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UNIQUE ID 1569: LITTLE WILLIE TANK

The Tank Museum - Public Areas, Bovington, Britain

(Location: Tank Story Hall)


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Sample Photo from Tank with UniqueID 1569


Unique ID: 1569
Added to Database: 23 February 2011
Last Edited: 20 March 2012
Type (ID): Little Willie (3100)
Model (ID): Little Willie (3100)
Location Category (ID): The Tank Museum - Public Areas (3000)
Location (ID): Tank Story Hall (3004)
Serial Number:
Registration:
Name:
Other Identification: “LITTLE WILLIE ~1915~” painted on hull sides. Plaque fixed on nose.
Collection Reference: E1949.322. (Accession 32249, Entry 1949.1004).
Links: Museum Vehicle Record
References:
Associated Tanks:

Location History:
(see map)

1: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Design parent and manufacturer of sole prototype September 1915)
2: Burton Park – Lincoln, UK (Trials ca November 1915)
3: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Returned after trials ca December 1915)
4: Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, East England, Britain (Trials January-February 1916)
5: William Foster & Co. Ltd, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Britain (Returned after trials and driver training 1916)
6: The Tank Museum - Public Areas, Bovington, Dorset, South West England, Britain (Current location)


Text in original Preserved British Tanks publication:

[No entry]

Text in Preserved British Tanks Update:

[No entry]

Text in original Preserved Tanks In Britain publication:

Little Willie was the first tank ever built, though it was constructed from non-armoured metal plate, and was also the only example of its type produced. It was originally created as the Number 1 Lincoln Machine during August and September 1915. However, the tracks and suspension behaved poorly in tests, so it was rebuilt with longer, curved tracks and tested in the new form in Burton Park, Lincoln in December 1915. Meanwhile an improved design was being worked on. Little Willie took part in two further demonstrations, on 29th January and 8th February 1916 at Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire. Both served to prove that only the competing tank design, Big Willie, was able to match War Office requirements. Little Willie was used for driver training for a while, before being removed to Lincoln and later to Bovington as part of the original Tank Museum collection. It was one of the original tanks preserved on the heath at Bovington, and it was used during the Second World War as a local strongpoint. It was put on the museum books in 1949.
Little Willie is displayed in the Museum on a turntable; it not fitted with tail wheels, its front plate is damaged and it is missing its floor, engine, fuel tank and most of its interior fittings. A plaque fixed on the nose reads:

WM. FOSTER & CO. LTD.
ENGINEERS
LINCOLN.



Images - Photographs and NavPix (click to expand or browse)

March 2011

Front left view
1: Front left view

Taken: 8 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6890
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55287812...
Views: 183
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

 

Front right view
2: Front right view

Taken: 8 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6891
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55287808...
Views: 174
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

 

Overview
3: Overview

Taken: 6 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6889
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55281907...
Views: 159
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Front right view
4: Front right view

Taken: 6 March 2011
Contributor: M. Foti
Photo ID: 6892
Added: 18 March 2012
Filename: 55287818...
Views: 141
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



October 2008

Upper front left view
5: Upper front left view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 4542
Added: 23 February 2011
Filename: P1040195...
Views: 166
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



 

Rear right view
6: Rear right view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 4543
Added: 23 February 2011
Filename: P1030252...
Views: 172
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



 

Upper rear view
7: Upper rear view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 4544
Added: 23 February 2011
Filename: P1030281...
Views: 174
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



Upper left view
8: Upper left view

Taken: 27 October 2008
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 4545
Added: 23 February 2011
Filename: P1030296...
Views: 164
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



August 2006

Front left view, photo by A. Scudder
9: Front left view, photo by A. Scudder

Taken: 22 August 2006
Contributor: Wikimedia
Photo ID: 4602
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Dig_Litt...
Views: 230
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



2001

Front right view, photo by MWAK
10: Front right view, photo by MWAK

Taken: 2001
Contributor: Wikimedia
Photo ID: 4601
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Dig_Litt...
Views: 429
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



October 1982

Front right view
11: Front right view

Taken: 26 October 1982
Contributor: T. Larkum
Photo ID: 6681
Added: 6 February 2012
Filename: Scan_Lit...
Views: 132
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



February 1916

Little Willie undergoing trials, presumed to be in the grounds Hatfield House, photo from Tanks! at mailer.fsu.edu
12: Little Willie undergoing trials, presumed to be in the g...

Taken: February 1916
Contributor: CRFU
Photo ID: 4600
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Scan_GB-...
Views: 148
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    

    



December 1915

Little Willie outside the works of William Foster & Company, Lincoln, photo from Lincolnshire County Council
13: Little Willie outside the works of William Foster & ...

Taken: December 1915
Contributor: CRFU
Photo ID: 4598
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Scan_Lit...
Views: 571
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



 

Little Willie outside the Foster works
14: Little Willie outside the Foster works

Taken: December 1915
Contributor: Wikimedia
Photo ID: 4599
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Scan_Lit...
Views: 1302
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    

    



September 1915

As Number 1 Lincoln Machine, photo from Tanks! at mailer.fsu.edu
15: As Number 1 Lincoln Machine, photo from Tanks! at mailer...

Taken: September 1915
Contributor: CRFU
Photo ID: 4596
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Scan_GB-...
Views: 539
Select/Has Priority: 21/0
    



 

As Number 1 Lincoln Machine, with lengthened Bullock tracks and Creeping Grip tractor suspension, September 1915
16: As Number 1 Lincoln Machine, with lengthened Bullock tra...

Taken: September 1915
Contributor: Wikimedia
Photo ID: 4597
Added: 6 March 2011
Filename: Scan_No1...
Views: 440
Select/Has Priority: 21/0