Astonishing survival tale of British WW1 tank crew battered by German gunfire for THREE DAYS before crawling to safety across No-Man’s Land
Sergeant Robert Missen's account of his heroism uncovered in Tank Museum archive
A BRITISH World War One tank crew endured three days under fire after getting stuck in No Man’s Land in an astonishing tale of survival that has only now emerged.
The nine Tommies faced German machine gun fire, snipers, grenades and heavy artillery attacks.
And they were also caught up in fire from their own side.
But eight of them prevailed - surviving the onslaught and crawling back to British lines.
The heroes fought to ensure that the Germans would not benefit by getting their hands on one of the tanks.
They were all given gallantry medals and as a result became the most decorated tank crew of the war.
The Mark IV tank, named Fray Bentos as its captain was a grocer with the licence to sell the famous tinned meat before the war, remained stranded in a bomb crater on the battlefield at Passchendaele afterwards.
The incredible story can now be told after historians at the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, uncovered one of the crew's written account of the action in its archives.
They also found Sergeant Robert Missen's personal effects including his uniform and Bible, which have gone on display at the museum.
Fray Bentos was called into action during the Third Battle of Ypres on August 22, 1917.
On board were Captain Donald Richardson, Second Lieutenant George Hill, Sgt Missen and Gunners William Morrey, Ernest Hayton, Frederick Arthurs, Percy Budd, James Binley and Ernest Braedy.
But it soon became stuck in a crater, where they were pinned down by enemy fire as they got out of the vehicle.
In his account Sgt Missen wrote: "I got out of right door but I heard bullets hitting the tank and saw some Boche about 30 yds off firing at me, I got in again.
"We kept on firing and killed several Boche close to the tank, we expected the infantry to come up any time."
Over the next 60 hours Germans attempted to reach the tank but were repelled.
An enemy soldier even climbed on top and dropped a grenade inside but it was thrown back out before it exploded.
Seven of eight surviving crew were all injured in the exchanges.
They survived by crawling back to British lines one after each other.
David Willey, curator of the Tank Museum, said: "You cannot help but be taken aback by the tale of Fray Bentos.”
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