UK Army Major's Trove of Tanks Bagged in Fraud Scheme Revealed by MoD

Retired Major Michael Whatley said “tanks very much” to donations of armoured vehicles from foreign armies. He told them they were destined as exhibits for his former regiment's museum, but in fact he sold or traded them to fellow enthusiasts who shared l'amour for armour.

The British Ministry of Defence has released photos of some of the hoard of tanks a retired army officer got dishonestly from foreign donors.

Michael Whatley, a retired major in the Household Cavalry — the Queen's bodyguard — pled guilty on 13 August to three charges of misconduct in a public office. He was handed a suspended two-year sentence along with 150 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to pay £1,500 towards the costs of the prosecution.

Between 2001 and 2011, Whatley persuaded the German and Swedish armies and Belgium's National Tank Museum to give him a total of 24 armoured fighting vehicles — some still fitted with functioning armament.

The former officer claimed the vehicles were destined for exhibits at the Household Cavalry Museum, when in fact he sold them or traded them with fellow private tank collectors.

"You are a disgrace. You were a very distinguished man, a Major in one of the oldest regiments in the British Army", Judge Andrew Barnett told Whatley in passing the sentence. "You should be bitterly ashamed of your conduct. I don’t want to minimise the effect actions such as yours has upon public confidence in the army".

IKV91 light tank with 90mm gun

© Photo : GOV.UK

The conviction was the culmination of a "very complex investigation" by the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) Crime Command involving "detailed collaboration with the authorities in a number of European countries", the unit's head Detective Superintendent Raffaele D’Orsi said.

Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with 2x35mm automatic cannons

© Photo : GOV.UK

"The guilty plea entered by Michael Whatley and the sentence of the court sends out a clear signal that misconduct by those holding trusted positions in public offices, especially within the MOD, will not be tolerated and will be pursued through the legal system, regardless of how protracted that process needs to be", D'Orsi said.