Secondary Sources

This is a list of the secondary sources the author has used.

Sources are listed by the source reference then the page Number.

i.e. S1.p347 = page 347 in Trevor Pidgeon's "The Tanks at Flers"

If a photo (or its caption) is referred to the "S" is replaced by an "X" i.e. S1.p347 becomes X1.p347.

OH refers to the Official History, it should be followed by a year, volume and page number. i.e. OH18.V2.p234

OHA refers to the Official History of Australia in the Great War of 1914-1918

SBv BMA

Provisional Tank Identification List.Author A Huygelier

A list held in Bovington Tank Museum made from information held in the Belgian Military Archives (BMA)

The Tanks at Flers (1995). Trevor Pidgeon

Definitive account of the involvement of the Tanks on 15 ^th / 16 ^th September 1916.

Tanks on the Somme (2010) Trevor Pidgeon

Definitive account of the involvement of the Tanks on the Somme after the 16 ^th September action.

Devils Chariots (2001) John Glanfield

An excellent account of the political manoeuvrings needed to get the first tanks into action

Band of Brigands (2007) Christy Campbell

An entertaining account of the tanks in WW1, the first third leans heavily upon Devils Chariots. Some trivial mistakes (i.e. MK IIIs at Arras) but very enjoyable

Landships of Lincoln (2007).. Richard Pullen,

A good account of the work of the Lincoln Factory. Well illustrated. Some mislabelled photos.

German Panzers 1914 – 1918 (2006). Steven J Zologa, Osprey

Superb account of the First German tanks. Lists all of them and their fates. Well illustrated. The inspiration for this site.

British Mark I Tank (2004). David Fletcher, Osprey

An excellent account of the Mark I, II and III. Well illustrated.

British Mark IV Tank. (2005). David Fletcher, Osprey

An excellent account of the Mark IV. Well illustrated.

British Mark V Tank. (2011). David Fletcher, Osprey

A good account of the Mark V, some inaccuracies. Well illustrated.

S10

Armoured units of the Russian Civil War. White Russian (2003) D Bullock and A Deryabin, Osprey

Sister book to S63

S11

The British tanks 1915-19 (2001). David Fletcher,

Excellent, very well illustrated account of the first tanks.

S12

The Somme. The Day by Day Account (1993) Chris McCarthy

A superb book. Factual list of events on the Somme one day at a time. To get a real feeling for the ebb and flow of the Battle start reading on 1 ^st July and read each days entry on subsequent days.

S13

The Tank Corps (1919), Clough Williams – Ellis

An early account of the tanks participation in the First World war. Written without access to many of the primary sources we now have available, and thus contains some factual errors (MK IIIs at Arras); later historians have clearly leaned heavily upon this work as the errors keep cropping up. Overall an entertaining collection of stories, very readable.

S14

World War I Day by Day (2000). Ian Westwall,

Standard general history of WW1. Very little on Tanks. Included here because of the Photograph on page 4.

S15

Vimy Ridge (2005). Alexander Turner, Osprey

Good account of the Canadians successful assault. The eight tanks allocated did not make it into action as all bogged down. This reference included here because of the Photographs on pages 73 and 80.

S16

Flers and Guedocourt.(2002).Trevor Pidgeon , Pen and Sword.

Covers part of the story told in tanks at Flers. Well-illustrated. Contains some material not found in the earlier work (S1 above), including an account of Storey’s attack on the 26 ^th September.

S17

Bullecourt. (1999) Graham Keech, Pen and Sword.

Covers the attacks on Bullecourt in April and May 1917. Considers original source material and the account given by Bean in the Official Australian History. Well Illustrated.

S18

Cheerful Sacrifice, The Battle of Arras 1917 (2005)

Jonathon Nicholls, Pen and Sword

The first modern reappraisal of the Battle of Arras. Contains extracts from survivors. Well written and very readable.

S19

Gravelle (2000) Kyle Tallett and Trevor Trasker, Pen and Sword.

S20

Monchy le Preux (2000) Colin Fox, Pen and Sword.

S21

Courcellette (1998) Paul Reed, Pen and Sword.

S22

Thiepval (1995) Michael Stedman, Pen and Sword.

S23

Beaumont Hamel (1994) Nigel Cave, Pen and Sword.

S24

Cambrai The Right Hook (1999) Jack Horsfall and Nigel Cave, Pen and Sword.

Lots of tank pictures, Several are of Mk I and II tanks .

S25

Bourlon Wood (2002) Jack Horsfall and Nigel Cave, Pen and Sword.

S26

The Experience of World War I (1988) JM Winter

Included here because of the very well captioned photo on page 101

S27

The Pictorial History of World War 1. (1987) GD Sheffield

As the title implies, packed with photos, many very large and well reproduced. Their size allows WD and Crew numbers to be read.

S28

The First World War (2003) Hew Strachan

A good general history,

S29

The World War One Sourcebook (1992) Philip J Haythornthwaite.

S30

The Boiler Plate War (1963) John Foley

S31

Cambrai 1917 (2007) Alexander Turner. Osprey

S32

All the Kaisers Men (2005) Ian Passingham

Very good account of the Western front from the German perspective.

S33

Amiens 1918 (2008) Alistair McClusky. Osprey

S34

The Tank in Action (1920) D.G.Browne, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh

Written by a Tank commander. Contains first hand accounts of several actions, though is inaccurate in some areas (especially Arras). Downloadable for free:

S35

Passchendaele. The Day by Day Account (1995) Chris McCarthy

A superb book. Factual list of events at 3^rd Ypres one day at a time. Lots of maps. To get a real feeling for the ebb and flow of the Battle start reading on 31 ^st July and read each days entry on subsequent days.

S36

The War on the Western Front (2007) Gary Sheffield (Ed), Osprey

S37

Following the Tanks, Cambrai. (1999) Jean-Luc Gibot and Phillippe Gorczynski

Unfortunately the website author does not own a copy of this work; only a copy of the Order of Battle, downloadable from landships.com.

S38

Passchendaele (2007) Peter Barton

A superb book, full of excellent photographs, most which are unavailable elsewhere; and some every good maps.

S39

Passchendaele. The Hollow Victory (2005) Martin Matrix Evans

An excellent appraisal of 3 ^rd Ypres. Describes the tank actions in some detail, mainly using published eyewitness accounts (such as D G Browne, see S35 above). Does not use the original accounts from the PRO. Very readable.

S40

Cambrai 1917. The Myth of the first great tank Battle (2008) Bryn Hammond

S41

Beyond the Green Fields (2008) Richard Pullen

A collection of reminiscences by tank men, contains several uncommon photos

S42

Tanks and Trenches (1994) D Fletcher

A collection of first hand accounts. Lots of pictures, some uncommon.

S43

Tank Warfare (1937) Frank Mitchell

A veteran’s account of his experiences.

S44

Flesquieres, Cambrai (2003) Jack Horsfall and Nigel Cave

Pen and Sword.

S45

Amiens 1918 The last Great Battle (2007) James McWillaims and R. James Steel

S46

History of World War I (1978) AJP Taylor (ed)

A general History with a couple of useful photos

S47

World War I (1973) David Sherman

A general History with some useful photos

S48

Great Battles of World War I (1989) Anthony Livesy

A general History with some useful photos

S49

Tanks of the World (2004) David Miller

A general History of tanks. MkI, MkIV and Whippet all included.

S50

WW1 Tank Album Colonel Berkley Miller (DVD with still photos)

A collection of WW1 period photos

S51

First World War Tanks (1986 ) E Bartholomew

S52

Landships. British Tanks in the first World War (1984) D Fletcher

S53

First World war Tanks in Canadian Service (2009) Michael R McNorgan

Nice little 24 page pamphlet with several photos not found in the other listed sources.

S54

British Battle Insignia 1 1914-18 (1986) Mike Chappell (Osprey)

Not directly related to tanks but included as tanks occasionally sported the symbols of their attached divisions.

S55

Poelcapple. A trail of Wrecked Tanks (2007) Robert Baccarne

The most definitive account of the Poelcapelle battles in print, unfortunately (according to the books editor) contains some errors. See link in external sites section.

S56

Tank versus Tank (1991) Kenneth Macksey

S57

A pictorial history Royal Tank Regiment (1989) George Forty

A good general history with some uncommon photos.

S58

The 1917 Spring Offensives (1997) Yves Buffetaut

Almost all the Arras photos can be found here.

S59

Passchendaele (2000) Nigel Steel and Peter Hart

A good balanced account of 3rd Ypres. Gives due regard to the artillery, not much on tanks.

S60

Track Prints (2010) Richard Pullen

Lots of photos many not found elsewhere, some mislabelled.

S61

Rolling into Action (1934) DE Hickey (2007 reprint)

Date of original publication a guess. A good read full of valuable (if sometimes in accurate) information.

S62

A Company of Tanks (????) WHL Watson (???? Reprint)

S63

Armoured Units of the Russian Civil War. Red Army (2006) David Bullock (Osprey)

Sister book to S10

S64

The German Army at Cambrai (2009) Jack Sheldon

Good photos, some not published elsewhere; one or two of mislabelled Mk I and Mk II.

S65

Tanks of the (Russian) Civil War (2001) I Moshchanskiy & S Romadin

translated (2009) Tom Hillman & Craig Martelle

Lots of photos. Written using original Russian Archive documents.

S66

The indiscretions of a Warden (1937) Basil Henriques

Chapter eight contains information, mostly about the formation of the first tank companies in 1916 and Henriques first and only mounted action on 15^th September 1916.

S67

Armoured fighting Vehicles of the World. Volume 1. A.F.V. World War one (1998) Duncan Crow Et al

An excellent book packed full of very clear photographs .

S68

A New Excalibur (1988) AJ Smithers

S68a

A New Excalibur (1986) AJ Smithers

A larger size edition of S68, with more and larger pictures.

S69

How the War was Won (2005) Tim Travers

Good account of the last 18 months of the war.

S70

Swansea Pals (2004) Bernard Lewis

My local pals battalion, the book that sparked my interest in the Great War.

Included because two 11^th Battalion tanks supported the Swansea Pals on 8^th October 1918.

S71

Images of War. The German Army on the Western Front 1917 - 1918 (2007) David Bilton

Includes Several photos of tanks not found elsewhere.

S72

Tanks in the Great War (1919) Brevet Colonel JFC Fuller DSO

S73

Sturmpanzer A7V (2010) Rainer Strasheim and Max Hundleby

One of three excellent books which contain loads of superbly reproduced photographs.

S74

Beute-Tanks Vol 1 (2011) Rainer Strasheim

One of three excellent books which contain loads of superbly reproduced photographs.

S75

Beute-Tanks Vol 2 (2011) Rainer Strasheim

One of three excellent books which contain loads of superbly reproduced photographs.

S76

Passchendaele (1997) Martin Matrix Evans

Contains some large properly referenced photos

S77

Arras (2010) Peter Barton

S78

Tank Action in the Great War. B Battalion's experiences in 1917. (2009) Ian Verrinder.

An excellent through ally researched book.

Only partially referenced on this site so far.

S79

Men and Tanks ( ) JC Macintosh

S80

Mark IV vs A7V (2013) David R Higgins

Not yet referenced

S81

Fighting Vehicles (1972) Chris Ellis, Peter Chamberlain

S82

The Great Tanks (1975) Chris Ellis, Peter Chamberlain

S83

Great War Tank (2013) David Fletcher

Excellent book, lots of Photos, good technical information, the usual mistakes (e.g. 476 tanks at Cambrai)

S84

British infantryman versus German infantryman (2014) Stephen Bull

Tanks mentioned on two pages. (p62 and p63).

The illustration on pages 68 and 69 (drawn by the superb Peter Dennis) incorrectly shows a green MkIV tank in the background; the tank should be a MkI.

S85

The Somme 1916 and other experiences of the Salford Pals (2006) Michael Stedman

e-book with two useful tank photos.

S86

Medium Mark A Whippet (2014) David Fletcher

S87

Fighting tanks (1929) Ed G Murrey Wilson

Not yet referenced

S88

The fighting tanks since 1916 (1933) Ralph E. Jones, George H. Rarey, Robert J. Icks

S89 Michelin Guide:

Ypres and the Battle of Ypres

Four useful photos

S90

Michelin Guide: Battlefields of the Somme Vol 1

Not yet referenced

S91

Michelin guide; Battlefields of the Somme Vol 2

S92

VCs of the First World War, Cambrai 1917 (2004) Gerald Gliddon

S93

Forged By Fire, 7th Somerset Light Infantry (2003) Brendon Moorhouse

S94

Warpaint (2008) David Taylor Not yet referenced

S95

Veteran Volunteer (2014) Frank Vans Agnew

Memoirs of the commander of Mk IV, 2019, "Bandit"

S96

Mapping the First World War (2014) Peter Chasseaud

A couple of useful tank related items.

S97

Tank Battles of World War 1 (1984) Bryan Cooper

Not yet referenced

S98

War Stories of the tankers (2008)

Michael green (kindle edition) The first two accounts are from US tankers who fought with the 301st.

S99

The First Tank Crews (2016) Stephen Pope

A superb book thoroughly researched. As it traces the fates of the first tank crews it includes details of many actions during WW1.

Not yet referenced

S100

The Tanks (1959). Capt BH Liddell Hart

Not yet referenced

S101

1918 (2018) Richard van Emden

A few photographs of tanks not found elsewhere

S102

The Road to Passchendaele (2017) Richard van Emden

Some Photographs not found elsewhere and some good first hand accounts of tank's actions.

S103

The Battle of the Sambre: 4 November 1918 (2016) Derek Clayton

theses pdf download: https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/6799/9/Clayton16PhD.pdf

An excellent comprehensively researched account of this very neglected battle. also available as a book (2018)

S104

The Western Front 1917-1918 (2008) Andrew Wiest

Sources