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KEY: Location markers are coloured from Green meaning exact to Red meaning gone or unknown (details here)

Unique ID: 1041 Added to Database: October 2009 Last Edited: 20 March 2012 Type (ID): Mark IV (3715) Model (ID): Mark IV (3715) Location Category (ID): Museum of Lincolnshire Life (3580) Location (ID): Transport Gallery (3581) Serial Number: Registration: T179: “T179” originally painted on rear hull sides (now “2179”). Name: “FLIRT II” painted on glacis. Other Identification: “F 4” and a ‘four of hearts’ playing card symbol painted on forward sides. Collection Reference: E1949.326. (Accession 32649, Entry 1949.1039) – Bovington. Links: Museum Vehicle Record Wikipedia – Ruston References: Associated Tanks: Location History: (see map) 1: Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company Limited, Wednesbury, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Britain (Primary manufacturer late 1916-late 1917) 2: The Tank Museum - Public Areas, Bovington, Dorset, South West England, Britain (Dates unknown) 3: Ruston Gas Turbine Company – Lincoln, England (Restoration – dates unknown) 4: Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, East Midlands, 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: The original ‘Flirt II’ was used on three occasions during the Battle of Cambrai. On 20 November 1917 it was the fourth tank of Number 1 section, 16th Company, Sixth (or F) Battalion. Both 16th and 18th Company detrained at the railhead known as New Heudicourt and advanced through Gouzeaucourt and crossed the Blue and Brown lines before returning to the Battalion Rallying Point near La Vacquuerie. The following day the surviving tanks were ordered to Marcoing, on the St Quentin Canal. F4 was late in starting due to a mechanical fault but got away in due course and appears to have crossed the canal before becoming involved in an incident near Flot Farm which resulted in the unditching of another tank. At the end of this day it again went back to the rallying point. Nothing more happened until the evening of the 26th when twenty tanks, including seventeen from F Battalion (one of which was Flirt II) were prepared for action against Bourlon Village on the following day. During that action F4 attempted to tow F13 ‘Falcon II’ but in doing so stripped some gears and was also disabled. With the enemy closing in the crew were forced to abandon the tank, taking their Lewis guns with them, and make their way on foot to the rallying point. During the subsequent fighting Flirt II received a considerable amount of damage, particularly on the left side in rear of the sponson. Even so it was earmarked to be towed away by its German captors. What became of it after that is unclear. Given the state of the hull and some of the gears it seems unlikely that it was restored to running order by the Germans and the chances are that it was cannibalised for spares to keep other tanks going. This tank was marked as Flirt II when it was displayed at the front of the Bovington Tank Museum but whether it was the real Flirt II is unclear, though it is difficult to know why it was given that name if it was not; nonetheless its identity remains open. (Source: Bovington Museum Vehicle Record). This Mark IV Female was donated by the Bovington Tank Museum to the City of Lincoln. It was restored by Ruston Gas Turbine Company Limited, previously Fosters, the original manufacturers of the tank.

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

September 2009 1: Front left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2124 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040855... Views: 59494 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		2: Front left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2125 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040857... Views: 181 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		3: Left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2126 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040858... Views: 182 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
4: Rear left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2127 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040863... Views: 181 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		5: Rear view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2128 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040862... Views: 196 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		6: Rear right view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2129 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040864... Views: 196 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
7: Front right view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2130 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040868... Views: 181 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		8: Front view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2131 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040867... Views: 188 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		9: Front left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2132 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040856... Views: 155 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
10: Close-up of glacis plate Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2133 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040870... Views: 165 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		11: Upper rear left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2134 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040879... Views: 167 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		12: Upper rear left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2135 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040882... Views: 138 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
13: Upper front left view Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2136 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040883... Views: 176 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		14: Lower front left view, photo taken by J. Larkum Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2137 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040892... Views: 192 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		15: Interior view, showing opposite sponson Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2138 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040893... Views: 182 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
16: Interior view, looking forward Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2139 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040897... Views: 180 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		17: Interior view, looking rearward Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2140 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040895... Views: 171 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		18: View through rear door Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2141 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040898... Views: 175 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
19: Markings on sides Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2142 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040871... Views: 164 Select/Has Priority: 21/0		20: Identification number Taken: 27 September 2009 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 2143 Added: 1 October 2009 Filename: P1040873... Views: 166 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
July 2006 21: Rear left view, taken by Jon Bennett Taken: 2 July 2006 Contributor: Flickr Photo ID: 2144 Added: 3 October 2009 Filename: 18012059... Views: 3197 Select/Has Priority: 21/0
October 1982 22: Front right view Taken: 26 October 1982 Contributor: T. Larkum Photo ID: 6689 Added: 6 February 2012 Filename: Scan_Mar... Views: 214 Select/Has Priority: 21/0

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