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Topic: Abington Park Tank (Read 214 times)
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scrimnet
RootsChat Aristocrat
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Posts: 2430
No plan ever survives first contact...
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Ok all you old Northamptonians....A mystery...ish...
When I was a young child and playing in the park, I was always told that the mound, just up from he APH and in front of the bandstand hid a WW1 British Tank...
I have searched the web, and my books on the town...All I can find is a line drawing of one in the the book "Northamptonshire In The Great War 1914-1918" which states that "A British Tank which visited the Town to assist in raising War Loan" (sic) on page 214....
I have a posting on a WW1 forum in which somebody states that he thinks he can remember it being there in "the early 70s"
What happened? ?
There was a story that it was buried so the Jerries couldnt use it if they invaded, and there are also stories that some 400 were distributed around the country to serve as monuments...I have seen a pic of the one in Wisbeach.....
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behindthefrogs
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 3401
EDLIN
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Are you talking about the tree covered mound between the bandstand and the Wellingborough Road? Anything on or in that mound would have been prior to the second world war. If there is new mound between the bandstand the main gates by what used to be the APH then that was constructed after 1965.
Like you a lot of my childhood was spent in that park. What is missing with our youth today is the Sunday parade from the bandstand, past the museum and then down to the lakes. They talk about nothing to do today. Then, even the swings, slides and roundabouts were locked on a Sunday
David
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Living in Berkshire. Origin Northampton & Milton Keynes DETAILS OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES CAN BE FOUND IN SURNAME INTERESTS AT FOOT OF PAGE Wilson, Higgs, Buswell, PARCELL, Matthews, TAMKIN, Seckington, Pates, Williams, Webb, Arthur, MAYNARD, Caves, Norman, Winch, Culverhouse, Drakeley. Johnson, Routledge, SHIRT, SAICH, Mills, SAUNDERS, EDLIN, Perry, Vickers, Pakeman, Griffiths, Marston, Turner, Child, Sheen, Gray, Woolhouse Census Info is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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behindthefrogs
RootsChat Marquessate
Offline
Posts: 3401
EDLIN
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I suppose that they have stopped sledging down the hill from the tower as well. If you had a good sledge it was difficult to avoid the boating lake at the bottom of the slope. l wonder what the history of that tower was. It presumably was the remains of a church unless it was a folly. That half of the park was full of mysteries like the arch that stood by itself over towards Abington Park Crescent and the stories about the wood by the large lake.
I have a vague memory of the story about the tank but if it had been there after 1945 I am sure I would have been fascinated by it as a small boy.
Later my memory would have been blurred by the under age halves of cider purchased at the back door of the APH.
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Living in Berkshire. Origin Northampton & Milton Keynes DETAILS OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES CAN BE FOUND IN SURNAME INTERESTS AT FOOT OF PAGE Wilson, Higgs, Buswell, PARCELL, Matthews, TAMKIN, Seckington, Pates, Williams, Webb, Arthur, MAYNARD, Caves, Norman, Winch, Culverhouse, Drakeley. Johnson, Routledge, SHIRT, SAICH, Mills, SAUNDERS, EDLIN, Perry, Vickers, Pakeman, Griffiths, Marston, Turner, Child, Sheen, Gray, Woolhouse Census Info is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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scrimnet
RootsChat Aristocrat
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Posts: 2430
No plan ever survives first contact...
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It does seem a bit daft if it was buried as the local Home Guard could have made use of it...Either as a mobile unit or as a static sangar...
Ummm maybe thats why it was buried...Dug in for cammo reasons...
Time Team...That would be interesting!
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behindthefrogs
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 3401
EDLIN
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I am not sure that it was buried in the mound, although that is local folk law. I suspect it stood on the mound which was specially constructed to display it. If I remember the shape of the mound correctly it was sloped in a way which is consistent with driving a tank onto it. I have vague memories of climbing up it and running down the slope and also of being told by my parents that this was an inappropriate thing to do on a Sunday.
David
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Living in Berkshire. Origin Northampton & Milton Keynes DETAILS OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES CAN BE FOUND IN SURNAME INTERESTS AT FOOT OF PAGE Wilson, Higgs, Buswell, PARCELL, Matthews, TAMKIN, Seckington, Pates, Williams, Webb, Arthur, MAYNARD, Caves, Norman, Winch, Culverhouse, Drakeley. Johnson, Routledge, SHIRT, SAICH, Mills, SAUNDERS, EDLIN, Perry, Vickers, Pakeman, Griffiths, Marston, Turner, Child, Sheen, Gray, Woolhouse Census Info is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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