Mephisto Returning to Brisbane

[AWP]

I did not know that the last German A7V tank of WWI exists in Australia. This is pretty remarkable.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/mephisto-coming-home-to-brisbane-20140312-34mmi.html

Mephisto will return to the Queensland Museum as a special $7.6 million dollar exhibition of World War I to mark the centenary of Anzac Day in 2015.
Glen Elmes, the Minister Assisting the Premier on the Centenary of Anzac, explained how Mephisto was captured by the Queenslanders.
"Enoggera's 26th Battalion, under the command of Major J.A Robinson, were responsible for holding the front line at Villers-Bretonneux," he said.
"Robinson decided that the recovery of the disabled Mephisto would make a fitting memorial to 1200 Australians lost at Villers-Bretonneux.
"On the 22nd of July 1918, a daring recovery party comprised of Queensland men from the 26th Battalion towed Mephisto back behind the Australian trenches."

 

[pardus]

That really is quite fascinating.


"The design of the A7V featured on the tank badge of 1921, awarded to commemorate service in the German Panzer forces of 1918."

"It shows an A7V in combat and was awarded to 99 former members of the chariot departments that were involved in at least three front inserts or were wounded during a mission."
Turns out that New Zealand captured two A7V's "Hagen" and "Schunck". Schunck was allocated to NZ as a war trophy, but being wise and thinking of the future, sent it off for disposal because it was too expensive and difficult to send it back to NZ :wall:
Interestingly Hagen was given to the Imperial War Museum who scrapped it in 1922 because they didn't have room for it anymore! :wall:


They kept the cannon...



Hagen and Schunck...





New Zealand WWI war trophies link, quite interesting if you're into this kind of thing.

 

[pardus]

Mephisto in German hands...



And after the crims got a hold of her...

 

[pardus]

 

[Kraut783]

I have always been fascinated by tanks and armored vehicles of WWI....thanks for the post and link!

 

[RackMaster]

Wish I could see it.