Page Three The Prototypes
Under the dynamic leadership of Lt.Wilson, a design team was despatched to Lincoln to commence work with Foster & Company, Boiler Makers and Engineers. Settling comfortably in a local inn the "White Hart" Wilson's team set about designing then supervising the construction of the first of two prototypes. Oddly enough, both were christened "HMS Centipede" before given their nicknmes. The first, "Little Willie" which employed a final drive to idler unit, low-level, track laying system, did not perform as well as was hoped. However, it would be forever known as the world's first Armoured Fighting Vehicle.
Wilson's team immediately set about designing and then constructing another machine to better obtain acceptance by the Committee. Although the rhomboid shape of "Mother," the second prototype,
necessitated the final drives to send the tracks up and over the hull, she met all that was expected of her, especially the ability to cross over a much wider trench than "Little Willie." The Navy's particular influence in the design is shown by the provision of sponsons, on each side of the hull, in which the guns were to be mounted. Satisfied, the powers-that-be ordered the immediate construction of a production model.
While all the activity in Lincoln was going on, in meetings of the Landship Committee, the subject of the enterprise was always referred to as "The Machine." This practice continued, even after the two prototypes were demonstrated to its members. When news came in December that delivery of the first production machine was to be delivered on the 12th January 1916, an urgent meeting of the Committee was called for on the 28th. With the interests of security very much in mind, the Committee decided that "The Machine" had better be given a code name. As Swinton wrote in his memoirs, "container", "receptacle," "reservoir," "cistern" and "tank" were each considered the last unanimously being chosen - apparently, being a monosyllable had much to do with the selection! Despite the decision being the genesis of the name by which AFVs would become known, many months would elapse before the title "Tank" would be officially accepted.
The test runs of the second prototype, given the name "Big Willie," went exceptionally well, so much so that orders for 100 were placed. See photographs in the Picture Gallery, mounting a realistic replica of the 6-pdr gun being supplied by the Royal Navy.
In Production
Now that a firm order had been placed, plans were put in place to find crews to man them - note the Navy terms - as each vehicle required no fewer than eight. The first step was to assemble a cadre of officers, in short order about thirty arrived at Bisley, near Guildford, Surrey, where the Heavy Machine Gun Corps was head-quartered. There the officers, the majority from the Royal Naval Division, recruited some 700 plus, again mostly Naval personnel. Concurrently, an active search was taking place for the ideal place where the newly formed unit could be trained, which, for security reasons, had to be reasonably close to Lincoln. Eventually a large farm called Canada, near the village of Elvedon, located south-west of Thetford, Norfolk was chosen. (The farm, still known as Canada, became well known to this writer, as it was there the North Irish Horse trained while stationed in nearby Brandon. One does not soon forget being routinely rousted out of bed at 05.00 hours and, after running about five miles, having to plunge into the cold waters of a small stream-fed lake.)
As construction began it was decided that the sponsons should carry machine-guns as well as the 6-pdrs. Still without a name, the two types were designated Mark I (F) and Mark I (M). The first, Female, mounted only machine-guns. The second, Male, mounted both machine-guns and long-barrelled 6-pdrs provided by the Royal Navy. The trailer wheels, a feature of the Mark, later proved to be of little practical use and were soon discarded.
As training proceeded, it became obvious that the men had to be given a better name than "Landship." Many were proposed with "Dreadnaught" being the favourite among "Armoured Gun Ship," "Armoured Gun or Weapon Carrier" and "Armoured Tracked Vehicle." At the same time, as the number of Landships (minus sponsons) delivered to Elvedon grew, another debate ensued as to when they should be sent into action. Some, including Churchill, wanted to wait until they numbered in the several hundreds. Others who prevailed, despite some reluctance on the part of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, decided the time had come to prove (or more likely, disprove) how effective they would be achieving the purpose for which they were designed.
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