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Tanks at Metropolitan Cammell

J

Janet s

Guest
does anyone have any photos they would be willing to share of any factories producing tanks in WW1
 
I have a rare presentation book called ' The Tank- it's birth & development' a history of Fosters of Lincoln who were makers of steam traction engines before the war, it's full of workshop photo's & also field trials of early tanks. Not sure if there's a reprint as the original is extremely rare.
Don't know if I can get it under the scanner, what sort of pictures do you need?

Her's a link to a description of how important Fosters were

How the Tank Began Link does not now work
 
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does anyone have any photos they would be willing to share of any factories producing tanks in WW1

Hi Janet,

I haven't any photos, but I can tell you that Metropolitan Cammell
built WW1 tanks. I remember that in the strong room at Leigh Road
there was a large and beautiful silver model of a WW1 tank (the type
with the 'wrapround' tracks) which they had built. I often wonder what happened to it.

Kind regards

Dave
 
When I was at Metro-Cammell, I 'acquired' a workshop manual for a Cromwell mkl tank, they were made there. Not got it now, though - sold it to a tank enthusiast years ago.
 
The company now known as BSA Regal Group Ltd has had a long history. Over the last 300 years it has had to overcome many difficulties to get where it is today. Key dates below give brief descriptions and show the progression it has made.
If you would like to download a PDF version, it is found here . BSA made the first tank engine in WW1. Len.
 
When i worked at Metro Cammell there was a shop and they still called it the Cromwell stores,and in the finishing shops called the Avenue there was still the sighting targets to align the guns on the tanks,that was upto 4 years ago:)Mau-reece
 
I have some memories of Tanks during the second world war. My father had a small engineering company in Albert Rd. off Soho Rd.Handsworh. One of his jobs was machining tank wheels for Cromwell and Crusader tanks. The wheels came from the foundry, and my father bored and faced the hub and machined the outer circumference, and they went to another company to have a steel 'tyre' shrunk on. Before they went, they had to be painted with red lead oxide. Due to the amount of work, and shortage of labour, I used to earn some pocket money on Saturday mornings wearing one of those brown overall coats that my Dad called Cow Gowns with the sleeves rolled up and string around the waist, slapping paint on the wheels. I used to get covered, but I loved it. I think 'Elf an Safety' might have something to say about it now. We lived on the Chester Rd. near the old Pavilion Cinema, and batches of tanks used to go past our house down to the Banners Gate entrance to Sutton Park, and up to the area that was later used for flying model planes, and were tested. The house used to shake and everything rattled when they went past, and the road surface was cut up. But it was all worth it because we won the war (again)
 
When i worked at Metro Cammell there was a shop and they still called it the Cromwell stores,and in the finishing shops called the Avenue there was still the sighting targets to align the guns on the tanks,that was upto 4 years ago:)Mau-reece


Hi

I remember hearing the Cromwell Stores mentioned when I worked
at Leigh Road in the 70s/80s. I never connected this with tanks,
but it does bring up an interesting question. The Midland Works was
not part of Metropolitan Cammell during WW1, but was the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. In an earlier posting, I assumed that
the 'Met' had built the tanks, and that the silver tank model that was
in Leigh Road strong room had been brought up when Saltley was
closed. This would not now appear to be the case. Two questions
arise from this - did the Met at Saltley also build tanks, and does
anyone know what happened to that magnificent silver model tank?

Kind regards

Dave
 
I used to work in the Drawing Office at Rover Lode Lane, and I sometimes had to visit the Jig and Tool drawing office at the Acocks Green factory. It was still a ministry factory making the Meteor tank engine, everything was very ministry, white lines everywhere , and everything in its place. The engines were tested at Lode Lane. in specially built test houses at the back of the factory, these were later used to test the Rover gas turbine engines.
 
I did hear somewhere that the old concrete ramp that Metropolitan used for loading tanks onto railway waggons during the Great War still exists? It was around the back of the old factory and apparently now forms part of a skate park? Not sure if there is any truth in this, but someone out there must know? :armycigar:
 
pictures were taken at the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in Smethwick and show some of the Valentine tanks they built.
Tanks-2.jpg
 
1624829080872.png
Had World War One continued into 1919 as most people expected, then the Mark V** would have been a significant tank. Nine hundred had been ordered from the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company, from their Saltley (Birmingham) Works in the proportion of 750 male and 150 female.

With the war coming to an end, only 25 were completed and none of these saw action.
 
Really just as an aside . I went to school in Wednesbury in the 50's It overlooked the back of the Patent Shaft Metro Camel works where there was a huge mound of white china clay, man made but a material local to the area. The Shaft made Valentine Tanks in WW2 , there was a story that the White Knob as it was called was used to test tanks . If so it was a formidable obstacle with30 degree slopes , a height of about 80 foot and when wet a slippery clay surface. Whether just a fantasy or not it was a story repeated in my family
 
Really just as an aside . I went to school in Wednesbury in the 50's It overlooked the back of the Patent Shaft Metro Camel works where there was a huge mound of white china clay, man made but a material local to the area. The Shaft made Valentine Tanks in WW2 , there was a story that the White Knob as it was called was used to test tanks . If so it was a formidable obstacle with30 degree slopes , a height of about 80 foot and when wet a slippery clay surface. Whether just a fantasy or not it was a story repeated in my family
White Knob, Wednesbury

white knob wednesbury.jpg
 
There was a concrete ramp at the Oldbury factory which was used for testing tanks, and apparently was later used by kids as a switch back
 
View attachment 158472
Had World War One continued into 1919 as most people expected, then the Mark V** would have been a significant tank. Nine hundred had been ordered from the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company, from their Saltley (Birmingham) Works in the proportion of 750 male and 150 female.

With the war coming to an end, only 25 were completed and none of these saw action.
A renovated MkIV tank which was made at Metropolitan Carriage is on display in Lincoln where the first tank was produced.
 

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