1. Elles to GHQ, 31.12.1916, PRO, WO158/844.
2. Letter, 17.4.1917, Anne Williamson, A Patriot’s Progress (Stroud, Sutton, 1998), p.97.
3. For much information on individual tank actions on 15/16 September the author is indebted to Trevor Pidgeon’s Tanks at Flers.
4. GHQ War Diary, 10.30 hrs 15.9.1916, PRO, WO95/7. For detailed account of Hastie’s movements see Tanks at Flers, vol. 1, pp.166–9.
5. The Times, report, 25.10.1916.
6. Stern, Tanks 1914–1918, p.96.
7. Bacon, letter to Daily Telegraph, 30.6.1933.
8. Official record of meeting, 19/20.9.1916, PRO, WO158/836.
9. Butler to Elles, 22.9.1916, PRO, WO158/836.
10. Butler to Whigham, 25.9.1916, PRO, WO158/836.
11. War Office to MoM, 26.9.1916, PRO, MUN4/2790.
12. Record of 188th meeting of the Army Council, 27.9.1916, para. 121/8797, PRO, WO163/21.
13. War Office to MoM, 30.9.1916, PRO, MUN4/2790.
14. MoM Contracts Dept, review of negotiations with MCWF, c. August 1917, PRO, MUN4/4175.
15. F. Stevenson, private diary, 23.5.1919, HLRO, F. Stevenson papers.
16. History of the Ministry of Munitions, vol. XII, pt 3: p.37.
17. Haig to War Office, 2.10.1916, PRO, WO158/836.
18. Parliamentary report, The Times, 13.10.1916.
19. Tritton to d’Eyncourt, 13.10.1916, NMM, d’Eyncourt papers.
20. D’Eyncourt to Balfour, 18.9.1916, PRO, ADM116/1339.
21. Butler to Whigham, 25.9.1916, PRO, WO158/836.
22. Steedman, memoir, PRO, WO95/116.
23. Whigham to Butler, 28.9.1916, PRO, WO158/836.
24. D’Eyncourt, draft memorandum intended for Lloyd George and Gen Robertson, 6.10.1916, PRO, MUN5/210/1940/22.
25. History of the MoM, vol. XII, pt 3, p.43.
26. Kiggell, 5.10.1916, NMM, DEY/42. See also ‘Memorandum on the Output of Tanks’, MoM, 10.3.1917, PRO, MUN4/2790.
27. War Office to MoM, 30.11.1916, PRO, MUN4/2796.
28. From record of Army/Ministry of Munitions meeting, 1.5.1917, LHC, Stern 1/4/2.
29. Patent 17801/1916.
30. Fowler’s light machine: record of MWSD meeting, 6.11.1916, LHC, Stern papers. Also Wilson to Stern, 2.12.1916, TM: 069.02(41) Wilson A1–A15. For the call for a supply tank: minutes of a meeting at the War Office, 1.5.1917, PRO, MUN4/2790 and LHC, Stern 1/4/2. For ‘Fowlers Supply Tank’: minutes of MWSD Experiments Committee, 22.5.1917; record of MWSD meeting with AEC and Fowler’s, 7.9.1917; and Stern’s reference to ‘Medium A’, report, 7.9.1917, see LHC, Stern 1/M/9.
31. ‘Major Greg suggested the design of the Gun Carrier’ – inscription on a MWD Design Dept commemorative card dated 16.12.1918, TM, 438.(41) Design & Dev’t 84-on, Piece 63.
32. War Office to Controller of Munitions Inventions, MoM, 2 May 1916, PRO, MUN7/280.
33. Metropolitan is recorded specifically as builder of the first gun carrier in an undated unattributable printed sheet ‘Table of Main Dimensions and Particulars of Tanks’ found among d’Eyncourt’s official papers. It names Kitson’s as principal makers, and the chart has the appearance of a MoM publication, NMM, DEY/60.
34. Elles to GHQ, 31.12.1916, PRO, WO158/8449.
10. Division
1. Searle to Elles, 24.3.1917, PRO, WO158/838.
2. Crompton to Goold-Adams, 17.6.1916, PRO, MUN7/280.
3. Stern confirms this and implies that all 100 of Mks II and III were so plated. Stern, Tanks 1914–1918, p.148.
4. Anley to Director of Artillery, 24.2.1916, PRO, WO158/845.
5. Stern to Addison, 12.3.1917, LHC, Stern papers.
6. T.M. Taylor, MoM Labour Dept, to Kellaway, 27.2.1917, PRO, MUN4/2791.
7. WO to MoM, 21.3.1917, PRO, MUN4/2791.
8. Tritton to Capt Moore Williams, 10.7.1918, TM, Tritton papers.
9. MWSD report to Stern, 21.12.1916, PRO, MUN4/5219.
10. Stern to Addison, 7.3.1917, Bod, MS Addison dep. C56.
11. Stern to Layton, 1.9.1916, PRO, MUN4/2790.
12. Stern to Layton, MoM, 24.2.1917, PRO, MUN4/2791.
13. Ibid. Also Stern to Furse, 7.5.1917, LHC, Stern 1/4/2. Also Stern, Tanks 1914– 1918, p.150.
14. Searle to Elles, 24.3.1917, PRO, WO158/838.
15. Elles to Anley, 30.3.1917, PRO, WO158/845.
16. Haig to Robertson, 25.4.1917, PRO, WO158/845.
17. WO to MoM, 9.5.1917 and MoM internal memoranda of 12 May, PRO, MUN4/2790.
18. Stern to Lloyd George, 2.7.1917, LHC, Stern papers. Also Stern, Tanks 1914– 1918, pp.160–2.
19. Legros, presidential address to the IAE, 11.10.1916, IME, Legros papers.
20. Capper’s account to War Office, 25.8.1917, PRO, MUN4/2790.
21. Record of MWSD meeting with Metropolitan, 22.8.1917, LHC, Stern 1/M/9.
22. Letter, 22.1.1917, PRO, WO/158/845.
23. Tritton, conference at Lincoln, 30.4.1917, PRO, MUN4/2790.
24. Stern to Churchill, 4.9.1917, PRO, MUN5/211/1940/37.
25. Minutes of conference on tank policy, 28.9.1917, PRO, WO158/818.
26. H. Ricardo, Memories and Machines (Shoreham, Sussex, Ricardo Consulting Engineers Ltd, 1990), p.177.
27. TM, Wilson papers.
28. Duckham to Churchill, ‘Memorandum on the Position of Tank Supply’, 4.10.1917, LHC, Stern papers.
29. Stern to Leslie Burgin, Minister of Supply, 10.4.1940, Bod, Cherwell G364/9.
30. Stern to Hanson, 16.8.1917, PRO, MUN4/4175.
31. MoM Warfare Group, minutes, 8.7.1918, PRO, MUN4/4979.
32. Stern to Hanson, 23.8.1917, LHC, Stern 1/13/1–111.
33. Hamond, letter to Capt Bill Arnold, October 1917, LHC, L Hart 9/28/63–65.
11. Crisis
1. Ricardo to Lord Hankey, 13.2.1942, PRO, CAB63/166.
2. Elles to War Office, holograph footnote to his ‘Note on the proceedings of Conference’, 7.10.1917, PRO, WO158/859.
3. D’Eyncourt to Addison, 4.4.1917, Bod, MS Addison dep. c.56, fols 157–8.
4. Addison to Lloyd George, 27.4.1917, Bod, MS Addison dep. c.56, fols 159–60.
5. Note on MoM file, PRO, MUN4/1235.
6. Churchill to Layton at MoM, 3.8.1917, PRO, MUN5/211/1940/37.
7. Stern, memorandum, 4.9.17, PRO, MUN5/211/1940/37.
8. Meeting of the Munitions Council Committee on Tanks, 5.9.1917 (transcript), CAC, CHAR15/86A.
9. Churchill to Lloyd George, 9.9.1917, HLRO, LG/F/8/1/11.
10. Elles to War Office, 7.10.1917, PRO, WO158/859.
11. Stern to Lloyd George, 15.10.1917, TM, 069.02(41) Stern/5. Also Stern, Tanks 1914–1918, pp.175–6.
12. Ibid. See also Stern’s note of interview with Duckham, 15.10.1917, LHC, Stern 1/1/1–8.
13. Stern, note of interview with Churchill, 16.10.1917, LHC, Stern 1/1/1–8.
14. Stern to Mr Graham-Cunningham, Ministry of Supply, 28.5.1942, PRO, AVIA22/3336.
15. John and David Stern, interviewed by the author 22.2.1999.
16. Ricardo to Lord Hankey, 13.2.1942, PRO, CAB63/166.
17. Lord Weir to Mr Graham-Cunningham, Ministry of Supply, 4.6.1942, PRO, AVIA22/3336.
18. Elles to Stern, 26.11.1917. Stern, Tanks 1914–1918, p.195.
12. The Production Battlefield…
1. Churchill, ‘Munitions Programme 1919,’ 5.3.1918, Trinity College Library, Cambridge, Layton papers, box 29/16.
2. Stern to Churchill, 29.10.1917, CAC, CHAR15/86A/32.
3. D’Eyncourt, draft memorandum, 24.11.1917, NMM, DEY/43 (Part 2). Also his comments on response of General Staff, 15.1.1918, NMM, DEY/53.
4. War Office General Staff to Prime Minister, 28.12.1917, NMM, DEY/53. Also PRO, WO32/5933 Copy 1.
5. J.F.C. Fuller, Memoirs of an Unconventional Soldier (London, Ivor Nicholson & Watson, 1936), p.201.
6. Capper, ‘Lessons from the Cambrai Battle’, 19.12.1917, PRO, WO32/5933.
7. Capper, letter to Elles, 18.5.19
18, PRO, WO158/859.
8. D. Fletcher, The British Tanks 1915–19 (Marlborough, Wilts, The Crowood Press, 2001), p.140.
9. Moore to d’Eyncourt, 18.12.1917, NMM, DEY/43 (Part 2).
10. Unsigned undated typescript in Capper’s own file responding to a memorandum of 27.5.1918 from Stern and d’Eyncourt, PRO, WO158/826.
11. Elles to Capper, 24.2.1918, PRO, WO158/859.
12. Moore to Duckham, 21.2.1918, PRO, MUN5/211/1940/37.
13. War Office to MoM, undated and unsent draft, late February 1918, PRO, WO32/9288.
14. Lord Derby, minute 13, 8.3.1918, PRO, WO32/9288.
15. Minutes on War Office file, PRO, WO32/9288.
16. Stern, memorandum, 14.2.1918, CAC, CHAR 15/86A/25.
17. Churchill, ‘Munitions Programme 1919’, 5.3.1918, Trinity College Library, Cambridge, Layton papers, box 29/16.
18. Fuller to Churchill, undated memorandum relating to forthcoming meeting of War Cabinet on 8.3.1918, CAC, CHAR 15/86B/111–112.
19. Minutes of conference at GHQ, 10.6.1918, PRO, MUN5/210/1940/21.
13. … And a Body Count
1. Harington to Sackville-West, 21.5.1918, PRO, CAB25/12.
2. Ibid.
3. Sackville-West to Gen Dawnay, GHQ, 16.5.1918, PRO, CAB25/12.
4. Dawnay to Sackville-West, 26.5.1918, PRO, CAB25/12.
5. Haig to War Office, draft dated June 1918, PRO, WO158/830.
6. Capper to Harington, minutes 24 and 26A, 11 and 14.5.1918, PRO, WO32/9288.
7. Stern to Duckham, 6.5.1918, LHC Stern papers.
8. D’Eyncourt to Lloyd George, 30.7.1918, NMM, DEY/44.
9. Fuller, Unconventional Soldier, p.240.
10. Churchill to Lloyd George, 22.7.1918, House of Lords (D. Ll. G.) F/8/2/29.
11. Report from O&A Supply Section to Stern, 12.11.1918, PRO, MUN4/5194.
12. Perry, cable to MoM, 1.10.1918, PRO, MUN4/6400.
13. Elles to Gen Edmonds, Official Historian, 4.9.1934, PRO, CAB45/200.
14. Power Down
1. G. MacLeod Ross, ‘The Utility of the Tank’, RUSI Journal, 1931.
2. Quoted by Sir Basil Liddell Hart, The Tanks – The History of the Royal Tank Regiment and its Predecessors 1914–1945 (2 vols, London, Cassell, 1959), vol. 1. p.201.
3. Vickers Ltd, letter to Maclean, 21.10.1918, PRO, MUN4/5201. Also MWEE vehicle index, entry 31.8.1921, PRO, WO194/1.
15. But Who Invented the Tank?
1. Swinton, letter to Sir Basil Liddell Hart, 24.2.1948, LHC, L Hart papers.
2. H.G. Wells, letter to The Listener, 14.5.1941. See also his letter of retraction, 31.7.1941.
3. Churchill, memorandum of 25.9.1917, PRO, MUN5/210/1940/2.
4. Findings of the Royal Commission, presented 17 November, published 28 November 1919, PRO, T173/16.
5. Churchill, written statement to the Royal Commission, 1.9.1919, PRO, MUN5/394.
6. Production data and valuations from Mr Justice Sargant’s briefing papers, October 1919, PRO, T173/34B.
7. Davidson, 9.12.1912, PRO, T173/195.
8. Royal Commission, Proceedings, 20.10.1919, paras 2264, 2271, PRO, MUN5/210/1940/33.
9. G.W.D. Breadon to Minister for War, 19.9.1914, CAC, CHAR2/143–5.
10. Liddell Hart, The Tanks, vol. 1, p.224.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Sources
Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. Ltd, company records, Tyne & Wear Archives, Newcastle upon Tyne
Maj E.E. Baguley, Baguley–Drewry Co. Ltd, company records, Staffordshire County Record Office, Stafford
Col R.E.B. Crompton papers, Science Museum Library, London
Sir E.T. d’Eyncourt papers, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Col W.C. Dumble service records, National Archives of Canada, Ottawa
Lord Layton papers, Trinity College Library, Cambridge
London General Omnibus Co., board minutes, London Metropolitan Archives, EC1
Roadless Traction Co. Ltd, company magazines, Ven Dodge, Guildford
Wm Foster & Co. Ltd, company and associated papers, Ray Hooley, Lincoln Tank Group
Ricardo tank engines, reports, Ricardo Consulting Engineers Ltd, Shoreham, Sussex
The National Archives, Public Record Office, Kew
Private papers, official correspondence, minutes, reports
Admiralty 1914–16: ADM series
Cabinet papers 1914–19: CAB series
HM Treasury 1919: T series
Kitchener papers: 30/57/72
Ministry of Munitions 1915–20: MUN series
Ministry of Supply, 1939–43: AVIA series
Royal Naval Air Service 1914–15: AIR and ADM series
War Office 1900–23: WO series
Other contemporary material
‘A History of the Ministry of Munitions’, 14 vols, Ministry of Munitions, 1920, MUN5/321A (reprinted by Harvester Microform Press, Sussex, in 12 vols, 1976)
‘History of Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps’, WO158/804
‘History of Inspection & Progress, Mechanical Warfare Supplies Dept’, MUN5/42/263/71/3
‘History of Supply Branch, Mechanical Warfare Department’, MUN5/391/1940/6
‘History of Tank Corps Workshops’, WO158/799
‘History of 20 Squadron Royal Naval Armoured Cars’, MUN5/391/1940/5
‘History, Tank Corps Depot, Bovington/Wareham’, WO158/810
‘History, Training and Reinforcement Depot, France’, WO158/810
‘Origin of the Tank Committee’, WO158/812
‘Proceedings’, Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors, 7–21 October 1919, MUN5/210/1940/33
‘Tanks and Ancillary Vehicles 1915–1918’, WO194/54
The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset
Private papers, official correspondence, minutes, reports
Col R.E.B. Crompton; Col N.M. Dillon; Maj T.G. Hetherington; Col P. Johnson; Maj E.R. Parsons; Maj W.G.Wilson
Other contemporary material
Clark, Col C.W., ‘A Record of memories of Col Charles Willoughby Clark’, 069.02(41) W. Clark/1
Diplock’s Pedrail, 623.437.425(41)
Hornsby tractors, 623.437.425(41)
Lanning, T.E., memoir, tank workshops, RH86.TC/3398
Motor Transport Committee, reports, 1902–14, 623.438(42)
Tank Design and Development, papers, 1915–23, 623.438(41)
Tank types, 1915–23, 623.438.3(41)
‘War History of Central Workshops’, RH86/TC 104.06
‘Weekly Tank Notes’ 1918–19, RH86/TC/3581
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King’s College, London
Private papers, official correspondence, minutes, reports
Maj Gen Sir John E. Capper; Maj Gen John F.C. Fuller; Capt Sir Basil H. Liddell Hart; Lt Col Sir Albert G. Stern; Maj Gen Sir E.D. Swinton; Maj W.G. Wilson
Other contemporary material
Cambrai, precis for a battlefield tour by Royal Tank Corps officers, 1935, LH 15/12/20
Johnson, Lt Col P.H., ‘Mechanical Development of Tanks in France, and the medium D’, LH9/28/110
Stern, Lt Col Sir Albert, ‘Mechanical Warfare – A Summary of British Tank Development 1914–1918’, Stern 1/24
Windle, Col C.E., ‘Notes on the Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch) and Tank Corps in 1917 and 1918’, Windle papers
Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge
Sir Winston Churchill papers
Edwin Montagu papers
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Lord Addison papers
Lord Asquith papers
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Lord Mottistone papers
University of Glasgow
Wm Beardmore & Co. Ltd records
R.F. Macfie papers
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House of Lords Library
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Imperial War Museum
Beall, R.E., ‘The Green Fields Beyond’, 82/22/1
Churchill, Maj E.F., memoir, 83/23/1
Denison, D.G., ‘Reminiscences, P/191
Hetherington, Gp Capt T.G., papers, 94/40/1
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Papers relating to membership
Proceedings of the Institution
Minutes of the Council, Institution of Automobile Engineers
Lincolnshire Archive, Lincoln
Wm Foster & Co. Ltd, records
Wm Rigby papers
Secondary Sources
Books
Please note that where the place of publication is unstated, it is London.
Personal accounts of the pioneers and fighting men
Anon., (Charteris, Capt The Hon E.E), H.Q., Tanks 1917–1918, privately printed, 1920
Bacon, Adm Sir R., From 1900 Onwards, Hutchinson, 1940
Baker–Carr, Brig Gen C.D., From Chauffeur to Brigadier, Ernest Benn, 1930
Browne, Capt D.G., The Tank in Action, Wm Blackwood, 1920
Campbell, Christie, Band of Brigands: The First Men in Tanks, Harper Perennial, 2008
Childs, David J., A Peripheral Weapon? The Production and Employment of British Tanks in the First World War, Greenwood Press, 1999
Churchill, Winston S., The World Crisis, 4 vols, Thornton Butterworth, 1923–7
The Devil's Chariots Page 41
