March 18, 2015

Finest Hour 160, Autumn 2013

Page 50

A NATIONAL HISTORY DAY PROJECT BY WESTON STORES

When an eighth grade student at sartartia Middle School in Sugar Land, Texas, approached us with questions pertaining to his project, we did not anticipate how comprehensive it would be, and how illuminating the result, which we are now pleased to share with readers.


For National History Day, the annual academic program focused on historical research for 6th to 12th grade students, I chose to consider Winston Churchill and his efforts to implement the tank in World War I. The Churchill Centre website was of great assistance. I then wrote the editor of Finest Hour, who answered some questions and directed me to Marcus Frost here in Texas, who provided significant information and even loaned me books on the subject, which he consulted in his own article on Churchill and the Tank in Finest Hour 135.

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My project took the form of several illustrated panels. The most challenging task was condensing the entire exhibit to 500 words, the maximum allowed by the rules. I quoted both Messrs. Langworth and Frost, without whose information, and the sources they provided, I could not have achieved this level of thoroughness and accuracy. I am grateful for all this assistance. The Churchill Centre really made this topic more interesting than I ever thought it would be. —W.S.

Research Questions

We often receive questions from students working on National History Day projects, but not often do we find them so specific and penetrating as Weston’s. We thought readers would like to read them, together with our answers. —Ed.

1. What was Churchill’s role at the Ministry of Munitions?

• Churchill was Minister of Munitions from 17 July 1917 to 9 January 1919. His chief role was to make sure the Allied armies in Europe had a sufficient supply of shells in the crucial final months of World War I. Incidentally, after his many visits to munitions factories, which were heavily staffed with devoted women workers, he revised his earlier doubts about votes for women, and he supported women’s suffrage when it was enacted in Britain in 1918.

2. Do you have any information about Churchill’s formation of the Landship Committee, its members and its role? I believe that his commanding of troops in the trenches in 1916 gave him the inspiration to find a way to end the trench warfare deadlock, and eventually the war. Can you also direct me to any material involving the tank before the war?

• Churchill formed the Landships Committee at the Admiralty before he served in the trenches in 1916. However, he had considerable previous military experience as a young officer in India, the Sudan and South Africa from 1897 through 1901. Please see the attached copy of Finest Hour 135, and the two articles on Churchill and the Tank, starting on pages 42 and 45. I am copying Marcus Frost, who wrote the second article —not only because he may have further advice for you but because he lives in Texas! I know he will assist.

3. Did any persons or organizations attempt to thwart Churchill’s tank plans or ideas? If so were they successful?

• As you will read in these articles, there was considerable doubt about the practicality of Churchill’s idea for what were then called “land caterpillars.” These machines did, however, prove effective when used late in the war. Although Churchill did not “invent” the tank, he was by far the most significant supporter of its development during World War I.

4. Was there any prohibition to Churchill’s expenditures on the Landship Committee? Did he have to go to any extremes to provide funding for the organization or the industry of the tanks?

• I am not an expert but I think Mr. Frost will be able to comment on this. There is always bureaucratic resistance to new ideas. Remember that Churchill was out of office after 1915, having been forced to resign from the Admiralty by the disasters at the Dardanelles and Gallipoli—and not back until appointed to the Munitions Ministry in 1917. His main effort before then was to set up the Committee and appoint the right people, such as Albert Stern, to keep pushing the idea (see in particular Finest Hour 135, page 43).

5. What was the period of time spanning from the first prototype Mark I to the end of the war?

• A prototype named “Little Willie” was running by the summer of 1915—over three years before the war ended in November 1918.

6. What were the total British casualties of the war?

• British military killed 996,000, wounded 2,863,000. For full details search any encyclopedia or the online Wikipedia for World War I casualties.

7.  Do you have photos of Churchill in 1914-18?

• Go to Google Images and search for “Churchill World War I”—you will find many images, many of which are copyright-free, particularly for educational projects.

8.  Do you have any sources crediting Churchill with the idea, creation and/or invention of the tank?

• The two articles Finest Hour 135 are heavily footnoted. Review the sources referenced in the endnotes on pages 44 and 49.

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