Welcome to Thursday Doors, a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).
Last week, I wrote about my visit to the South African Military Museum and shared pictures of the aeroplanes I saw there. This week, I am sharing pictures of the tanks. They are amazing and so huge! Best of all, they all have doors.
“Tanks, which used to be objects of ridicule, have become a major weapon. They come rolling forward in a long line, heavily armoured, and they embody the horror of war for us more than anything else.
We cannot see the gun batteries that are bombarding us, and the oncoming waves of enemy attackers are human beings just like we are – but tanks are machines, and their caterpillar tracks run on as endlessly as the war itself. They spell out annihilation when they roll without feeling into the shell holes and then climb out again, inexorably, a fleet of roaring, fire-spitting ironclads, invulnerable steel beasts that crush the dead and wounded.”
From All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.
You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2021/11/04/st-scholastica-doors/
roberta-writes.com 
Fascinating! The size of that tire your hubby is standing next to really puts these giants into perspective. Thank you for sharing, Robbie!
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Hi Jan, yes, that picture does give perspective which is why I took it. Imagining a field covered with these lumbering towards you is quite scary.
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you, Michael.
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Thank you for the interesting journey through the history of South-African military vehicles. As i had heard, in future will get much more better things delivered by Germany’s weaponery industries. Have a nice weekend! xx Michael
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Hi Michael, the Germans are very clever people. Look at their cars and other machines. It would be better if the focus was on more productive machines than tanks though.
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I fully agree with you, Robbie! Our German cars will no longer be famous, after they are not very climate-friendly. Maybe they will invent something new. Lets hope with the plug off of our nuclear plant at the end of this years we will nonetheless have enough energy. xx Michael
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Thanks for sharing these insights, Robbie! Have you ever been in one of them? 😉 I remember the headache till today, i got by using the door. Lol I think your husband would have get difficulties finding a good place inside.
Have a beautiful weekend! xx Michael
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Hi Michael, I have climbed inside an old tank. Not to bad for me as I am relatively small. British men were generally shorter during WW1 as they didn’t have good diets.
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Wouldn’t it be nice if all the tanks in the world were locked in museums!
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It sure would!
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Yes, it would be great if mankind could channel its collective innovation in more positive ways. Thanks for visiting.
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What a cool choice for doors, Robbie. Unexpected and so fun, despite the serious subject. Hugs on the wing.
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Hi Teagan, I enjoy military museums and it is helpful for my book research to see the real machines.
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I’m sure seeing them really is helpful. Just the photos help me, but to actually experience the size, the materials. Yes, that would be inspiring. Cheers.
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I love visiting museums like that! Thanks for the pictures.
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I pleased to know that, Andrew. I love military museums.
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I enjoy military museums, but thanks for adding the poignant quote to help put these machines of war in perspective. The collection is interesting, lots of purpose built vehicles. Thanks for posing your husband for comparison.
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Hi Dan, I am pleased you found these pictures interesting. These great war machines are rather intimidating with there enormous size.
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It’s weird… I can see guns and they give me pause but looking at the photos of the tanks do not affect me the same way. They are pretty amazing in their sizes and I would bet rather uncomfortable to ride inside.
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What fun. I love tanks.
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I’m pleased to know that.
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Those are some big wheels. They always make me think of old science fiction stories of alien invasions, but of course in this case we have become the aliens. (K)
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Yes, that is a good description. Like the aliens in War of the Worlds.
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Sounds like he is describing the Terminator Robots!
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Yes, I suppose at the time, these were like Terminator robots. The soldiers had never seen anything like it.
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I didn’t comprehend how big the tanks are until the photo with your husband standing by one of them. Amazing and intimidating.
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Yes, they are rather amazing feats of design.
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Fascinating, Robbie! Personally, I find tanks terrifying. And a British invention – isn’t that wonderful! (I would rather we had invented fluffy bunnies, or ) – but there is a bit about our tank museum here, if anyone’s interested – https://bitaboutbritain.com/tank/
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ – ‘Im Westen nichts Neues’ (nothing new in the west) is a fabulous, poignant, read as well.
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Thank you, Mike. I am currently reading your book ‘A Bit About Britain’s High Days and Holidays’ and finding it fascinating. I enjoy books about war a great deal and write about war too. I think Douglas Haig was a butcher during WW1, but I suppose the evolution of war to something far more mechanized was unexpected and the leaders just couldn’t shift their mindsets. It’s a good thing the British and French had tanks or we might all be speaking German now.
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Impressive and deadly. I don’t think I’ve seen a tank ‘up close and personal’ like that.
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Ah, so you never visited the British Tank Museum Mike mentioned. I do rather like historical machines, and modern ones too.
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So far as I can remember, the only transport-related museum I’ve visited in the UK is the National Railway Museum!
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I haven’t been to that one, Chris. We are looking to do our cancelled 2020 trip to the UK in April next year. I want to go to Glastonbury, Bath and London.
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Ah, the Railway Museum is up in York, the city where I grew up. Only 2 hours by train! Lots of history though – if I was still there I’d do you the whole tour guide bit 🙂
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What an innovative take on doors, Robbie. My brother and I visited the Studebaker museum in Indiana a few years ago, and it surprised me how much WWI equipment they produced. In fact, that’s what they were known for. I wonder if any of the tanks you saw were Studebakers. I’m not a real fan of war machines. I didn’t even like Hummers when they came out because they looked so mean. We have been blessed in the United States not to see those coming at us. Thanks for a very interesting post. 🙂
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HI Marsha, I am glad these pictures interested you. I don’t recall the name Studebakers on any of the commentary boards. Some of these were locally made during the Angolan war. The USA was spared tanks but still suffered many shortages and much loss of life.
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That is so true, and as Cee and I discussed, PTSD as well. I’m still reading through the book you recommended. I think I remember reading it before, but it is a good reminder that we are not the first generation that has suffered with PTSD.
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No, PTSD has always existed, but has gone unrecognised especially during those periods of history when suppression of emotion was considered manly.
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Yes, that’s why I am enjoying that book you recommended so much. My friend Elane, who was a child Holocaust survivor told the school children she spoke to that her children didn’t know as much about her experiences as the students did.
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tanks and doors – what a combination. great excerpt from All Quiet on the Estern Front…
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Thanks, Jim, I’m glad you enjoyed these pictures.
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👍
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Fascinating photos, Robbie, and a clever response to the doors prompt. If only wars ceased to exist…Love that photo of Terence and the tire, too. Thanks for sharing!
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My pleasure, Lauren, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I finished your lovey book last night and will be writing my review soon.
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Thank you, Robbie. That’s wonderful to know and I look forward to reading your review.
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A few years ago, I visited the Canadian War Museum and was in awe. Amazing pictures Robbie. To see your husband beside the tank gives it persepective.
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HI Carla, thank you, I included that picture for that exact reason. Mankind certainly has created some amazing weapons of war.
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A clever take on doors, Robbie…Not one for visiting war museums ..Duxford for the planes was my only excursion with the boys I tended to go to museums like the natural history Museum or Science Museums with them…I certainly would not want to be in the path of one of those monsters…seeing a tank always conjures up the picture of “Tank Man” in Tiananmen Square which is etched on my brain 🙂 x
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HI Carol, tanks are rather frightening things and the initial ones during WW1 were very cumbersome and got stuck in the mud a lot. Of course, there is nothing like war to improve technology. Now they are state of the art.
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I’m sure they are state of the art but still scary …
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Gosh they are quite big and so many different typres
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“Best of all, they all have doors.” That little addition to your intro made me smile, Robbie. Those tanks are giant and fascinating, but they have a dark purpose. The quote from All Quiet on the Western Front is so visceral. Great post.
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Thank you, Diana, yes, war vehicles are very dark and horrible, but they are also fascinating.
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As soon as I started reading the quote about tanks, I knew I’d read it before. All Quiet on the Western Front is an excellent book – great tie-in!
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Very intimidating vehicles. I love your unique take on the Doors challenge.
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Hi Julie, I am glad you enjoyed this post. I try to find interesting and different doors to share.
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Amazing. All machines of war, ancient and modern. Some very horrific.
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Yes, a lot of innovation comes about during periods of war, it’s a pity it is always inspired by negative purposes, but we all still benefit in the longer term.
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Some things yes. I watched a program once on how war machines advanced… mostly aimed at distruction.
I see no benefit in the stronger denying others their history in overtaken lands and even destroying beloved symbols. But that is part of the ‘spoils’. I suppose.
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Very cool – that’s the kind of stuff I like to go visit. About a month ago we went to a ship museum in Wilmington, and I loved it.
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Ships sound really good, H. I like any museum. Everything interests me.
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