Tank Museum tank in WW1 Film Epic ‘1917’

The new film 1917, written and directed by Sir Sam Mendes and released today, features The Tank Museum’s WW1 Mark II Tank.

The Mark II was scanned for digital inclusion in the war epic. This tank now joins the lengthening list of vehicles in the The Tank Museum’s collection that have been used in films.

In a recent interview, Mendes said “The First World War starts with horses and carriages, and ends with tanks.

“So it’s the moment where you could argue modern war begins”.

Sam Mendes has previous experience of WW1 tanks at The Tank Museum when he brought the cast of the Donmar Theatre’s Production of ‘To the Green Fields and Beyond’ to the Museum in 2000 to experience the true confines of a WW1 tank.

The Tank Museum’s Curator David Willey said “The ongoing success of film production in Britain is centred on the outstanding Directors and Technicians based here – but also on the UK’s amazing heritage that can support the industry.

“The Tank Museum has been and will continue to be an outstanding resource for filmmakers. We are delighted to be able to assist the makers of 1917”.

See The Tank Museum’s Mark II tank on display in the Museum’s Tank Story Hall.