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KEY: Location markers are coloured from Green meaning exact to Red meaning gone or unknown (details here)

Unique ID: 1569 Added to Database: 23 February 2011 Last Edited: 20 March 2012 Type (ID): Little Willie (3100) Model (ID): Little Willie (3100) Location Category (ID): The Tank Museum - Public Areas (3000) Location (ID): Tank Story Hall (3004) Serial Number: Registration: Name: Other Identification: “LITTLE WILLIE ~1915~” painted on hull sides. Plaque fixed on nose. Collection Reference: E1949.322. (Accession 32249, Entry 1949.1004). Links: Museum Vehicle Record References: Associated Tanks: Location History: (see map) 1: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Design parent and manufacturer of sole prototype September 1915) 2: Burton Park – Lincoln, UK (Trials ca November 1915) 3: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Returned after trials ca December 1915) 4: Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, East England, Britain (Trials January-February 1916) 5: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Returned after trials and driver training 1916) 6: The Tank Museum - Public Areas, Bovington, Dorset, South West England, Britain (Current location) Text in original Preserved British Tanks publication: [No entry] Text in Preserved British Tanks Update: [No entry] Text in original Preserved Tanks In Britain publication: Little Willie was the first tank ever built, though it was constructed from non-armoured metal plate, and was also the only example of its type produced. It was originally created as the Number 1 Lincoln Machine during August and September 1915. However, the tracks and suspension behaved poorly in tests, so it was rebuilt with longer, curved tracks and tested in the new form in Burton Park, Lincoln in December 1915. Meanwhile an improved design was being worked on. Little Willie took part in two further demonstrations, on 29th January and 8th February 1916 at Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire. Both served to prove that only the competing tank design, Big Willie, was able to match War Office requirements. Little Willie was used for driver training for a while, before being removed to Lincoln and later to Bovington as part of the original Tank Museum collection. It was one of the original tanks preserved on the heath at Bovington, and it was used during the Second World War as a local strongpoint. It was put on the museum books in 1949. Little Willie is displayed in the Museum on a turntable; it not fitted with tail wheels, its front plate is damaged and it is missing its floor, engine, fuel tank and most of its interior fittings. A plaque fixed on the nose reads: WM. FOSTER & CO. LTD. ENGINEERS LINCOLN.

Images - Photographs and NavPix (click to expand or browse)

March 2011 1: Front left view Taken: 8 March 2011 Contributor: M. Foti Photo ID: 6890 Added: 18 March 2012 Filename: 55287812... Views: 166 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		2: Front right view Taken: 8 March 2011 Contributor: M. Foti Photo ID: 6891 Added: 18 March 2012 Filename: 55287808... Views: 159 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		3: Overview Taken: 6 March 2011 Contributor: M. Foti Photo ID: 6889 Added: 18 March 2012 Filename: 55281907... Views: 140 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
4: Front right view Taken: 6 March 2011 Contributor: M. Foti Photo ID: 6892 Added: 18 March 2012 Filename: 55287818... Views: 127 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
October 2008 5: Upper front left view Taken: 27 October 2008 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 4542 Added: 23 February 2011 Filename: P1040195... Views: 149 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		6: Rear right view Taken: 27 October 2008 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 4543 Added: 23 February 2011 Filename: P1030252... Views: 155 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		7: Upper rear view Taken: 27 October 2008 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 4544 Added: 23 February 2011 Filename: P1030281... Views: 155 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
8: Upper left view Taken: 27 October 2008 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 4545 Added: 23 February 2011 Filename: P1030296... Views: 149 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
August 2006 9: Front left view, photo by A. Scudder Taken: 22 August 2006 Contributor: Wikimedia Photo ID: 4602 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Dig_Litt... Views: 216 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
2001 10: Front right view, photo by MWAK Taken: 2001 Contributor: Wikimedia Photo ID: 4601 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Dig_Litt... Views: 411 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
October 1982 11: Front right view Taken: 26 October 1982 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 6681 Added: 6 February 2012 Filename: Scan_Lit... Views: 114 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
February 1916 12: Little Willie undergoing trials, presumed to be in the g... Taken: February 1916 Contributor: CRFU Photo ID: 4600 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Scan_GB-... Views: 132 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
December 1915 13: Little Willie outside the works of William Foster & ... Taken: December 1915 Contributor: CRFU Photo ID: 4598 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Scan_Lit... Views: 554 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		14: Little Willie outside the Foster works Taken: December 1915 Contributor: Wikimedia Photo ID: 4599 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Scan_Lit... Views: 1287 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
September 1915 15: As Number 1 Lincoln Machine, photo from Tanks! at mailer... Taken: September 1915 Contributor: CRFU Photo ID: 4596 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Scan_GB-... Views: 518 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		16: As Number 1 Lincoln Machine, with lengthened Bullock tra... Taken: September 1915 Contributor: Wikimedia Photo ID: 4597 Added: 6 March 2011 Filename: Scan_No1... Views: 426 Select/Has Priority: 21/0

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