Tank Museum : Collection : Military Re-Breather

We have two 'latest Exhibit articles for you this month
See also The Oldest Churchill in the World

AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL

	There are times, rare enough it is true, when something happens that is so unexpected it gladdens an old historian's heart. And it happened again last week.
	*Tank Museum photo No. 1777/A/5*
	Anyone who knows anything about the heavy assault tank A20 will know that we do not know very much. Pictures like the one above existed, along with some very basic information, but one would always wish to know more.
	Photo courtesy Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
	Our first lucky break came when we discovered that the Folk and Transport Museum in Ulster housed the photographic records of Harland & Wolff, who built the tank and this included some of A20 in a near complete state, all of which helps. But early in December 2005 we had a scoop that changed everything, and it is an unusual story. Many years ago a gentleman working for the British Army intercepted some files that he believed had historic value that someone else had consigned to the waste bin. He kept them for years and then suddenly decided to send them to the Tank Museum although he remained anonymous and gave no address. Among them was a very detailed file on A20, some 30 pages of text and a mass of drawings.

	This is a scan of the main three-view drawing giving front, side and plan elevations and the detail, as you can see, is very good. Of course it has to be said that A20 was hardly an epoch making tank, although it did give rise to the Churchill, and not many people are likely to be interested in it but at the same time, as the British Tank Museum, we should have as much information on British tanks as possible and in that context this is a major find.
	So, to the anonymous gentleman who donated the document Thank You very much and to anyone wishing to learn more about A20 - you know where to come.

To view previous article(s) in this series, click here.