David Fletcher (military historian)
David John Fletcher MBE (born 1942) is a British military historian specialising in the history of armoured warfare, particularly that of the United Kingdom.
David Fletcher MBE FRSL | |
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Tank Historian David Fletcher, at The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK | |
Born | David John Fletcher 1942 UK |
Occupation | Author, historian |
Language | English |
Nationality | British |
He was an employee of The Tank Museum, Bovington from 1982 until December 2012, becoming the museum's longest serving member of staff.[1] Earlier that year, he was a panellist on Operation Think Tank, an international symposium on tanks, held in California.[2] He also presents contemporary media such as YouTube for the Tank Museum.[3] David Fletcher hosts a regular video series on The Tank Museum YouTube channel called 'Tank Chats', in which he gives viewers a brief insight in to a specific tank in the Museum's collection.[4][5]
In his final year at Bovington, he was appointed an MBE in the Queens New Year's honours list for services to the history of armoured warfare.[1]
Publications
His publication list is extensive, including 30 books.[1] Many of these are considered to be the standard works on that topic.
- Fletcher, David (1983). Cromwell Tank: Vehicle History and Specifications. The Tank Museum. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-290403-3.
- — (1983) [1944]. Churchill Tank (Reprint of original WW2 operating manuals ed.). HMSO / Bovington Tank Museum. ISBN 0-11-290404-1.
- — (1984). Landships: British Tanks in the First World War. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-290409-2.
- — (1987). War Cars: British Armoured Cars in the First World War. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-290439-4.
- — (1989). The Great Tank Scandal: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 1. HMSO. ISBN 978-0-11-290460-1.
- — (1989). Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War - Part 2. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-290534-X.
- — (1990). Staff Cars. Shire Album. Shire Publications. ISBN 0747800588. 245.
- — (1990). Moving the Guns: The Mechanisation of the Royal Artillery 1854–1939. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-290477-7.
- — (1991). Mechanised Force. HMSO, for REME Museum. ISBN 0-11-290487-4.
- — (1991). Army Transport, 1939–45. Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles. HMSO, for The Tank Museum. ISBN 0112905064.
- Fletcher, David; MacPhail, Doug (1990). Harvard!: the North American trainers in Canada. San Josef, B.C.: DCF Flying Books. ISBN 0969382502. OCLC 21447685.
- Fletcher, David; Sarson, Peter (1994). Matilda Infantry Tank 1938–45. New Vanguard. 8. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-457-1.
- Fletcher, David; Sarson, Peter (1995). Crusader and Covenanter Cruiser tanks 1939–45. New Vanguard. 14. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-512-8.
- — (1998). Tanks in Camera: The Western Desert, 1940–43. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0750915684.
- — (1998). British Military Transport: 1829–1956. HMSO, for The Tank Museum. ISBN 0-11-290570-6.
- — (1999). Mr. Churchill's Tank: The British Infantry Tank Mark IV. Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0764306790.
- — (2000). Cruiser Tank Mark VIII A27M Cromwell Mark IV. Museum Ordnance Special. 25.
- — (2001). The British Tanks, 1915–1919. Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-400-3.
- — (2004). British Mark I Tank, 1916. New Vanguard. 100. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-841-76689-5. OCLC 56394336.
- Fletcher, David; Harley, Richard C.; Sarson, Peter (2004). Cromwell Cruiser tank 1942–50. New Vanguard. 104. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-841-76814-6. OCLC 56539945.
- — (2005). Universal Carrier 1936–48: the 'Bren Gun Carrier' Story. New Vanguard. 110. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-841-76813-8. OCLC 58454936.
- — (2006). Swimming Shermans: Sherman DD amphibious tank of World War II. New Vanguard. 123. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-841-76983-5. OCLC 64097835.
- — (2007). Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower. New Vanguard. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
- — (2007). British Mark IV tank. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-846-03082-6. OCLC 77013118.
- Fletcher, David; Bryan, Tony (2008). Sherman Firefly. New Vanguard S. 141. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1846032776.
- — (2011). Tiger Tank. Owners' Workshop Manual. Haynes. ISBN 978-1844259311.[6]
- Fletcher, David; Morshead, Henry (2011). Mark V tank. New Vanguard S. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1849083515. 178.
- Tait, Janice; Fletcher, David (2011). Tracing Your Tank Ancestors. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-1848842649.
- — (2012). The Rolls-Royce Armoured Car. New Vanguard S. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781849085809. 189.
- — (2013). Great War Tank: Mark IV. Owners' Workshop Manual. Sparkford: Haynes. ISBN 978-0857332424.
- — (2014). British Light Tanks 1927–45 Marks I-VI. New Vanguard S. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781782003779. 217.
- — (2016). British Battle Tanks: World War I to 1939. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781472817556.
- — (2017). British Battle Tanks: British-made tanks of World War II. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472820037.
- — (2017). Rolls Royce Armoured Car 1915 To 1944: Owner's Workshop Manual. Haynes Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1785210587.
References
- "David Fletcher Honoured". 1 January 2012. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012.
- "Announcing Operation Think Tank 2012". 15 February 2012.
- David Fletcher (22 March 2010). Little Willie – The world's first tank. Bovington Tank Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- David Fletcher (2015). Tank Chats playlist. The Tank Museum. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- Bottom 5 British Tanks – David Fletcher – The Tank Museum on YouTube
- "How manual for Nazi tank is a best-seller". Bournemouth Echo. 6 January 2012.