THE TRACTOR TANK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24750, 29 October 1941, Page 6

THE TRACTOR TANK

GENERAL PUTTICk’S ftfcPORT

REPLY TO “CHEAP SNEERS” (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Qct. 28. “The report is certainly an answer to some of the superficial. ?ri,d‘ stupid criticism thrown about by-people who did not know theflratMhiiigiabout the business.” said the' -Minister erf ■ Nations*! Service, Mr Semple,- morning, commenting on the repofftpt?pared by the Chief of the General Staff.: Majorgeneral E. Puttick, on the Dominionbuilt tank. He was delighted with the report because it justified the efforts made, by Mr T. G. Beck. District Public Works engineer in Canterbury, and the men associated with him in the building of the three tanks. Mr Semple said, Mr Beck is a civil servant, and could'not reply to his critics, from whom he had to put up with many cheap sneers. “ That tank was an * honest, to God?’ effort to do something with the material at our disposal,” Mr Semple added, when raiders were at our back door. Instead of sitting down and moaning, we felt we ought to do something to manufacture the weapons that would* help to defend our country and our people. I was responsible for the suggestion, which was carried out by Mr Beck, in conjunction with Mr A. D. Todd, engineer, at the Public Works Department work'shops-at Temuka, and Mr A. J. Smith, overseer. The first tank was made at Tertiuka. and two more at the Addington Workshops, where Mr Hoare and his men did invaluable work.

“ For the sake of the men concerned, I am pleased with Major-general Puttick’s report,” the Minister added. “He put the tank,through an acid test, arid it came" out with flying colours. I agree with the general that, now that modem tanks with proper armoured steel are coming to hand, there is no need to make any more converted tractor tanks.”