The Tank Museum in Dorset has announced a special academic seminar marking 110 years since the first use of the tank in warfare.
Named after a quote from Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig after the Mark I’s first use in combat, “The Tanks Have Done Marvels” seminar brings together historians, researchers, and military scholars to examine the debut of the tank during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
The Tank Museum has the world’s best collection of First World War vehicles, including Little Willie, the first working prototype, and the only surviving Mark I.
Held in The Tank Museum’s Workshop, the seminar programme features a distinguished range of speakers, including Robert Gascoyne Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, who will share his reflections of the first tanks and their link to Hatfield House. His talk will offer a unique perspective, connecting political, social, and personal histories to the emergence of this revolutionary technology.
Historian Stephen Pope will also deliver a talk, drawing on his research into those who fought in Mark I tanks in 1916. Stephen contributed to the Tank Men exhibition at The Tank Museum, which brings together the lives and experiences of eight British soldiers of the First World War and celebrates the pioneers of tank warfare. Stephen also co-authored the recent update to Trevor Pidgeon’s The Tanks At Flers book.
Other speakers include military historian Cassie Pope, who will be delivering a talk on morale, identity, and the first tank crews, as well as former tank commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE, who will be exploring the evolution of the tank on and off the battlefield.
Stuart Wheeler, Senior Historian at The Tank Museum, said: “This seminar marks a significant milestone in the history of armoured warfare. By bringing together leading experts in the field, we explore personal reflections, the development of the armoured vehicles, and the lessons learned from the first use of tanks.
“As Bovington is ‘the home of the tank’, it is important for us to mark these anniversaries and continue to grow our understanding of our history.”
After the talks, attendees will be able to get inside a Mark IV tank, the only place in the world where this is possible.
Friends of The Tank Museum receive £20 off tickets to this seminar.
