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"The first workable (tanks), built by British manufacture in 1916, were
referred to as 'water tanks for Mesopotamia' - partly because of their
appearance, partly to keep their true nature secret."

So how does construction equipment titan Caterpillar speak
authoritatively on World War I tanks? Caterpillar predecessor Holt
Tractor Company was instrumental in helping the British develop the
tank. Holt was consulted because of the outstanding reputation their
crawler tractors had already earned for their ability to go anywhere and
"climb like hell," as British Lt. Colonel Ernest  Swinton, a key figure
in the development of the tank, put it. The tanks were built in Britain,
but the Holt crawlers provided the inspiration.


Best wishes,

Thomas Berry, Archivist
Historical Construction Equipment Association
16623 Liberty Hi Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Phone 419-352-5616
Fax 419-352-6086
tberry@wcnet.org
http://www.hcea.net





Jackson, Bill wrote:

> This is trivial, but if it's true, we are rather fascinated by it.....
>
> We have a copy of an illustration and a caption from Motorcycling and
> Bicycling (periodical, 1/15/17 issue), which claims that the World War
> I era
> British tanks were so named because they were shaped almost exactly
> like the
> gas tanks found on many motorcycle brands of the period.
>
> It is entirely true that the two shapes are incredibly simliar, but
> does
> anyone know if there is truth to this?  If it were not in a 1917
> magazine,
> I'd be tempted to think it an urban legend......
>
>
> Bill Jackson
> Senior Archivist
> Harley-Davidson Motor Company
> Milwaukee, WI
>
>
>
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> If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
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>    ----------------------------------------------------------------
> This is trivial, but if it's true, we are rather fascinated by
> it.....We have a copy of an illustration and a caption from
> Motorcycling and Bicycling (periodical, 1/15/17 issue), which claims
> that the World War I era British tanks were so named because they were
> shaped almost exactly like the gas tanks found on many motorcycle
> brands of the period.It is entirely true that the two shapes are
> incredibly simliar, but does anyone know if there is truth to this?
> If it were not in a 1917 magazine, I'd be tempted to think it an urban
> legend...... Bill Jackson
> Senior Archivist
> Harley-Davidson Motor Company
> Milwaukee, WI



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