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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> References -> Captain Bentley: Inventor of the Tank?
Post Info TOPIC: Captain Bentley: Inventor of the Tank?
James H


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Captain Bentley: Inventor of the Tank?
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Thanks to the New York Times for this. In 1922 they carried an article about the Royal Commission into the invention of the Tank. (It's in PDF so I can't cut & paste, but the link is below)

The gist of it is that Kitchener was asking for armoured vehicles of some kind very early in the War, and was shown an armoured car built "at Woolwich". He asked the opinion of a friend by the name of Captain Bentley. Bentley pointed out the vehicle's lack of off-road capability, and Kitchener asked him if he could improve it. Bentley is supposed to have come back to K with a plan for a vehicle on caterpillar or "pedo" tracks (a phrase we probably wouldn't use nowadays) and a spec that sounds pretty much like a Tank.

This is said to have been three months before Churchill wrote his memo to Asquith. Bentley was then, unfortunately, posted to Russia and thence to German East Africa. On his return he found that the Tank was in existence and Swinton, Wilson, and Tritton got the credit. How close it was to his original idea isn't made clear, but his claim was supported by another officer named Fitzgerald. Of course, by this time Kitchener wasn't available.

Anyone know any more about this?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E03E1DC153AEE32A25750C0A96F9C946395D6CF

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Gwyn Evans


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See page 31 of "The Devil's Chariots" by John Glanfield. Capt Bentley's case was heard by the High Court in 1925, which dismissed his claim.

My copy of Devil's Chariots has a pencilled note, which I must have done because it's in my writing even though I can't recall any of it, referring to National Archives (Kew) file WO32/4111 on this matter.

Gwyn

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James H


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Thanks, mate. Got it. Missed that one. I wonder whether it was something like the Tank or another Pedrail contraption. Pity K was no longer around.

There's a reference to Bede Bentley on greatwardifferent; there's third-party testimony that he knew K well. And, if it's the same bloke, in 1907 he drove a Siddley motor car 7,000 miles to present it to the Emperor of Ethiopia.

-- Edited by James H at 16:03, 2007-11-04

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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
Gwyn Evans


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What's greatwardifferent?

G

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James H


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Sorry.

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/

A fantastic site for references, photos, articles, etc.

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Gwyn Evans


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Thanks for that. Had a quick browse and soon found some photos new to me.

Gwyn

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