WHAT:
Tank
WHERE:
White Hart Hotel, Lincoln, LN1 3AR, UK
LOCATION:
WHEN:
1915
WHO:
Tritton, Rigby, Wilson
DETAILS:
The White Hart Hotel in Lincoln contains ’The Tank Room’ in which meetings were held during the summer of 1915 to discuss the concept of an armed and armoured land attack vehicle that was given the code name ’tank’ to hide its intended purpose. The word Tank then, simply meant a container for water, oil or industrial fluids. The meetings were primarily between William Ashbee Tritton the Managing Director of the Lincoln engineering company William Foster, his chief draughtsman William Rigby and Royal Naval Officer W.G.Wilson. From these meetings developed the basis for what was to be a completely new way of waging war on land. A self propelled vehicle capable of traversing the ravaged terrain of the Western Front using continuous linked tracks able to bridge trenches and craters whilst attacking the enemy positions with its own mounted guns. The very first tanks were made in Lincoln and although initially of little tactical impact the sight of unstoppable fighting machines changed the pace of warfare forever.
LINKS:




THIS SITE IN THE NEWS


TANK Plaque Unveiling, White Hart Hotel Lincoln – 9th September 11am
Lincoln City Centre was brought to a halt on the 9th of September 2025 as the White Hart Hotel became the focal point for the unveiling of two World Origin Site plaques to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the Invention of The Tank.
The Tank’s creators Tritton, Rigby and Wilson met in secret at the White Hart during September 1915 and came up with designs for the tracked fighting vehicle that would change the face and pace of warfare forever. The room is now known as The Tank Room.
TV Presenter and TT Racer Guy Martin unveiled the plaques and was reunited with Deborah II the replica WWI Tank built for his programme Guy Martin’s WWI Tank on Chanel 4. The event gained substantial local and national media coverage as well as being a great hit for children seeing a tank first hand during their morning school run.
