A viewer identifies the Mark IX as both an early armoured personnel carrier and an amphibious tank experiment. The vehicle could carry about 30 soldiers, but the cramped interior, lack of seats, and exhaust fumes would have left them in poor condition after the ride. For an amphibious test at the Welsh Harp reservoir in November 1918, flotation relied on barrels attached to the sides. The surviving Mark IX at Bovington gives this improbable design a direct museum connection.
Notable Point · 44:18-45:00
The amphibious Mark IX personnel carrier
The Mark IX appears as an early armoured personnel carrier whose amphibious test relied on improvised flotation.