‘Mother’ was the prototype of the world’s first tank, the Mark I. It was developed in 1915 to break the stalemate of the First World War trenches and therefore is a hugely significant piece of military history.
The general consensus about the fate of Mother has been that it was scrapped in the salvage metal drive of the Second World War. There are anecdotal stories that it was saved from by being buried somewhere on Bovington Camp, but no firm evidence exists either way.
Enter Sgt. A Cherrett, a man with a mission to find out what really happened to Mother. Here is his story.
Operation Mother
Mother is a research project put together to determine the fate of the world’s first successful prototype tank.
This tank, known by many names – ‘H.M.L.S. Centipede’, ‘Big Willie’, or ‘Mother’ as she is known today—has a well-documented history. From her inception in Lincoln to her arrival in Bovington in early 1919, much is known about her. However, after her arrival, her fate becomes shrouded in mystery as she vanished in the late 1930s or early 1940s.
It has long been accepted that Mother was unceremoniously torn apart by ‘overzealous scrappers’ during the WWII scrap metal drive. She was parked alongside other historically important tanks in the first ‘Tank Museum’ outside the D&M wing in Bovington.
However, whispers have persisted around the garrison that she may have been secretly hidden away to keep her out of the scrappers’ hands. But no one knew who, how, or where she was hidden. This is what Operation Mother intends to uncover.
The Spark that Ignited Operation Mother
Like any good tank enthusiast, I was spending my free time watching The Tank Museum’s livestream over Christmas, Tankmas 2021’. During this stream, the then Director of the Museum, Richard Smith, was asked what tank he would want for Christmas. His answer was Mother:
“For me, the tank I would like to have for Christmas is not a type of tank – it’s one specific tank… In 1940, Mother disappeared…. One story is that it was scrapped, and the metal was used for the war effort. However, the second story is that it wasn’t scrapped at all and was buried somewhere in Bovington—but sadly, nobody really knows where. So, there’s a mystery that goes with the story of Mother as well. That’s why it would be the tank I would choose for Christmas!”
After hearing this, my interest was piqued. I was about to start working in Bovington, so I thought I could use my free time to investigate whether there was any truth to this story. After settling into my new position, I began digging around the local area to trace the origins of the story.
Investigating the Mystery
After many dead ends and shoulder shrugs from locals, I began speaking with the long-time staff at The Tank Museum and garrison. Finally, we were able to pin down the potential source of the story to the late ‘Chatty’ Taylor, who as the Museum’s longtime serving Workshop Foreman had often spun this tale to Museum staff (or anyone who would listen).
According to Chatty, his father, the Bovington Garrison Sergeant Major at the time of Mother’s disappearance, was part of the team that had hidden her away from the scrappers.
With this new information in hand, the next question became: Could this story actually be true? Was there any evidence to back it up? And if so, where could Mother be buried?
Although Bovington is relatively small for a garrison, it is still quite a large area to search, and it has changed considerably since the early 1940s.
The Search for Evidence
This is where the real work began. In our free time, we tirelessly explored archives across the country, digging through letters, photograph albums, documents, and engaging with historians, military researchers, authors, archaeologists, and tank enthusiasts. Our goal was to uncover any clues that might shed light on the fate of Mother.
We hoped to finally answer the critical question: What really happened to the “Mother of all Tanks”? Was she dismantled and discarded, as many accounts suggest?
Or was the rumor true, and Mother was secretly hidden away from the scrappers and buried on the Bovington training area, patiently waiting to be rediscovered?
After months of research, it seemed like we had hit a dead end. We couldn’t find any definitive evidence to prove either that she had been scrapped or buried—until we made a breakthrough.
The Key Discovery
During one of our many dives into The Tank Museum’s Archives, we rediscovered a letter written by Lt. Col. N. M. Dillon in the Tank Journal. The letter was titled ‘The Graincourt Gun’, and it contained a key passage:
“…a similar burial took place at the old RTR Museum. Major Bill Brannon found the scrap metal staff beginning to demolish some of the old tanks. It was noon, and they knocked off for lunch. Meanwhile, Bill organised a towing tank and pulled out four of the oldest tanks and buried them in the driving area. These four included Mother and Musical Box…”
So, could the rumor be true? Could Mother still be buried out there? We believe Lt. Col. Dillon to be an extremely credible source.
He served in Bovington up until the time of Mother’s disappearance and was close friends with Major Bill Brannon, who is already credited with saving the WWI tanks now displayed at The Tank Museum (eagle-eyed visitors may spot his name on the Curators’ board).
The Next Steps
After finding this new evidence, we believe we are left with one option: to go and search for Mother ourselves. The team wants to conduct a search of the area, but as enthusiastic and as committed as we are, we are not qualified to carry out the investigation ourselves.
To ensure our efforts are thorough and respectful of historical integrity, we plan to employ a professional archaeology team to conduct the search. Using advanced drone-mounted technologies such as ground-penetrating radar and magnetometer survey kits, along with other non-intrusive techniques, our aim is to locate any evidence of Mother’s burial site while minimising disruption to the area.
Transparency and Our Mission
Transparency is at the heart of our mission. Any findings, whether physical artefacts or historical insights, will be made fully public to benefit both the historical and academic communities.
Our ultimate goal is to recover the first tank, Mother, preserve her for future generations, and help celebrate the remarkable story of her creation and legacy.
We believe this journey is not just about uncovering a vehicle, it’s about honouring the ingenuity and courage of those who brought the tank to life and those who fought and continue to fight in armoured fighting vehicles.
Join Us in Our Journey
If you’re interested in our project, please follow us on social media and join us as we take the next steps in bringing Mother home.
If you’d like to help, you can donate on our GoFundMe page.
Sgt. A Cherrett
Project Director, Operation Mother
