Main content

Horace Leslie Birks interview

The tank was a supposed miracle weapon intended to overcome the advantages of the German defences. However, as tank commander Horace Birks describes, they did not have the desired impact in the first two years of service; indeed they arguably posed more of a danger to their crews than the enemy. Only at the battle of Cambrai in November 1917 did their potential really become evident, and they were to play a decisive role in the defeat of Germany in 1918.

Release date:

Duration:

6 minutes

More clips from I Was There: The Great War Interviews - Learning Zone