Landships II

Gwyn Evans · Legend

Mark IV Wireless, possibly?

Ironsides · Legend

Hi Gwyn, frankly I dont have enough knowledge about unit and individual tank id's to have a opinion but I have come across something similar ...
The orbat for� "C Batt 20 november 17" shows the following reserve tanks�and includes a "Wirepuller" Section :

Reserve

CANADA��C.I�� no. 2085 (M) ?

CASA��C.I5�� no. 4008�� ?

Wire Puller Section�� 2/Lt. C.M. Le Clair, M.C.

Wirepuller�� C.W.I�� no. 4515�� 2/Lt. ?.G.R. Elliott

Wirepuller�� C.W.2�� no. 4568�� Sgt. J.W. Hunt

Wirepuller�� C.W.3�� no. 4559�� 2/Lt. M. McBean

Wirepuller�� C.W.4�� no. 4514�� 2/Lt. J.T. Yeoman

so�I would assume that I.W4 would be the forth wirepuller tank in 9th�Batt wirepuller section....
At 3rd Ypres on the 21/23rd August 1917�C batt has no specific wirepuller section, so I would suggest the pic is from a later date possibly the 20th nov or later.....

Hope this helps

Cheers

-- Edited by Ironsides at 00:51, 2008-01-30

-- Edited by Ironsides at 09:53, 2008-01-30

Mark Hansen · Legend

Gwyn Evans wrote:

...If so, is this the first photo of a Mark IV Wireless tank?� ...�

Not sure but the AWM have a photo captioned as being a Mk IV wireless tank. It is in�this thread. The photo shows a female Mk IV with a crew erecting some sort of aerial.

Mark Hansen · Legend

The tank in your photo also appears to have the "box" on the rear roof that a few other Mk IV's have, along with the�raised section�in the unditching rails. This doesn't seem to be on the AWM tank but in any case may be unrelated to wireless work.

Ironsides · Legend

Possibly the box is a modication done at the workshops in france as later mkv's have this feature, perhaps this is a prototype section command tank......?
on the AVM wireless tank pic there appears to be something on the front horn unfortunatly its to small to make out what, but perhaps its possible to get a larger pic or at least ask AVM if this tank has an ID No visible......just a thought

http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/E03932

Cheers

Rhomboid · Field Marshal

Allow me to recant the doubts which I expressed about AWM E03932 in Mark's prior thread about this photo. In fact, A Bn. is known to have had wireless tanks in action on the date, and at the location�specified in the caption. I think that there was some speculation that the marking seen on the front horn may have been a Royal�Engineers flash.�

Gwyn Evans · Legend

Thank you gentlemen. The jury seems to be out but the evidence from C Battalion looks compelling that this is a wirepuller.

Cheers

Gwyn

P.S. perhaps I should have said so at the outset - this photo is presently on eBay. I am neither the seller nor a bidder, nor do I have any connection with the sale.