Twisted plate fragment with rivets, British Mark II tank: Bullecourt

Twisted steel plate fragment with rivetted sections. Corroded.

This is part of the remains of one of the dozen or so Mark II British tanks meant to support the Australian infantry (the 4th and 12th Brigades of the 4th Australian Division) at the First Battle of Bullecourt (10-11 April 1917). Their use was seized on by commander of the British 5th Army Sir Hubert Gough, in his rushed planning for the assault, in lieu of artillery. The tanks were meant to lead and protect the infantry in their assault on the heavily fortified village of Bullecourt which formed part of the Hindenburg Line; instead, seven broke down on their way to the starting line and the remainder were quickly knocked out, leaving the Australians exposed, without artillery support and the German wire entanglements unbroken. Despite capturing section of the German lines, they were forced to retire with 3,300 casualties, including over 1,100 taken prisoner.

This plate was recovered from the fields around Bullecourt by local residents. The manufacturers for the Mark II series of tanks were either Foster & Co (which built 25 male tanks; or Metropolitan (which built 25 female versions). The steel plate protecting these tanks was apparently unhardened, as the tanks were originally intended only to be used for training purposes, and they were thus easily pierced by German ordnance.