View Single Post
  #1  
Old 09-04-23, 10:37
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,450
Default "The Tank" at Poelcapelle and Westkapelle

I came across this photo of the Mk IV tank "D29 DAMON II" taken in 1923 at Poelcapelle, Belgium. Five years after WW1, the town of Poelcapelle - which was totally flattened during WW1 - was rebuilt, while the spoils of war were left to deal with later.

The similarity with Westkapelle (other than the "-kapelle" (chapel) part in the name of the towns) is that the people first rebuilt their homes, and bothered about cleaning up the wreckage later. D29 at Poelcapelle was dug up in 1923 and set up as a memorial as "The Tank", just like Sherman V T-148656 at Westkapelle. Sadly, D29 was scrapped in 1941 by the German occupation forces. Gladly, Sherman V T-148656 still survives to this day.

Read more at https://www.tankpoelcapelle.be/en/Cafetheswan

1917, nothing left of the town:
Click image for larger version

Name:	page1image8568_0.jpg
Views:	0
Size:	179.8 KB
ID:	133371


1923, shortly before it was dug up:
Click image for larger version

Name:	339296008_776339733906355_7807420058962774206_n.jpg
Views:	0
Size:	303.1 KB
ID:	133368 Click image for larger version

Name:	340383308_891284868618532_7556139574833549840_n.jpg
Views:	0
Size:	242.4 KB
ID:	133369


1940/1941 - shortly before it was scrapped:
Click image for larger version

Name:	British Tank in the square at Poelcapelle OK.jpg
Views:	0
Size:	53.2 KB
ID:	133370
Reply With Quote