Tank Commander by Paul Vreede

 

It isn't every day you get to ride around a filed in a first world war tank, but this weekend, the intrepid Paul Vreede (on left of photograph)  and his brother had the chance to do just that, but not in the manner which you might expect!

I'll let Paul himself take up the story:

"I can't recall whether the chap told me why they built it (I think as a new memorial), but it was decided early on that the thing should be motorised. Which the builders persevered with out of sheer stubbornness after that decision being declared mad and undoable by their former associates. 

It took 17 years apparently, and was quite an adventure; fascinating to hear. They did pioneering 3D modelling work (back in the 80s if I got that right), built the thing out of steel in the correct thickness (albeit soft steel instead of armour plate) using 3000 rivets as per original spec. Finding a company willing to make 200 track links took some doing (a laughable quantity compared to usual MOQs running into the thousands). Most of the engine was donated by JCB (via the Tank Museum network of ex-officers) in loose components and no manual, but a specialist company in Holland was found with the expertise to turn those into a going concern. "

"Remote control was added because it was almost undoable to drive the tank onto a trailer while sitting inside; that now comes in handy to run it in a corona-safe way with the driver walking behind the tank (you can see the control box sitting in the grass at right in image D). Because of the all-metal tracks the tank can't be run on public roads (it would destroy the tarmac) but they did drive it to Poelcapelle village centre to commemorate the advance of the real Damon II. Volunteers placed rubber mats on the road and one of the crew walked backwards for 5 miles to direct the driver inside." 

The Damon II with remote control unit set on the grass to the right of picture.

"Pond Farm has a small museum of WW1 artifacts, a small German concrete bunker behind it, a genuine wartime lorry of US manufacture (in running order) and a cage with freshly dug-up ordnance waiting for removal. The farm was rebuilt in the early 1920s and still features the German-made roof tiles it received as part of war repayment."

"Chap we spoke to was a civil engineer teaching at a local technical institute, where they also bult a replica Morane Saulnier Parasol monoplane behind a genuine 1917 Gnome-Rhone radial engine. We saw that plane at a newly opened museum devoted to French ace Georges Guynemer who was reportedly shot down over Poelcapelle, The ground floor of the premises is devoted to handmade chocolates; the proprietors sold us tickets inbetween making a batch of truffles. :)"

"Forgot to mention that the inside of that replica tank is essentially an empty box filled with a huge diesel engine end some seats in red vinyl. The guns are just metal tubes on the outside. I asked whether it wouldn't be an idea to put (dummy) guns inside but was told that was a sensitive issue to some people so they didn't. "

https://tankpoelcapelle.be/

https://depondfarm.be/ (images seem to be lacking in english version)

http://guynemerpaviljoen.be/en/

So thanks to Paul and his bruv for making us all very jealous!