How did the tank get its name? Its codename was 'water-carriers for Mesopotamia' which was shortened to 'tank'.During the early days of World War One it was William Tritton, managing director of Wm Foster & Co. in Lincoln, along with Major Wilson, who invented the tank. The early machines were produced by the Fosters engineering works however by 1917 Mk IV tanks were being manufactured by the Metropolitan Carriage Works in Birmingham. This included Flirt. Flirt first saw action at the Battle of Cambrai, France, during November 1917; her final battle was at Arras in March 1918. After the war surviving tanks were taken to Bovington Army Camp in Dorset - many were given to towns as memorials and some, like Flirt, were used for gunnery practice. From the 1930s Flirt remained on a plinth outside the Tank Museum at Bovington. In 1982 she was loaned to the City of Lincoln, the birthplace of the tank, where she was restored by apprentices at Ruston Gas Turbines. After restoration Flirt was placed on display at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.
World War One Tank
Contributed by The Museum of Lincolnshire Life
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About this object
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- Location
- Culture
- Period
-
AD 1917
- Theme
- Size
-
- H:
- 225cm
- W:
- 800cm
- D:
- 255cm
- Colour
- Material
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Comments
My father John Borradaile guided the apprentices who restored this tank.
According to his information, the tank had been retrieved from northern France at a late date, this may or may not disagree with the information you give. At any rate the Museum of Lincolnshire Life has presented it very well for a number of years. Graham Borradaile, Canada.