Selected by Frances Pattman, Archivist

Today’s selection consists of a publicity card dropped on Newcastle upon Tyne in the last week of 1917 urging the public to buy war bonds from Julian Tank, and two photographs, one showing the Newcastle crowd waiting for Julian in the snow and another of his visit to Liverpool. Six tanks toured the country for over a year as part of a national fundraising campaign. The campaign attracted a lot of attention and drew large crowds especially to the civic ceremonies organised to welcome the tanks with speakers, parades and bands.

These items from the papers of L E Wilson show the extraordinary strength of public support for the war effort even in the latter stages of the war. According to The Times the people of Newcastle raised £2,374,924 in 5 days while Julian was there. Reading newspaper articles about the campaign, it is clear that it quickly turned into a competition between towns and cities across the country as to which one could raise the most money. 

Ref: Wilson 2 & 3

www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma/collection/w/wi61-001