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UNIQUE ID 1268: MARK IV HEAVY TANK

The Tank Museum - Public Areas, Bovington, Britain

(Location: World War I / George Forty Hall)


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Sample Photo from Tank with UniqueID 1268


Unique ID: 1268
Added to Database: 13 July 2010
Last Edited: 20 March 2012
Type (ID): Mark IV (3715)
Model (ID): Mark IV (3715)
Location Category (ID): The Tank Museum - Public Areas (3000)
Location (ID): World War I / George Forty Hall (3006)
Serial Number: 2324. “2324” painted on rear hull sides.
Registration: “102” painted on forward hull sides.
Name: “EXCELLENT” previously painted on left hull side.
Other Identification: Three plaques fitted on nose.
Collection Reference: E1972.63. (Accession 6372, Entry 1972.1016).
Links: Museum Vehicle Record
Memorials in Portsmouth
References:
Associated Tanks:

Location History:
(see map)

1: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Manufactured 1917)
2: ATDU and Solitary Vehicles, Bovington, Dorset, South West England, Britain (Nearby training centre – estimated 1920s)
3: Whale Island – Portsmouth, England (Estimated 1920s – 1971)
4: ATDU and Solitary Vehicles, Bovington, Dorset, South West England, Britain (REME Workshop – 1971-1974)
5: 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:

This Mark IV is a Male and was built in 1917. It is numbered ‘2324’ which indicates that it was part of the batch of 101 built by Fosters in the sequence 2300 to 2400. It was presented by the Tank Corps Training Centre to H.M.S. Excellent, Portsmouth, for assistance given in training in 6pdr gunnery during World War I. In 1940 a young naval officer got it running again in case the Germans invaded. It served as part of H.M.S. Excellent’s Royal Naval Battalion in the defence of Portsmouth, though apparently its only action was to damage a private car. It has three plaques on its nose that read as follows:

PRESENTED BY
TANK CORPS TRAINING CENTRE
H.M.S. EXCELLENT WHALE ISLAND
IN RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF THE GREAT ASSISTANCE
GIVEN IN TRAINING IN GUNNERY (6 PDR.)
136 OFFICERS 2413 OTHER RANKS
OF THE TANK CORPS.
WORLD WAR I


WORLD WAR II.
SERVED AS PART OF H.M.S. EXCELLENT’S
ROYAL NAVAL BATTALION IN THE DEFENCES OF PORTSMOUTH AT
A TIME WHEN WEAPONS WERE SCARCE AND THE
THREAT OF NAZI INVASION WAS VERY REAL.


1971
PRESENTED BY HMS EXCELLENT, WHALE ISLAND, TO RAC CENTRE
AND RESTORED TO ORIGINAL CONDITION BY CRAFTSMEN OF
18 COMMAND WORKSHOP REME, 1974


When the tank was originally presented to HMS Excellent on 1 May 1919 it was mounted on a concrete plinth overlooking the parade ground, and emblazoned on its side was its new name ‘Excellent’. In 1940 a young subaltern in the RASC worked on it and returned it to running order. It became operational in the RN battalion allocated to the defence of Portsmouth and regularly drove out of Whale Island to Southsea Common and back. Eventually after a number of breakdowns and with more modern weapons becoming available it was returned to retirement on its concrete base. In 1969, under an RN Engineer Lieutenant, work began on it again. With work partially completed it was decided to present it back to Bovington as the best way to preserve it for the future. After restoration by REME it was officially handed over from the Royal Navy to the Army on 29 May 1975 outside the Armour School, in the presence of RN and Army dignitaries and junior leaders. (Source: Memorials in Portsmouth).
From that year it did not move under its own power again until the summer of 1984 when it was restored to running order by the museum in order to take part in a BBC television programme. It is displayed with its sponson doors open so the interior can be viewed.
For many years the museum had another Mark IV on display outside. This was donated a few years ago to the City of Lincoln.


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

March 2011

Front right view
1: Front right view

Taken: 7 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6900
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55287859...
Views: 188
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

 

Front left view
2: Front left view

Taken: 6 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6898
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55281954...
Views: 157
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

 

Front left view
3: Front left view

Taken: 6 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6899
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55281966...
Views: 177
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



October 2008

Front right view
4: Front right view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3450
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030333...
Views: 193
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



 

Front view
5: Front view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3451
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030332...
Views: 186
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



 

Front left view
6: Front left view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3452
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030336...
Views: 177
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Rear left view
7: Rear left view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3453
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030325...
Views: 196
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Rear view
8: Rear view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3454
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030323...
Views: 191
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Rear right view
9: Rear right view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3455
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030324...
Views: 198
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Upper plaque
10: Upper plaque

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3456
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030329...
Views: 165
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Middle plaque
11: Middle plaque

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3457
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030330...
Views: 165
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Lower plaque
12: Lower plaque

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3458
Added: 13 July 2010
Filename: P1030331...
Views: 172
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Rear right view
13: Rear right view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 3490
Added: 18 July 2010
Filename: P1030341...
Views: 123
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



October 1982

Front left view
14: Front left view

Taken: 26 October 1982
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 6685
Added: 6 February 2012
Filename: Scan_Mar...
Views: 168
Select/Has Priority: 21/0