Tank Banks
Encyclopedia
Tank Banks was the name given to a World War I
fund raising campaign by the British Government
. Six Mark IV
male tanks toured the towns and cities of England, Scotland and Wales, the primary purpose of the campaign was to promote of sale of government War Bonds and War Savings Certificates.
. The recent successful participation of the tank in the Battle of Cambrai had fired the public imagination, their appearance in the show proved very popular with the spectators who were fascinated by this new "wonder weapon". The National War Savings Committee decided to capitalize upon this fascination and use the tank to sell War Bonds and War Saving Certificates. On November 26 1917 battle scarred Tank 141 "Egbert" was brought over from France and put on display in Trafalgar Square
The campaign was soon extended to the whole of the country, the touring tanks would spend a week in a town or city with two young ladies selling war bonds from a table set up inside the tank. A competitive spirit was engendered between the visited locations, the town or city that invested the most per capita
would win the tank "Egbert". The eventual winner of the competition was West Hartlepool
, who raised £31 9s 1d per capita (between the period of October 1 1918 - January 18 1919) equivalent to approximately £1300 in 2009.
In 1919 the Treasury
agreed to give 264 "war battered" tanks to various towns and cities in gratitude for their financial efforts. The National War Savings Committee decided which towns and cities would receive one of these presentation tanks. Upon receipt, the tanks tended to be sited in parks or commons and due to a lack of funds or general indifference they would subsequently just sit and rust.
All but one of these presentation tanks were sold for scrap or otherwise destroyed, prior to the end of World War II
. Only Ashford
's presentation tank still survives, mainly due to having an electricity sub station installed inside it in 1929. The tank is now a Registered War Memorial
.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
fund raising campaign by the British Government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
. Six Mark IV
Mark IV tank
The British Mark IV tank was a British tank of the First World War. Introduced in 1917, it benefitted from significant developments on the first British tank the intervening designs being small batches used for training...
male tanks toured the towns and cities of England, Scotland and Wales, the primary purpose of the campaign was to promote of sale of government War Bonds and War Savings Certificates.
Tank Bank Weeks
In November 1917 two tanks took part in London's Lord Mayor's ShowLord Mayor's Show
The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the longest established and best known annual events in London which dates back to 1535. The Lord Mayor in question is that of the City of London, the historic centre of London that is now the metropolis's financial district, informally known as the Square Mile...
. The recent successful participation of the tank in the Battle of Cambrai had fired the public imagination, their appearance in the show proved very popular with the spectators who were fascinated by this new "wonder weapon". The National War Savings Committee decided to capitalize upon this fascination and use the tank to sell War Bonds and War Saving Certificates. On November 26 1917 battle scarred Tank 141 "Egbert" was brought over from France and put on display in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
The campaign was soon extended to the whole of the country, the touring tanks would spend a week in a town or city with two young ladies selling war bonds from a table set up inside the tank. A competitive spirit was engendered between the visited locations, the town or city that invested the most per capita
Per capita
Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person...
would win the tank "Egbert". The eventual winner of the competition was West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
, who raised £31 9s 1d per capita (between the period of October 1 1918 - January 18 1919) equivalent to approximately £1300 in 2009.
Spectacle
A tank would arrive with great fanfare, civic dignitaries and local celebrities would greet the tank and speeches would often be made atop it. The tank would be accompanied by soldiers and artillery guns, sometimes an aeroplane would drop pamphlets over the town or city prior to the tanks appearance exhorting the people to invest. The tank would usually put on a show for the crowds in order to demonstrate its capabilities. The visited town or city would have a fund raising target it tried to meet, the amount raised by each location would be reported in the national press thus ensuring a strong competitive element, especially between the larger industrial cities.The touring tanks
The six touring tanks were:- Tank 113 "Julian"
- Tank 119 "Old Bill"
- Tank 130 "Nelson"
- Tank 137 "Drake"
- Tank 141 "Egbert"
- Tank 142 "Iron Ration"
Presentation tanks
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
agreed to give 264 "war battered" tanks to various towns and cities in gratitude for their financial efforts. The National War Savings Committee decided which towns and cities would receive one of these presentation tanks. Upon receipt, the tanks tended to be sited in parks or commons and due to a lack of funds or general indifference they would subsequently just sit and rust.
All but one of these presentation tanks were sold for scrap or otherwise destroyed, prior to the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Only Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
's presentation tank still survives, mainly due to having an electricity sub station installed inside it in 1929. The tank is now a Registered War Memorial
UK National Inventory of War Memorials
The UK National Inventory of War Memorials was founded in 1989 to build a comprehensive record of every war memorial in the United Kingdom ....
.
External links
- Newsreel of "Julian the record breaking tank." (British Pathe)
- Newsreel of "Tanks visit Liverpool." (Tanks "Julian" & "Nelson") (British Pathe)
- Newsreel of "War bonds sold from tank". (Tank "Nelson") (British Pathe)
- Newsreel of "Tank bank - War fund raising". (Tank "Julian") (British Pathe)
- Newsreel of Julian the Tank Bank in Aberdeen. (Scottish ScreenScottish ScreenScottish Screen is the national body for film and television in Scotland, established in April 1997. It took on the functions of the Scottish Film Council, the Scottish Film Production Fund, Scottish Screen Locations and Scottish Broadcast and Film Training, forming a unitary organisation.Scottish...
Archive)