Wars are expensive and the Great War of 1914 to 1918 was no exception. The government had to take exceptional measures to raise money as the Treasury was depleted. Lloyd George took us off the Gold Standard and printed £300million of banknotes (about £25billion at today's values). Quantitative easing is not as new as many think! But further methods of financing the war were needed.
In April 1916 National War Savings Committees were set up for England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. They promoted the formation of local associations, which took responsibility for encouraging savings activities in their community. Within a year, thousands were in operation. Barlick was no exception and the initiative was very successful. So we will shortly celebrate the centenary of this initiative. However, we have lost the most obvious reminder of this collective effort, that's right, the Letcliffe Tank.
In 1919 the War office was deciding what to do with 265 war-battered tanks when they returned home. In the end they gave them to the National War Savings Committee for presentation to towns of over 10,000 inhabitants who could claim 'conspicuous achievements' in buying war bonds and savings certificates. Barlick qualified and this is how we got our tank. I'm not quite sure when it arrived, most likely late 1919 or early in 1920. It was delivered by rail and I have seen a picture of it emerging from the end of Station Road on its way up to Letcliffe under its own power belching smoke and surrounded by crowds of Barlickers. It must have been driven up Manchester Road and along the lane at Higher Letcliffe before turning across what was then the golf course, driving through a gap in the wall and onto a plinth that had been prepared for it. Once in place, the attendant soldiers were instructed by the War Office to immobilize the tank “by removing a portion of the machinery by which it is driven and also the wedges (breech blocks) from the guns”. No reason was given for this but it seems quite obvious that they were making sure the lads couldn't use the tank for any private enterprise revolutionary activities. The tank remained in the park until around 1936 when it was cut up for scrap. The plinth survives but now holds the view point marker.
There were other awards. Barlick was given at least two plaques recording the savings effort and at one time they were on display in the Council Offices on Jepp Hill. When the offices were closed they vanished from sight and despite the best efforts of some of my friends, cannot be found. So I have a request, could anyone who has any knowledge of their present location contact David Whipp or any of the town centre volunteers. They would love to know if they still exist and if possible we want to get them on public display again. We have lost the tank but it would be nice to have something to mark the centenary.
The tank on the plinth in Letcliffe Park.
