The museum conceived as part of the centenary commemorations for the tank Battle of Cambrai will open to the public on March 15, it’s been announced.
Deborah, the British Mark IV tank rediscovered by local historian Philippe Gorczynski after lying buried for decades, sits at the heart of the new Cambrai Tank 1917 Museum in the village of Flesquières, a wounded veteran of the first mass armoured assault in history.
The bare concrete walls have been designed to resemble those of a bunker on the Hindenburg Line, the formidable system of German defences attacked by more than 400 tanks in November 1917.
Deborah was moved to the purpose-built site in a complex operation last summer.
Displayed with her are objects belonging to the soldiers, airmen, and nurses who served in this part of Northern France during the First World War.
Cambrai Tank 1917 Museum was formally inaugurated during the November 2017 centenary events, at a ceremony attended by descendants of some of Deborah’s crew.
The site is next to CWGC Flesquières Hill British Cemetery, last resting place of the four crewmen who were killed when Deborah was knocked out on the first day of the Battle of Cambrai.
Read more about Deborah’s discovery, her move to the Cambrai Tank 1917 Museum, and sites associated with the Battle of Cambrai here. For information about admission and opening hours, see Cambrésis Tourisme.
Source: Nord Tourisme
Images © Cambrésis Tourisme
Posted by: CN Editorial Team