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The Tank Corps
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British Tank Colours and Markings 1914-18
Written, Researched and Copyright
Mike Cooper, July 2000
Compared to WW2 colours and markings those for the Great War have received little research effort to date, and there is clearly a lot still to be found out and some important misconceptions to be dealt with.
Presented here is a bare summary only. This text is based on the author's "British tanks of the Great War" in IPMS magazine 1/98, 1998 and on a forthcoming series of more exhaustive articles for the MAFVA journal Tankette.
1.Armour Colours
Both vehicles appear in contemporary photographs in a single medium-dark colour overall. At present the best assumption is that this was a grey as commonly used on railway prototypes, but the Admiralty is known to have specified a dark green for some of its Armoured cars, and this would appear tonally similar in a black and white photograph. In the case of Mother, Imperial War Museum photographs of her on trial on 14th January 1916 show her paint work to have been gloss finished (IWM negative numbers PC804, 805 and Q70938-957 and Q14487).
The most common image of the Mk Is of C and D Companies, Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps in their first action is of tanks in a four or five tone disruptive camouflage scheme. Trevor Pidgeon (1)
shows that this was a pattern of green, ochre, brown and black over a grey base. The pattern was devised by a Royal Academician, Solomon J Solomon, and was applied to each vehicle in the UK by their crews. The exact colours used are not known at present, but Royal Engineers stores are known to have had two Brunswick Greens, a dark brown, and yellow ochre available for camouflage painting. (2)
Whilst most, if not all, the tanks at Flers were painted this way contemporary accounts and some photographs do indicate that some MkIs were a single tone (for example IWM photograph Q70902). Pidgeon states that this was a "drab brown" and/or grey.
Tanks 1917-18
Apart from very rare examples, the battles of 1916 were the first and last time British tanks went into action in the Great War in painted camouflage, although at Bullecourt Mk II females of C Battalion used old Mk I female sponsons in their original camouflage patterns (3).
Although specifics are lacking, there is contemporary circumstantial evidence to suggest beyond reasonable doubt that from late 1916 onwards the norm for British tanks was a drab medium brown overall. In a letter to the author, David Fletcher of the Tank Museum has described the paint on a surviving Whippet and Mk IV in the Brussels Army Museum as being a "milk chocolate colour" (4).
With the exception of one bizarre Mk IV (IWM HU68872) the only evidence of any form of camouflage patterning comes from undated photographs of Mk Vs which could be from summer/autumn 1918, but which could equally be post war. (IWM HU74976 and Tank Museum photos 4135/A4 and 4963/A5 (5)). These photographs clearly need more explanation before they are taken as representative.
IWM Q9918 shows that at least in 1918 some tanks were spray painted.
Mk IVs in German service were camouflage painted. At first this was with one colour over their brown base tone - most probably "Field Grey", then a darkish green fading to grey-green. Later a field grey base was used with patterns of ochre, red brown and what has been described as "frosty green". The latter is difficult to interpret, but it seems to have been a light, perhaps greyish, green. (6)
During the Russian Civil War some White Russian Mk Vs were camouflaged, but precise details are lacking (7)
Photographic evidence and evidence from surviving machines shows that interiors were gloss white with engine casings in a heat resisting aluminium.
2. Markings
The basic set of tank markings for the Great War was rather spartan – a 3-4-digit War Department number. On Whippets a three digit number was prefixed A (see below for examples).
However, from the outset tanks received individual numbers and names, usually co-ordinated at a Battalion level – although possibly at a Brigade level - with names usually beginning with the initial letter of the Battalion – "Hilda" and "Hyacinth" would belong to "H" battalion, "Fums Up" to F and so on. Individual identification numbers also followed this pattern – J10 would be a 10th Battalion machine. Individual application varied, and general notes are given below.
Photographic evidence suggested that training Battalions in the UK used two or three digit numbers.
From mid April 1918 all tanks in France– and indeed 17th Battalion Austin Armoured cars – used white-red-white identification stripes to differentiate them from German captures. The actual style of these – stripes were officially 12ins wide – is shown in a drawing available as part of the Mk V plans pack from the Tank Museum library, but photographic evidence shows a range of variations on this theme. In theory a Mk V would carry stripes
On the front sides of the track frames
On the top front edge of its cab
On its rear cupola front, top and rear.
This section is based on photographic evidence. As yet only E Battn and the Battalions at Cambrai have been the subject of published list of numbers/names.
A Battalion - As A Company, this unit used small individual numbers and names on its Mk Is. Details of names and numbers for Mk IVs at Cambrai are in following the tanks. (8) Photographs suggest names appeared in neat, small capitals on the track horns. With the exception of Ajax a Mk V* no details of 1918 practice have been found to date.
B Battalion - No details of B Company markings have been found to date, but B battalion is well-documented (8). At Cambrai large numbers or names appeared in white on the track horns, nose plate and rear of the fuel tank. Photographs show that the use of large numbers continued into 1918 on Mk Vs and possibly V*s
C Battalion – C Company at Flers is well-documented (1). The usually pattern was a neat, small number on the track horn in white with names on the nose plate. By Bullecourt and Arras photographs show Mk II Females with the large numbers on their stowage trays at the rear, and by Autumn 1917 C Battalion was using the scheme used at Cambrai (8) – name in white capitals on the nose plate with or without HMLS (His Majesty’s Land Ship), neat bold numbers on the horns, cab roof and rear plate of the fuel tank on Mk IVs. In 1918 some Whippets were named – that in Bovington appears in a post War photograph with its name neatly painted on the superstructure rear
D Battalion – followed the pattern of C. No evidence of its practice on in 1918 has been found
E Battalion – At Cambrai names in neat capitals on the track horns. In 1918 Mk Vs used just numbers, most probably on the track horns (9). E Battn also formed the "Detachment Tank Corps" which fought at Gaza. Here they used small near names with an HMLS prefix on the nose and track horns of their Mk Is and possibly IVs.
F Battalion – Very extensively photographed by the Germans after Cambrai, tanks of this battalion followed the pattern of C Battalion machines. In 1918 some of their Whippets bore names (on the upper plate of the fuel tank and a large red IX for IX Corps on the rear side of the track frames as seen on the Whippet in the Brussels Army Museum
G Battalion - Followed E’s style at Cambrai and possibly on Mk IVs into 1918
H Battalion – as E and G, but on Mk Vs in 1918 the Battalion had switched to what seems to be just H numbers on the track horns and rear of the vehicle. Bovington’s Mk V is restored from her original markings and shows one style of this.
I Battalion – At Cambrai this Battalion seem to have followed the pattern of C Battalion, but photos of its tanks are scarce.
10th Battalion – Mk Vs appear with large, sometimes florid, numbers on their track horns.
12th – Although names are known for Mk IVs in Autumn 1918 (3) the only photos of Mk Vs show them after the Armistice, with large very neat L numbers on the track horns
15th Battalion – Photographs show two contrasting styles on Mk Vs and V*s – large hastily done names and numbers on the horns, and small neat names in the same place.
16th Battalion – Large neat numbers on the track horns on Mk Vs
Gun carriers - War Department numbers usually prefixed GC, names e.g. Kingston and where appropriate "SUPPLY" in white capitals on the rear hull sides.
In Tankette 13/4 R. L. Wheeler surveyed serial number blocks for British Tanks of the Great War. Since then a survey of photographic and secondary evidence has added to this, and is presented below.
Given the nature of the evidence, the ranges presented must be somewhat conjectural, and the numbers spanned do not necessarily match production figures.
Mark I and II - usually painted aft of the sponson, but occasionally ahead
Male Mk Is - 700-774?
Females – 500-574?
Male Mk IIs – 775-780?
Females – 575-580?
Mark IV - 2010-2860? 4586-4810?; 6000-6015?; 8056-8095?. Not as common as on later marks, and usually aft of the sponson
Mark V – Specified to be carried high on the hull side aft of the sponson – 9000? -9440?
Mark V* - As V*s were stretched Vs these serial blocks may better be thought of as part of the V runs – 9515, 9750? -9806? 9926?-9950?; 10947
Mark V** - 10502-505? 10704
Mark IX – 901? -940?
Medium A – A217? -A390?
Medium B – 1200-1230? 1500-1510?; 1600-1613?
Medium C – the only WD number seen to date is 1814
References
Web Copyright Stuart Groombridge
All Rights Reserved 2000
Created 30th June 2000
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