British Army Mk. IV tank, D51 'Deborah II', replica
Deborah II at Armourfest 2022 at the Norfolk Tank Museum.
D51 Deborah II is a reproduction of the original Mk. IV tank D51 Deborah, also known as 'Mr. Heaps Bus' which was knocked out of action after receiving five direct hits from German field guns at the Battle of Cambrai on 20th. November 1917.
Deborah was a Mk. IV female tank. The female tank weighed 26 tons and was fitted with five Lewis machine guns, the male tank weighed 28 tons and was fitted with 2 x quick fire 6 pounder (57 mm) short barrel guns and 3 x Lewis machine guns which.
At the battle, Deborah was part of 12 Section, 12th. Company, D Battalion, Tank Corp that was in the second wave of the attack, tasked with attacking the Hindenburg Support line west of the village Flesquieres,
Commanded by 2nd. Lt. Frank Heap, she entered the village firing into the ruins to suppress the defenders. As she left the shelter of the village she was hit by enemy artillery rounds that killed:
40342, 1st. Driver L/Corp. George Charles Foot, DCM, aged 20.
75257, Gunner William Galway, aged 25.
92960, Gunner Joseph Cheverton, aged 20.
110380, Gunner Frederick William Tipping, aged 36.
94838, Private Walter Ggeorge Robinson, aged 19.
These men are buried together in the CWGC Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery on the outskirts of the village.
Frank Heap and the two remaining crew members, Private David Bertram Marsden and an unknown soldier were able to retire back to British lines. Frank Heap was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for his gallant actions, the citation speaks for itself:
“In Cambrai operations near Flesquieres on November 20th. 1917, he fought his tank with great gallantry and skill, leading the infantry on to five objectives. He proceeded through the village and engaged a battery of enemy field guns from which his tank received five direct hits, killing four (now known to be five) of his crew. Although then behind the German lines he collected the remainder of his crew and conducted them in good order back to our own lines in spite of heavy machine gun and snipers fire”.
D51 Deborah was not discovered until the next day, when the Scottish infantry found it. Then, under the direction of Major Wenger, it was moved 900 yards (825 m) by being pulled by other tanks to a hole, dug previous to the battle by German soldiers to establish a concrete bunker, and buried.
After more than six years research to find the position of Deborah excavation began on 5th. November 1998 and by 20th. November, the 81st. anniversary of the battle, the tank was fully exposed. It has been preserved to become the centre piece of a monument and museum to commemorate the battle.
British Army Mk. IV tank, D51 'Deborah II', replica
Deborah II at Armourfest 2022 at the Norfolk Tank Museum.
D51 Deborah II is a reproduction of the original Mk. IV tank D51 Deborah, also known as 'Mr. Heaps Bus' which was knocked out of action after receiving five direct hits from German field guns at the Battle of Cambrai on 20th. November 1917.
Deborah was a Mk. IV female tank. The female tank weighed 26 tons and was fitted with five Lewis machine guns, the male tank weighed 28 tons and was fitted with 2 x quick fire 6 pounder (57 mm) short barrel guns and 3 x Lewis machine guns which.
At the battle, Deborah was part of 12 Section, 12th. Company, D Battalion, Tank Corp that was in the second wave of the attack, tasked with attacking the Hindenburg Support line west of the village Flesquieres,
Commanded by 2nd. Lt. Frank Heap, she entered the village firing into the ruins to suppress the defenders. As she left the shelter of the village she was hit by enemy artillery rounds that killed:
40342, 1st. Driver L/Corp. George Charles Foot, DCM, aged 20.
75257, Gunner William Galway, aged 25.
92960, Gunner Joseph Cheverton, aged 20.
110380, Gunner Frederick William Tipping, aged 36.
94838, Private Walter Ggeorge Robinson, aged 19.
These men are buried together in the CWGC Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery on the outskirts of the village.
Frank Heap and the two remaining crew members, Private David Bertram Marsden and an unknown soldier were able to retire back to British lines. Frank Heap was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for his gallant actions, the citation speaks for itself:
“In Cambrai operations near Flesquieres on November 20th. 1917, he fought his tank with great gallantry and skill, leading the infantry on to five objectives. He proceeded through the village and engaged a battery of enemy field guns from which his tank received five direct hits, killing four (now known to be five) of his crew. Although then behind the German lines he collected the remainder of his crew and conducted them in good order back to our own lines in spite of heavy machine gun and snipers fire”.
D51 Deborah was not discovered until the next day, when the Scottish infantry found it. Then, under the direction of Major Wenger, it was moved 900 yards (825 m) by being pulled by other tanks to a hole, dug previous to the battle by German soldiers to establish a concrete bunker, and buried.
After more than six years research to find the position of Deborah excavation began on 5th. November 1998 and by 20th. November, the 81st. anniversary of the battle, the tank was fully exposed. It has been preserved to become the centre piece of a monument and museum to commemorate the battle.