the history of the Royal Tank Regiment as we were the very first and, for one day only, the newest Tank Regiment in the world.’

As if to welcome the new Regiment the weather cleared, umbrellas were furled revealing the Regimental Association Standards, old comrades, the families of serving soldiers, Chelsea Pensioners and all the other witnesses to the new Regiment marching past with Standards flying.

Naturally, the music at this stage was ‘My Boy Willie’. The Challengers rumbled past with guns dipped in salute and the formal proceedings concluded. Under the sun the last traces of damp clothing disappeared.

All vehicles were formed up for the visitors to examine more closely and there was a great deal of interest in both the Rolls-Royce and the Mark IV. The Mark IV in particular became the background to many photographs including a memorable array of former Commanding Officers. The later part of the day was then taken up with a barbecue lunch, dodgem cars, fun fair, parachute display, falconry displays, some light-hearted inter-squadron sports, band concerts and much reminiscing in the bar all in warm and sunny conditions.

article title

TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 19

g n u Yo S d n e i Fr

W

elcome to the Young Friends page where you can find out more about tanks and the crews that fought in them with a mixture of puzzles, competitions and stories.

Guess that tank!

Can you name the tank shown in the photo above? Here’s a clue – it shares its name and its roar with a big cat.

Email your answers (Young Friends only please!) to editor@friendsofthetankmuseum.org, with “Young Friends” in the subject field, and the lucky winner will be sent a gift bag from the Museum Shop. The winner will be drawn from all correct entries received by 15th November so get your entry in today. Best of Luck!

If you are not lucky enough to win our competition you can still get a goodie bag, just ask a relative to sign you up as a member of the Young Friends.

Word Search First World War

Chieftain

Tracks

Whippet

Montgomery

Saladin

Regiment

Turret

Beret

Armour

I U Q C J R T U R R E T R X N

DID YOU KNOW?

Leonardo da Vinci designed the first tank, in 1482. The Museum does have a replica but it doesn't look like this slow, heavy, wooden vehicle would have been much good on the battlefield!

Q L C OA Y T Z V O X T R N J E C T T L MQ Z I B R T R O I T DU AMS U Y R E MOG T N Y B MG K OW J F E R E B R ONN A U R Z Q R T Q S I H I B L GN T NH U F DDG E XWV H WM R Q M I B B A T Y HO I Y OH B N UWH G S A L T G F N X E X Y I X Q R A C R HD R

OQ F C N Z I I P L RMHGQ B A D K T OMC E M T Z P K B E P DN S I I MW C Z J H B V T EWC U H X R J H D OWA O A D I N S S G X B D J ZW I C

Workshop News article title

Workshop Manager, Mike Hayton, shares the news from behind the scenes at the Workshop On the upside we also have a new “dust-suppression vehicle”, which is doing a great job at reducing dust on the arena.

Now that Tankfest is behind us, we are looking ahead and getting ready for the 4th August Commemoration event at the Museum. The Mark IV, A7V, Matilda I, Centurion, Chieftain, Warrior and Khalid will be among the vehicles taking part in the arena displays on that day. A couple of days before the First World War event, on the 2nd of August, there will be another significant event – a parade in Bulford to mark the amalgamation of 1RTR and 2RTR. Chatty Taylor, who is ex-RTR will be driving the Rolls-Royce in the parade.

Also taking part is the museum’s Mk IV replica.

One of the most significant occurrences of recent weeks has been the confirmation of a wide–ranging restoration project, needed to address the backlog of vehicles that no longer run.

We have been granted funding and two new staff members, for two years, specifically to work on vehicles that have broken down. There are ten vehicles in total on the list for repair so far, including Matilda II, Sherman and Marder. First on the list of repairs is the Comet. Although it had been restored to working order before Tankfest, it didn’t stay well for long, when the arena display proved to be too much for the rusty fuel tank and caused a monumental fuel leak together with water and oil leaks from a very tired engine. Bob Darwood, previously from the Isle of Wight Museum, has been working hard to restore the Comet and is now replacing the engine with a replacement from stock. Unfortunately the fuel tank has major corrosion and will have to be replaced.

In the past few months we have also completed a successful trial of our new Community Service programme, which teaches offenders basic automotive skills. The next phase will start in September and take place in our new Community service workshop, next to our Volunteer Workshop which is already being used to its maximum.

Finally preparations are under way for the next big tank move.

Taking place during October, most of the vehicles currently displayed in the British Steel Hall will be moved to the VCC, including Tortoise. We have come to the conclusion that the only way to move it is to drive it, as both Chieftain ARV and Centurion ARV struggle just to tow it in a straight line.

Watch this space!

The funding for the repair of some of the vehicles is really great news for us; it means we’re able to tackle the backlog and put even more of our impressive vehicles on display.

Visitors to Tankfest might have noticed that we had a number of breakdowns during the displays, including the Centurion 104, M40 Stridsvagon, Saracen, BTR 60 and Jagd Kanonon.

80% of breakdowns to petrol vehicles were caused by the use of modern petrol; ethanol in the petrol is causing sediment to block the fuel filters and is melting the diaphragms in the fuel pumps, which then have to be replaced.

Replacement Meteor engine for Comet

TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 21

Pz 38t

by David Willey

T

he Pz 38t was a vehicle that had considerable influence in the early campaigns of the Second World War when used by the German Army, but it was a tank made in Czechoslovakia.

The story of the 38t begins back in the post First War World era where the newly established country of Czechoslovakia began to build a modern arms industry.

The new nation was surrounded by Hungary, Austria, Germany, Poland and Romania. All these nations save Romania had territorial or other areas of dispute with the new republic so establishing an effective military was a major necessity for the country. The Czechs turned to France to look for advice and guidance and like many countries at this time they bought some FT 17 tanks and later British Carden Loyd tankettes to study their design and experiment with how they might be best used.

Developing their own tank design and manufacturing industry the Czechs produced the LT 34 (LT = Light Tank,

34 = the year introduced) and the LT 35, a heavier tank. This LT 34 tank was of a conventional layout, engine compartment at rear, crew/fighting compartment at the centre, a turret on top and driver in the front. With a weight of 7,625kg, a 37mm gun (the standard calibre anti-tank gun for many countries at this time) and a crew of four, the tank differed little from others produced at this time, however it showed great reliability and adaptability and was exported with a number of minor variations to Romania, Persia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Peru where it was in service until 1988. The LT 35 tank – the heavier vehicle - was in many ways similar in appearance to the LT 34 but had a much more complex (and unreliable) mechanical systems such as pneumatically operated steering and gearbox operation.

The deteriorating situation in Europe led the Czech authorities to re-evaluate their tanks in 1937 and they decided to build an improved light tank with better protection and crew conditions being high on the priority list, but importantly the reliability and maintainability of the LT 34 had to be retained. After extensive trials the new version, called the LT 38 went into production, including design features from the more complex LT 35.

The tank still had a crew of four, but now the weight had increased to 9,700kg with 25mm thick armour in the front.

The turret had a fixed cupola for the

A heavily doctored Soviet propaganda picture of a 38T and Pz II being inspected by Russian soldiers early in the invasion of Russia.

22 Autumn 2014 TRACKLINK 89

Pz 38t commander, a 37mm Skoda A7 gun (with 90 rounds carried) and two Vz 37 machine guns, one co-axial and one in the bow, operated by the driver from a trigger on his steering bar. The tank was powered by a 125 HP Praga petrol engine that in early models gave an impressive top speed of 26 mph.

The LT 38 was just entering service with the Czech Army when in March 1939 Germany occupied the remaining area of the beleaguered republic. Germany immediately put to its own use the considerable resources of the Czech arms industry, including their tank production. The older LT 35 vehicle was placed into German service as the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) – 244 vehicles were taken, many needing to be rebuilt with new transmissions to improve reliability and the ammunition stowage was altered to allow a another crew member, a loader, to be added. The PzKpfw 35(t) was issued to the 6th Panzer Division and remained in service until 1942, some later being passed on to the Romanian and Bulgarian forces fighting with the Germans on the Eastern front.

The LT 38 order was taken over and the new tank was called the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) in German service. Initially the order was for 150 vehicles and, as with all captured equipment, the German military found ways to adapt or improve the item. In the following series of tanks ordered

(over 1,168 were built in total) many had thicker armour, some were fitted with the German 37mm KwK L/45 anti-tank gun in place of the Skoda A7 and modifications were made to the internal layout and equipment so German radios could be fitted for example.

The PzKpfw 38(t) equipped the 7th and 8th Panzer Divisions in the German invasion of France in 1940 and by June 1941 of the seventeen Panzer Divisions used in the invasion of the Soviet Union, six were equipped with Czech tanks including 660 PzKpfw 38(t). This meant the Czech tanks accounted for a quarter of the German tank force.

The Czech light tanks soon encountered the larger and more effective KV1 and T34 tanks of the Russian Army, but good tactics and leadership against a poorly led Red Army meant the PzKpfw 38(t) had relatively few losses in the first few months of the campaign. General Hoth led the 3rd Panzer Group, including the 7th Panzer Division, into the north of Russia attempting to seize Moscow in early December 1941. After initial successes the 7th Panzer Division, had to call off the attack on Moscow on 8th December. The Russian winter was beginning to take effect and wear, tear and battle damage was catching up with even the reliable PzKpfw 38(t). Only 84 of the tanks were now operational with Hoths’ forces but another 202 other PzKpfw 38(t) were considered repairable.

The PzKpfw 38(t) was withdrawn from frontline service early the following year, even though production of the tank continued until July 1942. Tanks were repaired and re-issued to police and antipartisan units as well as Hungarian and Romanian forces. Czech production then switched to self-propelled guns and tank hunters – versions such as the Grille and Marder. These were vehicles with re-used captured howitzers or powerful anti-tank guns mounted on top of the basic hull with simple shields as protection for the crew. The most famous and numerous vehicle based on the 38t chassis was the Jagdpazer 38 (SdKfz138/2) – more commonly known to the troops as the Hetzer. This small, low profile tank destroyer had an impressive service history with the German Army until the end of the war and then it continued in production post war for service in the Swiss Army.

Read more about the Hetzer in Ian Young’s article, on page 14.

TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 23

Chinese Labour Corps (Part One)

T

he part played by civilians in the British war effort of both world wars has been increasingly recognised in recent years. Less well known are the activities of foreign civilians in this context, many of whom came from parts of the Empire and British territories. Although noncombatant, much of their service was overseas with closer proximity to war zones, and their associated hazards, than in Britain. Rear areas could be shelled or bombed, and transport on merchant shipping was subject to torpedo attack from enemy submarines.

Background Quite early in the war it became apparent that there was a shortage of manpower in construction and maintaining the infrastructure needed support warfare.

Roads and rail networks needed construction and repair; farm production needed to be increased to feed the Nation and its armed forces; transport needed manning; coal mines and factories needed to increase output; and docks and ports had to increase efficiency to deal with the increased demand for shipping of raw materials and military

Mark V female being washed down at Erin, France, February 1918.

24 Autumn 2014 TRACKLINK 89

transportation. With this problem in mind Britain formed the Army Service Corps Labour companies to unload ships, operate docks in France, and to work on railways. Many of these workers were conscientious objectors to the war or men who were unfit for front-line service. Army infantry divisions formed pioneer battalions from skilled and semi-skilled tradesmen whose primary role was labouring work. In January 1917 the Labour Corps was established, absorbing the ASC Labour Companies, and extending the work tasks performed. The Labour Corps

The First World War is very much in the news at present. John Ham looks at THE CHINESE LABOUR CORPS during that period. In the first part of this article John explores the conditions that led to the need for the Chinese Labour Corps, their subsequent recruitment, the tasks they undertook and the conditions in which they worked.

was manned by officers and NCOs, unfit for the front line or wounded in service, and operated much closer to the fighting, sometimes even taking part as makeshift infantry.

The need for foreign labour to supplement British workers was soon recognised.

Egyptian, Jewish, Greek and Serb civilians were employed in labour units in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. The Dominions also contributed troops and labour, coming from countries such as New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, India, the West Indies and

Chinese Labour Corps Malta. Britain and other European nations, including France and Russia also looked further east to China to fulfil their increased manpower requirements. Recruitment of Chinese workers started in October 1916 for British employees, six months after for employees of the French government.

At the outset, one of the main reasons for recruitment of foreign labour was the need to increase turnaround of shipping at many ports. The wartime movement of cargoes and men meant that certain ports were in high demand, so that existing warehousing and experienced dockers were insufficient to meet needs.

The bottlenecks caused by these shortages resulted in some ships taking longer to discharge their cargoes than in peacetime, and so causing further difficulties by making that stagnant shipping unavailable for use. China was considered by the British government as a large source of additional labour to speed up this process. British trade union objections to the use of foreign nationals resulted in these workers being

deployed to work in French ports; releasing the British dockers there for employment elsewhere.

Chinese Labour Corps Recruitment Britain and other Western nations held leased territory concessions in China over which they had considerable influence. One of these areas was the port of Wei-hai-Wei in Shantung province in northern China. The British government considered that these northern Chinese would be better suited to European climates than the southern Chinese in Hong Kong. At this time China was a neutral country so recruitment was under civilian contract, although the workers were to be subjected to the rigours of army life and discipline.

Recruitment did not seem to be a problem, due the poor economy of China, and was effected through local agencies and missionaries.

Pay for a basic labourer was 1 franc per day, but with higher rates for those with skills, the highest pay grade being for interpreters. These were sourced from students,

scholars and ex-missionaries.

A separate portion of pay was to be paid directly home to China to worker’s families.

Additional sums were payable on satisfactory recruitment, and on departure from China.

Duration of contracts was for three years. Workers were expected to work 10 hours per day, 7 days a week, with no holidays other than Chinese festivals. No pay was given during sickness, but food and medical attention was provided. Although labourers were not expected to work in battlefield areas, hazard to life and limb were recognised with a payment scale for injury and death. The risk was real. 543 French employed Chinese were killed when their transport was torpedoed in the Mediterranean; and a number of British employees were killed or injured when Calais was bombed in August 1917. French contracts were more generous and workers tended to be employed away from the front line in factories and mines.

A barracks was constructed to house the recruits at Weihai-Wei, and on completion of a satisfactory medical

examination, recruits were enrolled and given a nonremovable identity bracelet bearing their enrolment number. The first contingent of British employed workers left China in January 1917. A few months later a second recruitment centre was set up in the nearby larger port of Tsingtao. Wei-Hai-Wei was not on the rail network and difficult to reach for many Chinese. Tsingtao allowed easier access, was open to a larger area of potential recruitment, and enabled larger vessels with increased transport capability to dock.

Steamers took one of several routes: around the Cape of Good Hope; through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean; or eastwards to North America and transcontinental transport, then across the Atlantic. By the time of the Armistice nearly 100,000 men under British contract had been transported to France.

The Chinese Labour Corps in France Some of the labour intensive tasks the CLC was put to work in included: • Railways. Repair; maintenance and new construction including the light railway; working on the train ferry service from Newhaven to France; and more skilled workers in locomotive maintenance and repair.

• Dockyards. Loading and unloading vessels.

• Roads. Repair and maintenance.

• Trench Digging.

• Forestry work.

• Tank and Vehicle Repairs.

Skilled men or those perceived to have an aptitude were trained in work at the Tankodrome and repair shops.

TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 25

Chinese Labour Corps • Aerodrome Construction.

Plans were made in 1918 to bomb Germany, but the Armistice ended the war before this could be put into action.

• Service duties. Cooking, cleaning etc.

Generally, the CLC workers were hard working and industrious, and left to their own devices often developed tools and working methods to speed up the task in hand.

Relations between the British officers and the CLC recruits mostly seemed to be good.

Sources of discontent were food and accommodation, poor communication and misunderstanding of language and customs. Although employed as civilians, the Chinese workers were subject to martial law, and serious offences were tried by courts

martial. Most punishments took the form of forfeiture of wages, although there were military style hard labour punishments, and a number of executions by firing squad for serious crimes. A small contingent of Chinese labourers took part in the Etaples mutiny, to be met with swift and bloody retribution.

Although not generally employed in front line activity, there are several accounts of bravery and even of the Chinese taking up arms when positions near the front were overrun, particularly after China declared war on Germany in August 1917. A few Chinese were awarded military decorations for conspicuous acts of bravery.

Repatriation As the war progressed, and particularly after America’s

entry to the war, there was increased shipping demand for transatlantic traffic. The long sea voyages to the Far East for Chinese labour was no longer a priority, and recruitment ceased in March 1918. Repatriation of British employed Chinese back to Tsingtao started in November 1918 and was largely complete by May 1920. Some Chinese were employed after hostilities ceased in helping clear up the battlefields of unexploded munitions, filling shell craters, and recovering and burying bodies. In 1920 a contingent of 191 Chinese were sent to north Russia with the Slavo-British Legion in support of anti-Communist groups.

in France and Belgium, with a small number of graves in Britain; and some sea burials for those who died on board ship. Some deaths were due to enemy action, but the most were from natural causes including the Spanish flu of 1918. Unsurprisingly, deaths also resulted from the hazardous postwar work of disposing of munitions.

Stay tuned for the next part of this article in the next edition of Tracklink, where the contributions made by Chinese Labour Corps to the newly formed Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps will be explored.

Some 2000 labourers did not return to China.

Most are buried in various cemeteries

A Chinese Labour Corps cap badge

Mark IV salvage tank, Chinese Labour Company personnel, Tank Corps Central Workshops, Erin.

26 Autumn 2014 TRACKLINK 89

BOOK REVIEW

Camouflage & Markings of Allied Armor in the Battle for Cassino

by Jeffrey Plowman Published by Model Centrum Progres ISBN 978-83-60672-22-8 Although the campaign did not see the large-scale tank battles of other theatres of war, armoured vehicles did play their part in the Italian campaign. The fighting for Monte Cassino in early 1944 may be best known for the bombing of the Monastery but it was mainly fought by infantry with tank support. Many will be surprised how many different AFVs were used and how many different nations supplied them and their crews.

This latest in this series covers the armoured vehicles used in the advance to and fighting for Cassino. This involved American, British, Canadian, French, New Zealand and Polish units at different stages and in different combinations. To further complicate who had what and where, tanks were passed between units and sometimes operated still in their original markings!

Each phase of the battle is covered separately with an introductory text giving a brief account of what happened. A selection of period black and white photos with clear captions identify the units involved and in several cases show the same vehicle from different angles. The range of vehicles wide, from various types of Stuarts and Shermans to M10 and Priest self-propelled guns and Carriers as well as some M31 TRVs and an Indian Pattern Wheeled Carrier. Colour plates show a selection of these vehicles including some very colourful camouflage schemes and brighter than usual markings.

With so much variety of types and colour schemes, this is a great choice for modellers as well as those interested in armoured warfare.

Peter Brown, 14 July 2014

AMERICAN TANKS AND AFVS OF WORLD WAR II.

By Michael Green Published by Osprey ISBN 978 1 78200 931 3 This is a wide ranging and comprehensive work. Well-read students of US tanks may feel that there is not very much that they don’t know here, but their knowledge has been acquired over many years from a variety of sources. For the novice or relative newcomer, this book provides a lot of that information within one volume.

Examples of basic information that does not come readily from publications on single vehicle types such as the US military standardisation system; the differences between the types of tank armour used in WW2; and functions of different types of ammunition are included in this book.

The illustrations are a mix of period photos, restored vehicles, and colour plates from other Osprey titles. Inevitably, in a book of this breadth some of these period images are familiar to old hands, but may not be to fresh eyes.

Even for those well-read, having so many vehicle types in one book rather than many separate publications makes it much easier to link these together chronologically when development of these is taking place concurrently. There is a lot here for the money. Recommended. Thanks to Osprey for the review samples.

John Ham, June 2014 The Patton Tank Cold War Warrior

By Michael Green Published by Pen and Sword, Images of War series ISBN 9781848847613 The images of war format is a fine way of providing a good pictorial narration on the chosen subject. The Patton Tank Cold War Warrior will not disappoint people with an interest in this lineage of tanks.

An easy read through the development process from M47 through to M48A5 with some fine portrait shots, nicely selected images showing internal layout and salient points for identification of the upgrades are well supported with good clear photos. Also there is a section on the combat theatres where these tanks saw service, again some great shots, especially if you are a modeller - with stowage shown to good effect. The production figures and foreign service users are well covered, as are the special purpose variants - bridge layer, recovery, anti-aircraft, self-propelled guns and mine clearing.

So if the Patton series is your thing, this is a book you should have in your collection. If you just have a passing interest as I did maybe this book will ignite a passion for this grand old tank.

David Voice, March 2014

From The Archives:

The Tank Banks

I

t was realised soon after the start of the First World War that it was going to be a much lengthier and consequently more expensive war than first expected. The Government needed to both reduce borrowing and raise funding for the war effort. In response to this, in 1916, the National War Savings Committee was formed.

The aim of this Committee was to promote the merits of being thrifty and to encourage the purchase of War Savings Certificates and War Bonds. A certificate could be bought for 15 shillings and 6 pence and redeemed 5 years later for 1 pound.

In order to increase public interest in the savings scheme, and following the success of the Tank Corps at Cambrai in November 1917, it was arranged for six tanks to tour the country acting as banks from which War Bonds and Certificates could be bought. The tanks spent a week at a time in different towns and cities across Britain where local politicians, heroes and celebrities would perform and address the crowd from on top of the tank.

The spectacle drew vast crowds and provided a much needed boost to funding.

28 Autumn 2014 TRACKLINK 89

As a result of the success of the Tank Banks and the public marvel and enamour with the new weapon many souvenirs were produced to commemorate the campaign.

China Model Tanks Introduced at the turn of the century, crested china was popular as souvenir and collectors’ items. Each piece bore the coat of arms of the place where it was sold.

With the onset of First World War the china models were influenced by topical events. Models included bombs and shells, people involved in War work and ships and aeroplanes. After the Tank Corps success at Cambrai and the popularity of the Tank Banks, crested china tanks were soon being produced bearing the name of the tank and often an inscription.

The china tanks pictured here all bear the crest of the town in which they were sold and those numbered ‘130’ commemorate the Tank Banks. This is after Tank 130 ‘Nelson’ which started its fundraising week in Trafalgar Square, December 1917.

The Tank Banks

Money Boxes

Paper Napkins & Lapel Badge

To encourage the collection of funds for the war effort money boxes produced during the First World War often took the form of a Tank Bank.

These fine tissue paper napkins have survived unbelievably well.

They were produced to advertise the arrival of the Tank Banks, promote the National War Savings campaign and encourage enthusiasm amongst the crowds over the great new invention of the tank. Although a souvenir of the event they are, by their nature, a throwaway, perishable item, making it even more incredible that they have endured

The tanks here numbered ‘119’ (Above: top and bottom) are modelled on the Mark IV Male Tank ‘Old Bill’. This tank was sent to Birmingham in December 1917 to promote the sale of War Bonds and Savings Certificates.

The wealth of souvenirs produced shows just how momentous the visit of one of these tanks to towns and cities across the country would have been. The campaign itself raised millions of pounds for the war effort and was considered a great success.

TRACKLINK 89 Autumn 2014 29

Annual General Meeting The Friends of The Tank Museum, Annual General Meeting takes place on Saturday 4th October, at 11am, in the Sherman Room at The Tank Museum.

There are a great many changes going on within our organisation at the moment, so it’s really important that as many Friends attend the AGM as possible to ensure that all views are heard.

This year’s special guest speaker will be Lt Col (Retd) Ken Davies who will be speaking about his work as Range Liaison Officer at Lulworth Range, the work of the Range Control Office, the conservation work they do and the ‘lost’ village of Tyneham.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Appeal for Contributors Being a member of the Friends of The Tank Museum means that you have the opportunity to get involved with all kind of things - giving talks, representing the Friends at shows and contributing your expertise and opinions to Tracklink, all contribute to improving the organisation. All assistance is greatly received and many thanks to all of those who have already contributed.

Contributors for Tracklink

Outside Groups

If you are not a confident writer, but are knowledgeable on a particular topic which you would like to share with your fellow Friends, then please contact the Editor and arrangements can be made for your topic of choice to be written up in to a full length article.

The Museum gets a number of requests to give talks to outside groups about what goes on at the Museum; its History, Collection and the part played by the Friends. It would be extremely helpful if the Friends could get involved and assist in giving a set talk to interested parties in their local area. The Museum would provide the materials necessary to give the talk and would be very grateful for your help. If you are interested please contact the Editor, at editor@friendsofthetankmuseum.org and you will be kept in mind if a talk is requested by a group in your area. Thank you to those who have already volunteered.

Recruitment As the Friends look to swell their numbers, the importance of hosting recruitment stands at various events, like Tankfest and the War and Peace Show, is becoming more and more important.

Over the next year, we will have recruitment stands at a number of events and will require assistance. If you would be interested in assisting on one of these stands, please contact Gwyneth.

Tracklink is produced for the Friends and as such we need contributions by the Friends. If you have written anything, or would like to write something new, on a topic relating to the interests of the Friends of The Tank Museum we would like to hear from you.

Please contact editor@friendsofthetankmuseum.org for details of suggested word length and number of photos required. Also please note, we cannot guarantee that all articles will be used in the next edition.

Copy deadline for the next edition is 5th November. There is some flexibility if you can let the Editor know in advance that you will be providing a certain number of pages.

Letters If you have any letters or comments concerning the Friends, please send them to editor@friendsofthetankmuseum.org for possible inclusion in the next edition of Tracklink.

Friends Membership PRICES Adult Yearly Membership..................................... £30 Joint Yearly Membership...................................... £45 Young Friend (Child) Yearly Membership (6-16 years)......................... £20 Family Membership (2 adults & up to 3 children)................................ £65 Overseas Membership Supplement..................................................................£5 How to Join Please contact Abbie King, enquiries@friendsofthetankmuseum.org, or visit our website at www.friendsofthetankmuseum.org/join for more information and an application form.

Benefits

• Free entry to The Tank Museum for yourself (excluding special events) with 20% discount on up to 3 accompanying guests.

• Three free visits to the Archive & Reference Library per year.

• 10% discount in The Tank Museum shop • 10% discount in The Tank Museum café.

• 10% discount on Museum lectures.

• Three issues of Tracklink.

• Organised visits to events and places of interest (published online and in Tracklink).

Young Friend Benefits • Free entry to The Tank Museum for yourself (excluding special events).

• Welcome Pack including Tank Museum Goodie Bag & Membership Certificate.

• 10% discount in The Tank Museum shop • 10% discount in The Tank Museum café.

• 10% discount on Museum lectures.

• Three issues of Tracklink.

• Organised visits to events and places of interest (published online and in Tracklink).

Legacies Have you thought about leaving a bequest in your will to benefit the Friends of The Tank Museum?

This is a subject many people don’t like to think or talk about but by leaving a bequest to the Friends we can ensure that the vital work of The Tank Museum in preserving our armoured heritage is safe for the future. Please contact the Secretary, admin@friendsofthetankmuseum.org, for more details.

events calendar For upcoming Friends and Museum events

September

20th - Britain at War Day

October

3rd - Tank Experience Day 4 - Friends of The Tank Museum Annual General Meeting (AGM) th

4th - Tank Experience Day

11th - Tank Mod 25th October - 2nd November 2014 Half Term, Modern Warfare

December

6th – 7th December – Wartime Christmas Festival – Events based at The Tank Museum

THE TANK MUSEUM PRESENTS

20 September 2014 SS A P L A ANNU

Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of

ê Arena Displays ê Talks ê ê Tours and Trails ê

Registered Charity no: 1102661 *See our website for more information

tankmuseum.org | T. 01929 405096 Bovington | Dorset | BH20 6JG

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