Historical Information (Wikipedia)

It was from near this point that the tank was first used on the 15th September 1916 — actually attacking Flers a few kilometres away immediately behind the monument.

At the time the six operational tank companies were grouped as the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps (which you will notice on their gravestones). Other companies would be formed and these would be increased in size to battalions, which were originally named by a letter (A Battalion etc.). By the end of the war however the battalions were numbered.  On 28th July 1917 the HBMGC was turned into its own formation : The Tank Corps.

The Tank Corps Memorial is for all the men from the Corps who fell during the war and not simply those that died in their first battle at Flers-Courcelette on 15th September.