The tank trials held at Hatfield Park were vital to the war effort. The first one took place on 29th January 1916 and the second one a few days later on 2nd February. A couple of days after this a private demonstration of the trials was organised for the King, Lord Kitchener and David Lloyd George.
A mock battlefield had been laid out with trenches and shell holes of various sizes.
Following these trials, the tanks took part in the Battle of the Somme.
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My brother and sister and I, regularly played in this tank from 1960-1968 and I think the armament had been taken out by then as I don’t remember playing with any guns. The tank has been restored and now resides at the Bovington Tank Museum, nr Weymouth and I’ve said “hello” to it a few times over the years!
I distinctly remember visiting Hatfield House on a school trip in 1951 and, in the grounds, our party coming across a WW1 tank left in a field. It was definitely a ‘male’ as I remember one or two boys being reprimanded by the teacher for swinging on one of its guns.