Advancing across No Man's land

In 1915 Winston Churchill sponsored a committee to investigate the potential of constructing a new military weapon now known as the tank. The following year saw the first tank used in action at Delville Wood, by Captain Mortimore, and shortly afterwards thirty-six led the way in an attack at Flers. Although the assault was itself successful (the sudden appearance of the new weapon stunned their German opponents), these early tanks proved notoriously unreliable. Like the old cavalry regiments, infantry support was of a necessity, due to the fragile temperament of the early machines. This painting, by a Sergeant in the English army, is a fascinating insight of their use in the First World War.