Falmouth’s commemorations of the centenary of the outbreak of World War One, will include a full-scale image of a tank mounted on a 24ft by 12 ft framework and displayed outside the Municipal Buildings on The Moor this summer.

Falmouth was one of only 264 towns across the country to be presented with a Great War tank at the end of hostilities.

This was in recognition of the money it had raised during Tank Weeks in the latter days of 1918 which went towards the construction of more tanks.

Councillor David Saunby, chairman of the town council’s Great War commemorations working group, had hoped to get a replica tank built to place on The Moor, but has instead settled for the image after winning the support of fellow councillors, local businesses and a college.

Local artist George Queen has been commissioned to paint a picture of the tank, which will be photographed, and then reproduced and expanded to full size by 20/20 of Falmouth.

Falmouth Marine School has volunteered their services to build the self standing six-part framework on which the picture will be mounted, and Pendennis Shipyard will be sponsoring the plywood and timber for the project.

Councillor Saunby said: “Falmouth does have a history with the Great War Tank, when after hostilities had ceased in 1918, Falmouth was presented with a tank, for its staggering contribution of approximately £600,000 to the war effort through War Bonds and Children’s Certificates over four years.

“The Falmouth Tank, which still had traces of mud from the battlefields of Belgium or France, arrived by rail in September 1919.

It was greeted with much pomp and ceremony by local officials and hundreds of Falmothians.

Crowds lined the streets as it made its way under its own power from the Recreation Ground down Killigrew Street to its final resting place on The Moor where it remained for eight years.

Falmouth will be playing its part in commemorating Britain’s entry into the Great War 100-years-ago, and the full scale image of the Falmouth Tank on The Moor will be a fitting tribute of remembrance to those Falmothians who fell in foreign fields, and also to those who returned home.”

The image of the tank will be one of a host of events and exhibitions which are being planned for Falmouth as a tribute to those who fought in the Great War.