Where the term "tank" comes from.

Did you know the term tank is used because the British told manufacturing companies that they were building prototypes for "mobile water tanks" to be used in desert warfare within Mesopotamia?

Here is a quick random history lesson on tanks. When tanks were first in development, the British Army named them after the vehicle they were first designed from, Holt Tractors. (This company will eventually become the Caterpillar Tractor Company.) "Artillery Tractors" were used more as workhorse, helping to move artillery over rough terrain. When war broke out in Europe, these tractors were shipped out all over the world for combat. Later on, they would be revamped into the several different models of tanks that World War I geeks may know.

As new advances were made, the Navy was placed in charge of these new vehicles. Actually, the Army kinda thought it was useless, so the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill decided to pick up the ball, even though it wasn't his job and kinda got him in trouble with other branches. But hey, they still made him Prime Minister. And so we get the wonderful name; the

Landships! (The navy is so original, next they will have Sandships or Airships or even Spaceships... oh, wait.) However, by the end of the first world war it would move to the Royal Naval Air Service.

Anyway, so the Navy abandoned the Pedrail version and went back to the traditional tracked version. To do this, they needed to build some new prototypes, and since they were in the middle of a world war, they needed to keep it a secret. They needed to tell the manufacturing company something different. It was to be nicknamed the Water Container, but this had to be changed due to the fact of the committee overseeing it being labeled the WC committee. (Changing it from the Landship committee.) Jokingly referred to as called the Water Closet Committee (Toilet). They were in need of a name change, thus giving it the name tank.

So, to quickly recap. It is called a tank, because high ranking military officials, didn't want other men thinking they worked on a committee about all about toilets. I love history.

Lastly, I don't feel like citing all my sources, 'cause I kind of forgot to write any of them down. So, if you want to learn more, go to Wikipedia like everyone else. (The photos are taken from Wikipedia)