April 24, 2015 3.54 pm This story is over 107 months old

Group celebrate arrival of 5 tonne Lincoln tank memorial

Tank arrives: Lincoln’s first tank memorial is taking shape with the arrival of the 4.8 tonne steel creation.

A four year project to install a memorial to Lincoln’s role in the creation of the tank began to take shape today with the arrival of the 4.8 tonne corten steel structure.

The £75,000 memorial celebrates the 100th anniversary of William Foster & Co Ltd’s work to create the first tank prototype.

The structure arrived at the roundabout on Tritton Road on Friday, April 24.

(L-R) Joe and Julie Cooke of the Lincoln Tank Memorial Group, and Allen Wilds, Managing Director of Rilmac.

(L-R) Joe and Julie Cooke of the Lincoln Tank Memorial Group, and Allen Wilds, Managing Director of Rilmac.

The memorial will be unveiled on May 10, and will include figures of the developers, designers and manufacturers.

As previously reported, Willmott Dixon donated £15,000 worth of labour. Lincoln-based firm Rilmac Fabrication were contracted to manufacture the structure.

On his previous visit to Lincoln Chancellor George Osborne promised £15,000 towards the project.

Lincoln Tank Memorial Group Chairman Joe Cooke said: “It’s been a long time coming. It’s taken us a good four years to get where we are.

“We have had so many people getting on board, we’ve had Globe Consultants, Rilmac, and Willmott Dixon doing the groundwork, and when it’s finished it’s going to look absolutely fabulous.

“The figures are going to be arriving next week and then they will put in the signage, ‘Lincoln birthplace of the tank’, and then there will be shrubs put in front of it.

“We’re hoping there will then be a pathway put in so that people can visit the memorial, read the plaques and have their pictures taken with it.”