A battle-scarred tank from World War One which was displayed in Abergavenny’s Bailey Park from December 1919 until the Second World War, will be returning to the town on the 100th anniversary of the first tank attack in history - albeit in a virtual sense.

The Mark 4 tank given to Abergavenny in 1919 took part in the Battle of Arras in 1917, and afterwards survived the battles at Messines, Passchendaele, and Cambrai.

It was one of the 200 tanks donated across the country to recognize the exceptional efforts made by towns in the War Savings during the first World War.

Now, exactly 100 years on from the first tank attack in history, people in Abergavenny and all over Wales will be able to take a step back in time to locate and view tanks, externally and internally – and even place one in a location of their choice - thanks to a free app launched in association with The Tank Museum to honor the memory of pioneering British tank soldiers.

As well as Abergavenny, the virtual tanks will be positioned in various locations inPort Talbot, Cardiff, Neath, Llandudno, Carmarthen, Merthyr Tydfil, Pembroke Dock, Penarth and Swansea on September 15, marking 100 years since the first tank entered the WWI battlefield. I

In honour of this anniversary, the free Tank 100 mobile app, from the World of Tanks publisher and game developer Wargaming, is available for iOS and Android – also allowing the user to place a tank in a location of their choice, and even take pictures of it featuring themselves, family or friends.

Virtual reality has gripped the nation this year with the popular Pokémon Go game, and ‘Tank 100’ works in the same way.

Through the app, users can experience life-size augmented reality Mark I tanks at prime locations in towns and cities across the UK, as well as view stunning 360 virtual reality films of tanks in action.

Wargaming has partnered with The Tank Museum in Bovington to deliver the fascinating history behind the development of the first tanks during WW1, and the app was developed by Ballista Digital – a leading producer of history-based apps for museums.

Markus Schill, General Manager Europe Wargaming, said, “History is part of Wargaming’s DNA. We wanted to use all that technology has to offer to give everyone a new way to rediscover history, tanks and facts of WWI.

The Tank 100 App will allow you to virtually see the first tank on the battlefield or see a life-size model of the Mark I - or view a smaller version pop up on a desk top”.

CEO of Ballista Digital, Tom Clifford, added, “We are very excited about working with Wargaming to create this opportunity for tank enthusiasts to ‘virtually’ experience the Mark I tank.

The app will help bring the story of the development of the tank to life, and is the start of an ongoing AR & VR App experience that will track the history of the tank through the 20th Century.”

The Tank 100 app will continue to grow over the coming months. Future versions will have additional WW1 and later 20th Century tanks to coincide with key anniversaries.

The augmented reality 3D model tanks will also be enhanced to allow users to interact and take control of the tanks themselves.