Tank Tour Two – on the road again

Its nearly a year since Richard Pullen and I resumed our touring show Tank Tour Two after a gap of six years.

What is the Tank Tour? It’s a double act featuring myself, a journalist and filmmaker involved in the story of the Lincoln tanks for 40 years on and off, and Richard, a Military Historian, Chairman of the Friends of the Lincoln Tank, and author of “Landships of Lincoln.”

Audiences hear at least 45 minutes from each of us, each accompanied by a presentation of old images and films. Sometimes an exhibition of authentic memorabilia goes out with us, courtesy of the aforesaid Friends.

People gain new insights into the story of William Foster & Co and the personalities who developed the first tanks which, eventually, when properly deployed, gave the Allies battlefield superiority and helped to end the First World War.

The first Tank Tour ran from the Centenary of the tank to the Centenary of the Armistice and Richard and I have fond memories of the 18 shows we did in that time.

Not least because we collected stories - even at that late stage - from people who had met Sir William Tritton, MD of Fosters, who, along with Major Walter Wilson, invented the tank in 1915.

One gentleman had been a young apprentice at Fosters early in the Second World War when Sir William was still working in the company. He gave us an amusing anecdote about Sir William’s visits to the moulding shop.

Better still, it was through TT One that the trail led to Eva, aged 95. She had been a nurse at Lincoln County Hospital when the nurses accommodation was bombed in 1942. The Matron asked those with sizeable houses nearby to offer temporary billeting for her nurses while the accommodation was fixed.

Thus Eva, and a fellow nurse, spent three months living with Sir William and Lady Tritton. She was able to recall priceless stories of Sir William in his domestic sphere. She saw him as few others did, for the Trittons had no children.

We have been prompted to resume the Tank Tour because of new images and evidence about the Lincoln Tanks that we ourselves have discovered during our lay-off.

And we are still hopeful of uncovering family anecdotes and stories from audience members.

There are many descendants of the Fosters workforce - not least the munitionettes. We heard of one who eventually had 12 children!

By going out on the Tank Tour and meeting people, we find they are more likely to dig out memorabilia which we can borrow and photograph for the keen researchers among the Friends.

We are delighted that this time round our sponsors are the historic White Hart Hotel, Lincoln, birthplace of the tanks in September 1915. The 110th anniversary of the invention was celebrated by the unveiling of a World Origin Site plaque and a visit from Guy Martin

on September 9th. See Blow by Blow's video of the event: https://youtu.be/xyBPOzv3aRo

For those who don’t know the original story, Tritton and Wilson needed privacy and secrecy as they worked to meet the requirements of the Admiralty’s Landships Committee.

Forsaking Foster’s Wellington Foundry in Lincoln’s industrial quarter, they used the Yarborough Room (now often called the Tank Room) in the White Hart, overlooking Bailgate.

It was in there that they designed the reliable tracks that would be fitted to Little Willie, the world’s first armoured tracked vehicle, and also where Major Wilson – seconded by the Landships Committee to work with Fosters – devised the rhomboid shape of the tank.

It was my privilege to meet the third man in that room, the young Fosters draughtsman William Rigby who did the engineering drawings for them. Mr. Rigby was 89 when I met him while I was a young journalist at Yorkshire TV in the late 1970s. I recall this meeting in my talk.

Tank Tour Two - forthcoming dates 2025

Museum of Lincolnshire Life - Saturday November 8th, and Sunday November 9th 1.30pm to 4pm (includes a visit to the Museum's own tank)

Wragby Heritage Society - Thursday November 13th 7.30pm

Join our mailing list to learn of more bookings as they are arranged.

Andrew Blow – September 30th 2025