Lecture | The Importance of Tanks: WW2 And Beyond

Tuesday 17th June
6.30pm-8.00pm

Lt Col Stuart Crawford will examine the circumstances of the introduction of the tank by the British army midway through WW1 leading on to WW2 and the central role they played in both offensive operations, aimed at penetrating enemy lines, and defensive missions where holding strategic points was necessary. Their impact on military tactics was profound, influencing the planning and execution of operations such as the D-Day landings and the Blitzkrieg campaigns. Lt Col Crawford will conclude by bring us up to date with how tank warfare has developed since then, with comments on their use of in the Ukraine-Russian war and in Gaza by the IDF.

Lt Col Stuart Crawford is an author, writer and broadcaster specialising in defence analysis. He was commissioned into the 4^th Royal Tank Regiment and during his twenty-year military career served around the world, including operational tours with the UN in Cyprus and as a staff officer in the Headquarters British Forces Middle East during the 1990-91 Gulf War.  He is a graduate of both the British Army Staff College, Camberley, and the US Army Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Stuart has written numerous articles and journalistic pieces for newspapers and magazines in the UK and abroad and appears frequently on radio and TV as a defence expert.  Notable publications include A’ The Blue Bonnets: Defending an Independent Scotland (RUSI, October 2012) and Sending My Laundry Forward: A Staff Officer’s Account of the First Gulf War (Matador, 2014), with his latest book Tank Commander: From the Cold War to the Gulf and Beyond published by Pen & Sword Books in January 2023.

6.30pm Drinks Reception (Drink included in ticket price), 7.00pm Lecture Commences

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