“Hello! I’m Julian and this is my friend Egbert...”

 We are all well aware by now of the terrible cost in human lives of war – but there is also a cost in pounds, shillings and pence. Guns and bombs have to be made and paid for. How does a government find the funds to finance a long and bloody war? It borrows of course.

During World War I the government instituted a War Savings scheme – people could either buy certificates or bonds, basically lending money to the government. Interest would be paid – a single certificate (launched in June 1916) cost just 15/6d (77.5p) but one pound would be repaid in five years, interest of 5.5% p.a. The idea was that everyone could contribute, no matter how little they had. The bonds were for people with more to invest.

 [This is a bit unusual to modern eyes – look in the top right hand corner! The swastika is an ancient religious symbol, used in many cultures.]

Obviously more was needed than just an announcement that the scheme was open. A heavy advertising campaign ran continuously, with weekly adverts in the local newspapers. But something more was needed, and the idea of a concentrated War Weapons Week was born. These took place in different towns at different times. The idea was to encourage everyone to invest every penny they could spare to help pay for the essential supplies that would ensure Victory. One advert (29/11/1918 – two weeks after the Armistice!) encouraged contributions with these words:

Feed the Guns with War Savings Certificates and help to end the War. Do not think that because Guns and Shells cost hundreds of pounds your savings are too small to count. One 15/6 War Savings Certificate would pay for 18 lbs. of High Explosive or 124 Machine Gun Cartridges. Three War Savings Certificates would pay for a round of our terrible 18-pounder Shrapnel

But even this idea of a concentrated campaign need a little extra something – how about a Tank?  

And so a couple of tanks (Julian and Egbert) were spared from the front line to tour round South Wales encouraging contributions. 

Anyone contributing at the tank would get a special souvenir stamp!

The War Weapons Week in Aberystwyth ran from 8th to 13th July 1918. The plan was that each town would have a ‘quota’ to raise - £2/10/0 a head – and, if the quota was reached, then a gun, plane or tank could be named ‘Aberystwyth’. In the case of Aberystwyth this meant a target of £22,500. Could it be done?

Well, perhaps with the aid of a Tank to attract the crowds it might just be possible. So Julian duly arrived in town (by train) on Monday 8th July. He (not she) came with a crew of three and an officer in charge, all recuperating from wounds. Julian then drove through the streets (no evidence is noted of any damage caused!) and ended up on North Parade, where he tackled piles of earth, stone and barbed wire. He spent several days in town, encouraging investors to dig deep into their pockets.

Julian was a ‘male’ tank – which meant that it carried a six-pounder cannon and three  machine guns, as opposed to the five machine guns of a ‘female’ tank. To quote the Cambrian News “It is a real tank returned from the Western Front, and showing signs of having been in action.”

Julian was commanded by Lt. Latch D.S.O.:

People even composed poems:

Tank Julian came to Aberystwyth 

The great War Loan to assist with 

The men of the town 

Planked all their bunce down 

To combat the Hun's mailed fist with.

But why “Julian”? According to the Carmarthen Weekly Reporter “Julian, the tank, is named after Sir Julian Byng, and not after the Roman Emperor of that name.” General Sir Julian Byng was commander of the Canadian Corps at the battle of Vimy Ridge. He was later Governor-General of Canada and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and became a viscount and Field Marshall.

Was Julian successful? Did Aberystwyth meet its target of £22,500. I think it’s fair to say it did. £682, 448 was raised during the week. £76 per head, and it was the highest amount raised per head anywhere in the Empire (with the possible exception of Singapore). So much for the tales of Cardis being ‘careful’ with their money! And were the Huns later terrified to see a tank called ‘Aberystwyth’ rolling towards them, guns blazing? We don’t know, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that any tank was ever named ‘Aberystwyth’. Presumably the war ended before it could happen.

And the Savings Certificates? Over £207 million was raised from them. After the war they continued to be issued (debts needed to be repaid), but were renamed to the more familiar National Savings certificates.  And they were so useful:

Blog by Nigel Callaghan, Project Volunteer

Source: Cambrian News