TV presenter backs the Tiger appeal

BBC history expert, Dan Snow, gave some fire-power to The Tank Museum’s appeal to get the world’s only functioning Tiger tank running again.

The dynamic presenter, who was at the Dorset-based museum filming The One Show, got behind the Tiger Appeal saying: “It’s so important to keep this incredible piece of military history moving and keep our fascination with WWII alive for future generations.”

The £40,000 Tiger Appeal was launched by The Tank Museum to restore to working order its Tiger 131. In 2004, The Museum’s workshop completed a massive initial restoration project to enable the tank to function exactly as it did under German control in WWII, making it the only surviving Tiger to be able to do so.

Usually the highlight of the annual Tankfest show, the Tiger has been retired from the track to save its deteriorating condition from becoming irreparable.

The Tiger tank in question is just one of just six examples left in the world. Captured in 1943 in Tunisia it was the first ever Tiger to fall into allied hands having escaped the Nazis’ rigorous destruction of their abandoned tanks.

As part of his filming Dan sat in the revered seat of a Tiger commander where he commented: “This is a remarkable piece of kit and demonstrates massive technological advances for the time. You can only imagine what our guys must have felt seeing this beast on the horizon.”

Nik Wyness, of The Tank Museum, said: “It’s great having someone as enthusiastic as Dan behind the Tiger Appeal. He’s well-known for making history accessible and entertaining for everyone and that’s exactly what we strive to do and we believe keeping the Tiger running is key to achieving that.”

Known as the home of the tank, The Tank Museum at Bovington houses almost 300 military vehicles many of which are the only surviving example of their kind.

To find out more about The Tank Museum or to support the Tiger appeal visit www.tankmuseum.org.

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PHOTO CAPTION: BBC’s One Show presenter and history expert Dan Snow with the Tiger 131 at The Tank Museum

For further information contact Nik Wyness, The Tank Museum, 01929 405096 ext 234, pr@tankmuseum.org