WEEK 117: GREAT STORIES OF THE TANKS

Monday 18 to Sunday 24 September 1916

The ongoing deadlock on the Western Front led to the development of a new weapon: the tank. The concept of mobile armoured fighting vehicles was not a new one but those that were available were only capable of fighting on normal terrain and completely unsuited to the muddy quagmire that was the Western Front. In 1915, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Swinton came up with the idea of combining an iron-clad machine with caterpillar tracks commonly used on farming vehicles. The first blueprint was designed by Lieutenant Colonel Walter Gordon Wilson, and the first reliable version, known as “Big Willie”, rolled out of the factory in January 1916. Tanks were first used on 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette with mixed results, as only one third of the tanks deployed made it across the no man’s land to the German lines. However, tank design continued to improve during the war and its introduction eventually broke the stalemate of trench warfare.

Monday 18 September

Muz & Heppie went up to London by the 8-30, Muz is going to see Algie. Tom stayed in bed late, & I gave out things etc, & went to the dentist at ten, & then did a lot of shopping. It rained hard all morning. Pat sent Muz £20 & me £2. Wrote letters etc, & then went to the Dew Drop¹, but were not very busy. Then got out things, & did accounts etc. Muz & Heppie got back at about 10, & had a bath, & we went to bed at about 11-30. They didn’t meet Algie, he had never got the wire. We have known about these new armoured cars, that they call “Tanks” ever since Gallipoli time, but it has been a huge secret, & has been kept very well.

Tuesday 19 September

Gave out things etc², & got things ready for tonight. Stayed in bed rather late this morning, Muz did too. Heppie stayed in bed all day, as she had a bad eye, she got something into it yesterday. After lunch Muz & I went to call on Mrs Gordon, then to Mrs Wood (a Canadian) then we went down the town & did some shopping, then went to say good bye to Mme de Marotte, as they go to Paris on Thursday. Tom had a lot of children for tea. Capt. Wright was here, when we got back, he had been hunting, he had to go at about six. Then Colin Maclaren came by the five train, he has come to stay for a few days. Mrs Ross came round to say good-bye, as she goes tomorrow. Kate Baird came by the six train, she is going to stay till Saturday. I got things ready for dinner & breakfast etc. We talked after dinner, & went to bed at about 10-30. Got a wire from Ione, to say she comes back tomorrow night.

Wednesday 20 September

I met Kitty at the bust at 8-20, & we went up to the Rest Room. The Orderly hadn’t left the door open, so I got in through the window, & put the Kettles on etc. We had about two lots of 50 in. Kitty had to go back at 12, but I stayed on till 2-30, & then Mrs Danniel came up. I brought Dus up, & she loved it, we walked home, then I got tea ready & things for dinner, & followed Muz down to the meeting at the Soldier’s club, Tom had some children for tea. Then Muz, Kate & I went down to York House³ to report about the Canadians, & we stayed there till very late. One man who had just come back, had seen the “Tanks”, he says they are 37 ft long, by 7 x 8, go 5 miles an hour & have seven guns. After dinner the others went out to the band, but there wasn’t one. I gave out things, & then did accounts. Muz went to a Red Cross meeting this morning.

Letter from Pat Armstrong to Mrs Armstrong

Sept 20.

My dear wee Mus.

The General has just told me that I can go on leave next week. I have got to get a good excuse for going and then fire in an application to the Division. I won’t be able to get away till the 1st of October at the earliest. That as a matter of fact will probably be the exact day that I will get away. Great fun it will be. You must try & get Miss Wills to come & stay I’d like to meet her again & see what she is like. I’ve had rather a strenuous 48 hrs. The night before last I was up till about 2 o’c & then up again at 8. Last night we did a raid with little success I’m sorry to say, so I was up all night⁴. I got back about 4 o’c & gave the lads who had been doing the show some breakfast then went off round the trenches & got back about 10 AM. I was then persecuted with papers till about 1.30. I went to bed about 3 & slept till 8 & so made up for lost time. It is now nearly 12 so I must be off to bed. Best love dear wee Mus.

Your loving Pat.

Thursday 21 September

Muz & Heppie went to an auction in the morning, & Nitter & I went down & shopped, & went out on the front. At 2 I went up to the Rest Room, in the bus, & we were fairly busy, we did a lot of cleaning, & got back at about 7-30. Gave out things etc, & made the pudding. After dinner we talked, & went to bed at about 12-30.

Friday 22 September

Gave out things etc, & at eleven Muz, Nitter, Ione, Heppie, Tom, Colin & I started off in the bus, to Hythe, for the day. First we went to a curiosity shop, & then went to look at the chapel, then had lunch, & then went on the canal in two boats, it was lovely & it was lovely & warm. Then we got out at the far end to have tea, & wandered about. Colin & I got a lift up the hill at the back of a motor lorry! Then a farm house gave us tea, & we had it out in the orchard, & then came back up the canal, & home in the bus, & got home at about eight. It was a lovely day, & so beautifully warm. Dus was waiting up for us. After dinner Tom, Colin & I played cards & ragged, then Muz & I had a bath, & went to bed at about 12-30.

“Went on the canal in two boats”

Colin McLaren

Letter from Pat Armstrong to Mrs Armstrong

Sept 22.

My dear wee Mus.

I got a long letter from you this morning of the 19th and one from Irene Wills. I will answer hers and then send it to you. I am afraid my leave is dead off for the minute. The General said I could go but it’s now impossible I can’t manage it. However I hope to be able to get away at the end of next month. Sorry to disappoint you but it can’t be helped. Get Irene Wills to stay with you anyway I’d like you to get to know her and see if you like her. Old Kate seems to give her a good chit anyway. If she is nicer than Bunty she must be some girl. I’m sorry to hear that Kate doesn’t think much of Dolly Miller, nobody seems to like her much. I must say what little I saw of her I wasn’t very smit but I saw so little that I really couldn’t tell what she was like. Poor old G. I do hope he will be happy anyway. He has fixed it all now for good and all there is no turning him back now he has set his heart on it and will go through with it to the end.

Dear wee Mus of course it was alright about the money. I’m so glad you asked it has given me such a nice feel about it all. It is so nice to know that you will ask when you want it. What Geoffrey Wright told you is quite true, but goodness only knows how he heard it. I only heard it myself yesterday. It was rather fortunate his telling you as I have been puzzling my head how to explain it to you. That is a very interesting description of yours of the tanks, I haven’t seen one yet. They must be great affairs but from all accounts the poor devils inside get a pretty mediocre time of it.

I am writing to Cox about that deposit business. If one invests it for 6 months I’m not sure how much notice you have to give them before one can get it out again. It seems a pity to have money just sitting there. I don’t think it is any good going to the W.O.⁵ about the M.C.⁶ I don’t think you would do any good. I forget what the branch is called but I do know that it is at the top of the house. They would tell you if you went there, but I really think that it would be only waste of time. I have just been reading Cox’s letter again & have decided to do as you suggest put £300 in for 6 months and 100 in at 4% subject to 7 days’ notice of withdrawal. I think it is a good scheme far better than War Loan. I will still have quite enough to spend when I get leave, besides I have got another month’s pay to come which will help things on a bit. Then the Boss puts my money in on 1st December. So by the end of the year I ought to have quite a good balance credit. No wee Mus you needn’t worry about ever paying that money back. I just love you having it and am only too glad to be in a position to be able to let you have it.

The General & I dined with Hardress & then went to his company concert, great fun it was. Fancy a concert in this spot. A great affair it was. Irene Wills is at present at The Grange, Barrowby, Grantham. It is long after 12 so I must be off to bed. Best love dear wee Mus.

Your loving Pat.

Saturday 23 September

Nitter went by the nine train; Muz, Ione & I went up to see her off. Then we went down the town in the car, & I did my shopping & then went to the dentist. He says I have got an abscess in the cheek & he doesn’t know how I stood it for so long. Then I got back & lay down, as it was so awfully sore, but Muz took me down to him again as it got much worse, & he put some stuff on it & gave me more for it. Then we called for Kitty, Pam & Kim, & went up to visit Moore Barracks Hospital. Tom had people for tea. Muz & I went to the club & were quite busy.

Sunday 24 September

Muz & Tom went to church, & I came on later. […] I felt rather queer in church. Came in early & lay down, & after lunch lay down again. Kitty & Pam came up to see me. Somebody came for tea, then Muz & Ione motored in to Dover to see Mr Mundie. H. T. Colin & I went to the club. The others didn’t get back till after ten & brought Mr Lawrence with them, he is going to stay the night & go early in the morning. Got things ready etc. Yesterday afternoon Muz & I went to visit York House & Major [—], & found Capt. Wright here, when we got back, he went by six train. It was in the papers this morning that two more Zeps have been brought down in Essex⁷. We heard they were to come over, last night, so waited up for a bit, & we also had cake in my room. Letter from Pat this morning, to say he thinks he will get leave on the first.

Letter from Pat Armstrong to Mrs Armstrong

Sept 24.

My dear wee Mus.

I’m sorry you weren’t more successful at the sale. Jess wrote and told me what she was going to do. She was rather comic about it said you were thinking of going but how she would make arrangements for you to go. Dear wee Mus I’m so glad that it arrived in time to be useful & save you worry. I have had a great day to-day. I took an afternoon off & went down to the polo ground & Percy gave me a chukker⁸ on Gen Cayley’s poneys (sic). It was great value. Geisha is sound again but isn’t fit to play yet, that is about the first time I have had a ride for the last 10 days. One hasn’t much time to ride up here.

A chukker of polo

One hears great stories of the tanks. One of the first ones that went over went on ahead of the infantry and on arriving at the German trench found about 150 men surrendering to it with their hands up. So the Infantry just strolled up and took them prisoners. There is another story of a Colonel surrendering to it so they got him inside and carted him about for the rest of the day. Thank you so much for the collar and chain, they are just what I want. The collar fits her beautifully. I found rather a nice setter at a farm to-day as I came back. I have bought it for the General and am going to send for it to-morrow. Quite a kennel we’ll have soon. It looked quite a nice animal. They want 20 francs for it which is the same as I paid for “Wipers”. The fellow Wright told you about was quite right but he had no business to write like that. Well wee Mus it’s late so I must be off to bed.

Your loving Pat.

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Footnotes

1. The Dew Drop Inn at Bouverie Road West, which had been established by four Folkestone-based Canadian women. The proceeds of the tearoom were devoted to charities.⇑
2. The Armstrong family were contributing to the war effort by providing food to soldiers residing in Folkestone.⇑
3. York House in Folkestone was a nursing home which had been turned into a hospital at the start of the First World War. (1887-1958).⇑
4. A party of the Royal Fusiliers attempted a raid on a German front line but were met with a series of misfortunes and were forced to retreat without entering the trench.⇑
5. War Office.⇑
6. Military Cross.⇑
7. On the night of 23-24 September 1916, German airship L32 on its way to bomb London was brought down by Frederic Sowrey of the Royal Flying Corps who fired three rounds of ammunition into the body of the airship. Its crew of 22 were all killed. On the same night, the L33 which had participated in the London raid and been damaged by anti-aircraft fire was forced to make an emergency landing and exploded. Its crew survived but were arrested and taken prisoners of war.⇑
8. Chukka, chukker = each of the six playing periods into which the game of polo is divided. From the Hindi word chakar, meaning wheel.⇑