Reference Photos "Grit"

[Stephen White]

Mike Cecil, who has been helping me with the Cent build, has been watching the various discussions on the Mk IV rear armour array. As a former senior member of staff of the Australian War Memorial and author, Mike has very relevant expertise and as a "Friend of Armortek" has asked me to post on his behalf. Here goes:

This image is of the rear of Build Number 4643 ‘Grit’, taken at AWM a couple of weeks ago. This vehicle was straight from the factory (Coventry Ordnance): no ‘field mods’ were done before it was exported to Australia in mid-1918 and has the fuel tank and rear plate armour and short exhaust pipe:




The modification must have been a production standard by the time 4643 was built in 1918.

Looking at Chris' suggestion that it was a field mod, Mike suggests that the mod could have both been incorporated in production for new build MkIVs from a certain date and modified in the field by the issue of a Mod Kit for tanks already in service. That would explain (1) the absence on the example quoted in Chris' post that is without the mod: a training tank already on issue hence it didn’t need to have it fitted and (2) the images he quotes in 1918 all having the mod/rear armour fitted: possibly a mix of new build and field-modified tanks. Only an analysis of build numbers with and without the rear armour would add weight to this discussion, unless a dated ‘change notice’ is located.

These are earlier photos taken in 1996 during conservation work, with Mike's captions:



General rear view, with the rear access hatch open. The Mark IV had the fuel tank in an armoured cover mounted low at the rear of the tank. The handle visible to the left of the open door is on the armoured cover that allows access to the fuel tank filling port.



The side doors located below the sponson on the right side, in the open position.





To facilitate access during conservation work, the left sponson was removed. The six-cylinder Daimler engine can be seen with the side covers partially removed. The three exhaust stacks leading to the exhaust pipe on the roof have large-diameter shrouds. Originally, the space between the exhaust and the outer shroud was packed with asbestos.

Mike has also sent some interior shots which I'm happy to post if anyone's interested. I'll post separately something on Mike's forthcoming book on early Australian Armour.

Now we just need a sponsor to get us to Canberrra to see Grit in the flesh.

Happy building

Stephen

[Chris Hall]

Stephen (and Mike) -

Thanks for posting this - it really is excellent stuff.

I'd simplistically assumed that 'Grit' had been taken back to Australia at the end of the War, so it's interesting to find out that she was shipped out directly from the manufacturer, and therefore (presumably) saw no active service. The suggestion that the rear armour was mass-produced in kit form and then shipped to France for installation on earlier builds has a lot of merit, and would explain why all the pictures I have look the same ! Mike's suggestion that they were incorporated into the standard build from some point in 1918 is also reasonable although, by then, I believe production was winding down in favour of the Mk. V and the Whippet (Medium A). The actual events are now probably lost in the ether, but it's good to speculate on and debate such issues again after almost 100 years.

My build is 4571, which is from the same contract as 'Grit' with Coventry Ironworks but, presumably, completed first (especially as she was in action, and captured, on 21 March 1918). I am, though, both pleased and relieved to see those radiator louvres pointing downwards !

Appreciatively,

Chris

[Steve Stuart]

Thank you Stephen, and also Mike, for very useful, clear photos, especially the first, which give a precise insight into what is going on. Apart from the sense that each Tank is almost unique in its fine detail, bolts rivets etc.
Now does Mike have any photos on the exhaust system? Or could we be pushing our luck!
Given the height of the Tank it is very difficult getting photos of the top of the Tank.
Thanks again, Steve