Tanks for the memories
- jarmansmith1
- Jun 30, 2021
- 1 min read
Last year to commemorate WWII and the 75 years since VE Day there was a replica Spitfire plane on display at the Gynn roundabout Blackpool, outside the South Lea hotel. But this hasn't been the only military vehicle that has made its way to Gynn Square over the years...
A century ago, in the 1920s, saw a tank displayed near the seafront on the Blackpool promenade by the North Shore Sunken Gardens (now Jubilee Gardens, opposite the Savoy Hotel, Gynn Square tramstop).
Tank number 275 ( a late production "Mark IV female") arrived in 1920 and stayed for nine years. Some say it was an old training tank from Bovington, whilst other reports say it was one of 264 old war WWI tanks that were donated to towns by the War Office.
Prior to this, in 1918, another tank called "Julian" had been to Blackpool - as a "tank bank" to raise government funds for the war, and had been at Talbot Square in Blackpool from 18th-23rd February raising over £1M in donations!
Since "Julian" had been so popular, Tank 275 was accepted by the council in 1919. It is not known where Tank 275 was originally built but likely to have been Birmingham or Glasgow (where Julian came from).
Rumour has it that when Tank 275 was scrapped in 1929, it was dragged to the nearby larger Gynn Gardens and lies buried beneath...
Credits and thanks to:
brianmorris547
.
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