Little Willies & Big Willies

First, there was Little Willie.

Continuing our sometime series on early tracked military vehicles, here we see Little Willie crossing a trench during tests at Croscliff Hill, Lincoln, in 1915, used modified tracks from a Bullock tractor.

Little Willie was so secret that a special tarpaulin was made to cover it up when undergoing trials, although early experiments were hardly successful, the tracks failing completely during initial testing.  The tarpaulin is branded Fosters of Lincoln.  William Foster & Co. Ltd were an agricultural machinery firm that would become famous for designing and manufacturing the world’s first tanks.  On the right, the tail wheels that you may be familiar with as later seen on the first British tanks to see action in 1916, and, indeed, to be seen later in this post.  A supposed aid to steering and balance, they were soon removed as inefficient and unnecessary.

Then there was a later type Little Willie (above & below).

…seen here during trials, its tracks weighted with cast iron slabs (compare to the previous two photos).

Up, and back down.

Later type Little Willie crossing a flooded trench during tests at Burton Park in Lincoln.  These two photos are actually identical, in case you hadn’t realised,…

…except they aren’t any more, and for those of you who think that photographic cloning is a relatively recent corruption (I use the word advisedly, as I have some considerable experience in it myself), think again, because here’s proof that it ain’t (the best-known early examples are probably from the Soviet Union in the twenties – this, of course, is earlier, and somewhat less important).  Quite why this was done is open to question – most likely so the location could not be identified should the photo fall into the wrong hands, or maybe someone was just showing off their photographic manipulation skills?

And then there was Big Willie, with whom you will be somewhat more familiar.

Big Willie, or Centipede (or even Mother Tank) crossing a trench for the first time, January 1916.  These pictures show the tank crossing the same trench from either side.

And on up the hill,…

…the officer on the left checking whether the tracks are sagging as the tank traverses a ditch.

Upwards,…

…and downwards.  The first tank successfully completes its preliminary trials.

Now, I’m sorry, but we won’t be taking the story of the tank any further, because I don’t happen to have the appropriate photographs to do so, nor the specialist knowledge required; the photos in these posts were uncovered and snapped for me by Duncan the Younger on one of his, at the time, frequent excursions to the National Archives a couple of years back.  For which I thank him hugely.  But we will have a look at a few more experimental tracked vehicles, such as the intriguing machine shown above, in the final post of this occasional series.