The Tank Museum has acquired new documents revealing how a man credited with the co-invention of the tank became frustrated with wartime bureaucracy.
The trove of documents relate to the design and development of the Mark I tank and it contains hundreds of pages of documents, illustrations and correspondence once belonging to agricultural engineer Sir William Tritton, who, alongside Major Walter Wilson, is regarded as the inventor of the tank.
The Dorset-based attraction is to work through the papers to record and catalogue the information within, but “a few gems have already been discovered”, it reports.
Finds include Sir William Tritton’s business card, a telegram sent by Fosters of Lincoln (the firm that manufactured the Mark I) to the trademark office to register the word ‘tank’, and some sketches appearing to indicate that the rear wheels prominent in the design of the Mark I were primarily intended to correct centre of gravity rather than to aid steering, as previously thought.
However, much correspondence pertains to Sir William’s battles against wartime red tape. As coinventor, he wanted to ensure his designs were protected and that he and his partner were given their post-war reward,…
