Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2022 February 11

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February 11

When did tanks first appear in Greece?

Admittedly, I might already know the answer to this question, but I still want a confirmation. —(((Romanophile))) ♞ (contributions) 07:50, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

@Romanophile The Refdesk is not a quiz game, please state what you think is the answer. It would provide us with at least a lead to start searching. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 08:11, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

This book says "French Renault tanks were involved in the Greco-Turkish War". Alansplodge (talk) 10:14, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

The earliest that I could find was a Renault battalion at the Salonika Front in 1918. —(((Romanophile))) ♞ (contributions) 10:22, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

According to Boney Fuller, it was only a detached company in mid-1918: Tanks in the Great War (p. 197) (but they were there). Alansplodge (talk) 14:30, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

D'oh! We've quoted the same source! Well done anyway, I'd forgotten the Salonika Front was in neutral Greece; we now call it Thessaloniki. Alansplodge (talk) 14:34, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

We still call it Salonica in this house. DuncanHill (talk) 15:13, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Presumably also Leghorn and Flushing? Alansplodge (talk) 16:53, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Quite so, and Rheims and Dunkirk and Flanders and Rome. I claim no privilege for myself that I would not allow a foreigner, if a Greek calls London "Londino" it's no skin off my nose. DuncanHill (talk) 17:30, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Anyone who doesn't call it Londinium is using the wrong name... --Jayron32 17:35, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

... I'm guessing that's what people who have one of those "Sona si potest hoc legere" stickers on their car call it.--Shirt58 (talk) 01:24, 12 February 2022 (UTC)

Perhaps "Honk if you can read this"? (I had to Google it). Alansplodge (talk) 09:14, 12 February 2022 (UTC)

Looks like John Bercow isn't going to get a peerage. Following the report of the enquiry into his behaviour he commented (like so many before him) "Calling it a kangaroo court would be unfair to kangaroos." He was the one who denied driving around with a "F**k Brexit" banner visible through the window of his car - turned out it was his wife's car. 2A00:23C3:FB80:7C00:C495:3CE7:3180:2449 (talk) 13:44, 13 February 2022 (UTC)

London School Board offices, Victoria Embankment

The London School Board offices were on Victoria Embankment. The original building, designed by G. F. Bodley, opened in 1874. The building was extended by R. W. Edis in 1891-3. In the gardens was a statue of W. E. Forster. The offices were demolished in 1929. I would like to know what replaced the buildings, and what happened to the statue. Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 16:27, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

The second part was easiest: see William Edward Forster Statue in Victoria Embankment Gardens.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Alansplodge (talk • contribs)

This states that it was close to Temple Railway Station, which I believe is Temple tube station. --Jayron32 17:11, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

This is the current building in its place. The gardens are still in front, but the more modern building on the right in this picture looks to be just about in the right place to match the London School Board. The kicker is the red brick building, which looks to be the same as was there next to the London School Board. The modern address is 4 Temple Place. --Jayron32 17:21, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Looking at a map, Temple station abuts the Victoria Embankment Gardens, which had existed since when the School Board Building opened, and Temple Station predates both. If the statue and gardens are in the same place as in 1874 (and they might be, the Gardens look to be about the same size and shape on Google Street View as in some of the pictures and drawings of the London School Board Building), then today the site is occupied by The Globe House, a more modern building that is the home of British American Tobacco. See picture to right. You can see Here the red brick building immediately to its right is the same building, and still there today. --Jayron32 17:21, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

And checking the Wikipedia article Temple Place confirms it. "Around the same time, Bodley and Garner's London School Board Building was erected in Temple Place. It was replaced by Electra House, the headquarters of Cable & Wireless, in 1929. It was damaged during the Second World War when on 24 July 1944 a V1 flying bomb hit the east of the building, demolishing part of it, blocking Milford Lane and trapping people in rubble at 28 Essex Street. Three people died and seventeen were injured.[2] The building was repaired but demolished in 1999 and replaced by Globe House, the building that is now the headquarters of British American Tobacco." --Jayron32 17:26, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

More about Electra House, Temple Place WC2 and Globe House is up for sale apparently. Alansplodge (talk) 17:58, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

BTW, the red brick building next to Globe House is similar, but not the same as Bodley's 1874 building which is shown here. It's reminiscent of one of the contemporary three-decker elementary schools which can be seen all over London. Alansplodge (talk) 18:16, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

That's not the 1874 building, that's an earlier (unbuilt) design for the London School Board. As it says in the text of that image, that 1873 design was modified to include a central tower and two pavilions on either side, which was what was actually built, per the photograph I shared above. --Jayron32 18:23, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Oh yes, quite right. Alansplodge (talk) 18:40, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

(ec) Many thanks Alansplodge and Jayron32. I remember Electra House, I thought it a rather attractive building. There's a picture of it, repaired, here. DuncanHill (talk) 18:18, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

The redbrick is Arundel House (not the old Arundel House), which now houses the Institute of Strategic Studies. DuncanHill (talk) 18:23, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

And according to This, the modern Arundel House dates from the "Late 19th Century". Which would fit in with what I noted above. This also states the same thing. --Jayron32 18:35, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

1884, architect John Dunn, according to this picture. DuncanHill (talk) 18:37, 11 February 2022 (UTC)

Nice! --Jayron32 18:38, 11 February 2022 (UTC)