Albert Stern assembled the Special Vehicle Development Committee from veterans of early tank development. Its members included Eustace Tennyson d'Eyncourt, Ernest Swinton, William Tritton, and Harry Ricardo. Walter Wilson joined initially but soon left; his expertise in tank transmissions was not required for the chosen design, he remained busy elsewhere, and he had long disagreed with Stern. The group's nickname, the Old Gang, supplied the TOG name. In David Fletcher's account, electric drive was reportedly chosen because of the tank's great weight, although Stern's earlier support for the system and his rivalry with Wilson may also have influenced the decision. The relative influence of those technical and personal considerations remains uncertain.
Notable Point · 1:05:46-1:07:49
The TOG committee and the choice of electric transmission
TOG's transmission choice emerged from a committee of veteran designers, with possible personal influences alongside the engineering requirement.